In 2015, #Latinos seized the power of Twitter to mobilize, make their voices heard, and define and reclaim what it means to be Latino/a/x. They tweeted about politics, social movements, and the lack of diversity in STEM and public office, among other things. Below is a list of the most important hashtags Latinos used in 2015. As this list shows, 2015 is only the beginning for #LatinoTwitter.
1. #Latinx, #Latina, #Latino: Although simple, these three hashtags remain big for Latinos in 2015 because they represent arguably the most significant thing Latinos are doing on Twitter: defining what it means to be Latino in the US. #LatinasAreNot pornographic images, #Latinx are diverse and LGBTQ, and #Latinos/#Latinas/#Latinx are more than stereotypes. We're #leaders, #engineers, #entrepreneurs, blogueras, artists #BeCreativa, and in #HigherEd. We're savvy #tech users, and growing in numbers.
2. #LatinoVote, #LatinosListen, #LatinosDecide: Politically-attuned Latinos on Twitter understand the important role they will play in the 2016 elections, and are using these hashtags to weigh in on the presidential debates and relevant public policies, and to draw support for #Latinos running for office. While there are no clear cut "Latino issues", some of those policies include #Immigration, deportations #Not1More, climate change #Voces4Climate, and #HealthCareReform.
3. #LatinaLeaders, #LatinasRepresent: Latinas are making a huge impact on the political landscape. Lucy Flores was voted one of the nine politicians to watch in 2016 by CNN. Hashtags like #LatinaLeaders and #LatinasRepresent have been used to highlight the Latinas who are running for and holding office in local, state, and national government.
4. #Hispandering: Latinos are using this punny hashtag to call out businesses and politicians who use Latino stereotypes to market themselves. Some of the biggest offenders were Coca-Cola and Hillary Clinton's campaign.
5. #NotMyAbuela: A perfect example of #LatinoTwitter's mobilizing and political engagement, Latinos swiftly rebuked Hillary Clinton's campaign, asserting that her comparison to their abuelas was out of touch, hypocritical, and offensive.
6. #LatinosInTech, #LatinosInSTEM: With only 9% of STEM degrees being awarded to Latinos, and comprising only 7% of the STEM workforce, these hashtags raise awareness around the lack of Latinos in STEM, while also drawing attention to the amazing Latinxs who are out there innovating!
7. #HispanicGirlsUnited: First tweeted by Joyce Santaliz, #HispanicGirlsUnited was a campaign that gave Latinas a voice on Twitter, uniting Latinas in the U.S. around their common and individual experiences as #Latinas.
8. #LoveWins: With over 1.4 Million LGBTQ Latinx in the U.S., #LoveWins celebrated the win of marriage equality. LGBTQ activists mark this not as the last big win, but the first among many battles, including #Immigration, #healthcare, and housing and job non-discrimination to be fought and won for LGBTQ Latinxs.
9. #BlackLivesMatter, #StandWithMizzou #Solidarity: Latino organizers and activists stood in solidarity with #BlackLivesMatter and #Mizzou activists around police brutality and structural racism impacting black Americans. #AfroLatinos noted the intersections of these social justice movements, and reminded Latino and Black communities that these are their fights as well.
10. #SomosMas, #SomosMasAmericanos, #SomosMas2016: A response against the stereotypes and at times lewd depictions of Latinas commonly associated with the #Latina hashtag, the #SomosMas hashtag showed Latinas from an array of sectors and professional backgrounds. The #SomosMas hashtag also saw a lot of traction at the Latin Grammy Awards when in a live performance the bands Maná and Los Tigres del Norte called out Donald Trump's anti-Latino rhetoric.
11. #Latism: This hashtag created by the non-profit Latinos in Tech Innovation and Social Media (LATISM) became widely used in 2015 to disseminate information about Latinos in business, health, tech, and education. #Latism has become the catch-all hashtag to capture information in these fields that is pertinent to Latinos and Latino organizations.
12. #LatinoTwitter: Emerging after the well-known and organized #BlackTwitter, #LatinoTwitter began to appear with greater frequency at the tail end of 2015, and represents a unifying and strategic call for #Latino #TwitterActivism. It represents a space where Latinos can collectively amplify their voices on the issues most impacting our communities.