Zines, short for “fanzines,” are self-published and -distributed works that are portable, made cheaply, and focus on a message or point of interest important to the creator(s). A zine’s content can include visual materials, found objects, and text and are published in both physical and digital formats. People have used zines as a way to build communities and provide an avenue of communication for marginalized and minority groups.

Latinx/e are used as gender-neutral alternatives for Latino and Latina, offering inclusive terms for individuals who can trace their heritage to Latin America while conscious of diverse gender identities that do not fit gender binary. Originating as early as the 2000s among Latino LGBTQIA+ communities, “Latinx” became more widely used in mainstream society by the mid-2010s. “Latine” arose in feminist, LGBTQIA+, and gender non-binary communities in Spanish-speaking countries, providing a term comparable to "Latinx" that was orally accessible to Spanish speakers.

Emigration from Latin America increased in the late twentieth century, influenced by such factors as poverty, economic opportunities abroad, and political instability. In the early twenty-first century, Latinx/e have immigrated to countries all over the world, with many making communities in the United States of America, Canada, Spain, Japan, and the Global North. In 2023, the United States Census Bureau estimated that over 65 million Latinx/e were living in the United States, making up 19% of the total population. Made up of those born in the country, immigrants, and refugees, the Latinx/e community in the United States face many challenges including racism, deportation, inequalities in healthcare, hate crimes, and threats to political representation.