AOC slammed by Texas congressional candidate over 'Latinx' use: 'People here don’t speak that way'

AUSTIN, TEXAS: Texas Democratic congressional candidate and musician Bobby Pulido is calling out Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez for her use of the term “Latinx.”

Pulido made the comments during an appearance on CNN's 'This Morning,' arguing that the term does not reflect how Latino communities in South Texas speak.

AOC’s use of ‘Latinx’ reignites debate over language in Latino communities

During the segment, Pulido said that while some people in places like New York or California may use “Latinx,” “people down here don’t speak that way.”

“I do think that a lot of people felt like there was a lot of change going on [with] the language. And, you know, a lot of issues too, like oil and gas,” he added.

Emphasizing that his district is centered around the oil and gas industry, he said, “My district is pretty much all oil and gas, and these are jobs that in many cases in these rural areas are the best paying jobs that people have seen in years.” He continued, “And so, you know, I think you got to have a candidate that represents the district. And my district is very different than New York, extremely different.”

He clarified that he was not offended by the term, saying, “Well, I mean, I don’t speak like that. And the people down here don’t speak that way, and that’s not anything offensive to her.”

“Nobody in their average everyday life speaks like that. That’s just a fact,” Pulido added.

Host Audie Cornish noted that during the 2024 election, one topic that drew attention was the “backlash to progressive policy language,” particularly within the Latino community, where the focus centered on the term “Latinx.” 

AOC’s 'Latinx' term sparks linguistic discussion

Cornish then played a video clip of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez criticizing politicians, including Democrats, who have argued that promoting the term “Latinx” was “bad for the party.”

She noted that several lawmakers have publicly said they will not use the term and asked Bobby Pulido for his view. Pulido responded, “I don’t speak like that. But let’s be honest, you know, New York is the East Coast… And maybe those areas, they do talk like that, but not down here.” He added that national politicians need to recognize regional differences in cultural and linguistic usage.

The term, which has been promoted by academics, activists, and entertainers as a gender-neutral alternative to “Latino” and “Latina,” has struggled to gain widespread adoption.

A 2024 Pew Research Center survey cited in the discussion found that 47 percent of Latino respondents were aware of the term “Latinx,” up from 23 percent in 2019. However, only about 4 percent said they actually use the term, barely higher than the 3 percent reported in 2019. 

Moreover, roughly 75 percent of Latino respondents said the term “Latinx” should not be used at all.