Title: What is Latinx — Latinx Activists
Headings: Why Is the Term "Latinx" So Important?
Why Is the Term "Latinx" So Important?
Four Latinx activists talk about community, identity, pain, and unity.
What does Latinx mean to you?
I define Latinx, broadly, as anyone with a familial, cultural connection to Latin America.
What conversations are being had among the Latinx community?
What topics need to be addressed and dealt with among Latinxs?
The shooting at Pulse placed the Latinx community at the center of current affairs conversations. How did you feel about the shooting?
How do we strengthen solidarity between black people and Latinxs?
We also need to realize that black and Latinx aren't mutually exclusive categories.
Lighter-skinned Latinos get treated differently than dark-skinned Latinos, by non-Latinos and Latinos ourselves. We've seen this colorism affect Afro-Latinos the most. What are your views on colorism within the Latinx community?
How do we as Latin Americans continue to unify?

Content: identity is fluid, but society and language commonly restrict or erase it by narrowing our options down to a checkbox. The term "Latinx" was designed to include those whose gender identity is fluid or nonbinary. The term emerged around 2004, but conversations revolving around the term have been popping up even more in recent years with the growth of sites and social media platforms designed by Latinxs for Latinxs, such as MiTú and BeVisible. These outlets help me feel like it's more than okay to be who I am. They are safe havens where Latinxs can unify and fight against injustice, which can be violent and sometimes, tragically, lethal. Several Latinx people have died at the hands of law enforcement. In June, a man opened fire at Orlando nightclub Pulse, wounding 53 people and killing 50, making it the deadliest mass shooting in American history. The majority of those harmed and killed were Latinx. As presidential candidates tackle life-changing issues like citizenship and immigration reform, and police brutality against people of color becomes a regular occurrence, it's vital to have a conversation about what "Latinx" means and how we can strengthen the community inside and out. It's terrifying imagining what could happen to our loved ones, and ourselves, as presidential candidate Donald Trump issues threats of deportation at Latinos.