In the past decade or so, I’ve watched as a linguistic shift has occurred from using “African-American” to “Black.” When I was younger, I sensed the difference between the two: African-American was always more formal. It’s how you described yourself in certain contexts–maybe at school or on a form–but Black (which we didn’t yet capitalize) was a much more visceral term for my identity. It describes color, culture, community, history–all the things that tie me to that part of myself.
This week, as the month-long celebration of Latinx/Hispanic Heritage Month kicks off, I’ve been thinking about how different terms have developed for Latin American communities in the U.S. You’ll notice a slash in the headline between the very modern “Latinx” and the 20th century catch-all “Hispanic.” I’ve heard from all sides how both of these terms are simultaneously acceptable and offensive; helpful and damaging; well-intentioned and plainly ignorant. And the reasons for that tension will help clarify precisely why Latinx/Hispanic Heritage Month is so necessary for all Americans to engage with.
The complicated origins
For those who are unaware, “Latinx” is a recently coined term that seeks to cut through the gender distinction created by “Latino” and “Latina” and promote inclusivity. The term has caught on in the U.S., particularly in academia and corporations, as a gender-inclusive alternative that encompasses the 62.1 million people of Hispanic/Latinx origin living in the United States today.
However, the term has not found such solid footing in the Latin American community itself. Although nearly a quarter of Latinx-identifying people are aware of it, only 3% report actually using it. One of the reasons for that might be that “Latinx” is seen as a foreign imposition by Americans. As one impassioned 16-year-old, Evan Odegard Pereira, wrote in an essay published in the New York Times last year:
“Language changes over time, but such adaptations must be organic. Forced changes from outside our community are a form of linguistic imperialism… At its core, this is an issue of linguistic self-determination. The Latino community doesn’t need politicians and corporations to “fix” our language; we can confront our community’s issues on our own terms.”
“Hispanic,” on the other hand, originates from an even more confused attempt to classify and define the United States’ Latin American population in the U.S. Census. In the 1930s, the U.S. Census routinely reported all people of Latin origin as “Mexican,” regardless of their national or ethnic backgrounds. This changed in the 1970s, when the Census began offering more regional and sub-ethnic identities on their forms, some of which continued to confuse people and resulted in yet another underestimate of the actual Latinx population at the time.
In between the 1930s and 1970s, the term “Hispanic” had been officially sanctioned when President Lyndon B. Johnson’s government launched “Hispanic Heritage Week”. (The week was later extended to a month-long celebration under President Reagan’s administration.) In a 1968 proclamation, President Johnson noted:
“The people of Hispanic descent are the heirs of missionaries, captains, soldiers, and farmers who were motivated by a young spirit of adventure, and a desire to settle freely in a free land.”
You’ll notice that this language emphasizes the Spanish origin of Latin American peoples. The “missionaries, captains, soldiers, and farmers” were of course European colonizers of pre-Columbian societies that had flourished in Central and South America for centuries. This is exactly why “Hispanic” sounds so grating and ersatz to communities who are defined by their combined cultural influences, which includes elements from African, European, and indigenous peoples. To be defined solely by an association with Spain is an insult to Latin America’s many multiracial and multiethnic identities.
“Hispanic” is in fact a translation of “hispano/a” in Spanish, which emphasizes Spanish-speaking as a marker of identity. To understand how incomplete that is, we have only to consider the 214 million Portuguese-speaking people living in Brazil, or the descendants of so many other European/African nations in South America, or indeed the many indigenous languages that continue to be spoken across Central and South America.
Both “Latinx” and “Hispanic” are imperfect terms, precisely because they are impositions from the outside–they don’t come from Latin communities themselves. We use them out of convenience, but we have to acknowledge where they come from and the confusion they often imply. Their very existence demonstrates how the narrative of Latin American history and heritage has been shaped and insufficiently nuanced by foreign institutions.
Latinx/Hispanic Heritage Month exists so that we can explore these questions, raise awareness about Latin American history, and celebrate the incredible contributions of so many Latin cultures to our own.
Of course, this is actually quite a tall order, given how many communities are represented by these umbrella terms. Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Colombian, Guatemalan, and Peruvian cultures are all very different, and all of them have influenced American culture in different ways. Food, music, dance, art, and sports: Latin American people have played dazzling roles in all of these categories. We have only to think of iconic Mexican cuisines, artists like Frida Kahlo, or dances like salsa and the tango to get a small taste of these contributions.
Latin Americans have also been powerful voices in government, activism, and politics, helping to shape our nation’s history from its very beginning. This year, I read about Sylvia Rivera for the first time, a Latinx transgender activist who was at the Stonewall Riots and helped turn its momentum into the modern day gay liberation movement. Or consider the Mendez family in 1940s Orange County, who helped lobby for a class-action lawsuit that ended segregation for Hispanic children in California schools, seven years before Brown v. Board of Education. Another excellent one is the story of Dolores Huerta and her influence on labor unions/politics in the last century
These are just some of the stories I’ve recently learned about. But it’s unsurprising that so much of Latin American history is news to so many of us. It simply isn’t taught to most middle- and high-school students beyond the arrival of Columbus and other European colonizers. For example, I’m sure many of us are also unaware that September 15 was chosen to begin Latinx/Hispanic Heritage Month because it’s the day Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Costa Rica, and Nicaragua all celebrate their independence (Mexico also celebrates on the 16th and Chile on the 18th).
Latinx/Hispanic Heritage Month is therefore an educational necessity: a time to engage with the history that has been missing from our curricula for so long. Telling stories about the people who have changed our nation’s politics and culture is a fantastic way to do that. And those stories should include the good as well as the bad. The Zoot Suit Riots of 1940s Los Angeles, for example, are a chilling reminder that police brutality and racial violence were by no means confined to Black and indigenous communities throughout American history.
How to celebrate the month
Happily, there is plenty to celebrate as well, thanks to the massive cultural influence Latin America has had and continues to have on us. In a society that is increasingly conscious of the pitfalls of cultural appropriation, Latinx/Hispanic Heritage Month is a time to learn about and show respect for cultural origins.
Of course, these celebratory efforts should always include and amplify the voices of Latinx people themselves. As we’ve seen from the discussion of the term itself, this month seeks to celebrate a massive range of ethnicities and populations, with origins and influences that span multiple continents. Celebrating “heritage” is perhaps always a contentious project, but in this case it is complicated by the diversity of languages, cultures, and peoples we seek to celebrate under one banner.
There are, however, ways to make that complexity productive.
First and foremost, be aware of and intentional with your use of language. The Latinx community is vast, and different terms carry different connotations to different people. You probably won’t get it right for everyone. But one way to combat the universalizing aspect of terms like Latinx and Hispanic is to intentionally reference other, more meaningful markers. If you’re talking about Mexican cuisine, be specific. If you’re referencing Argentine dance, make that clear. There is so much to celebrate, and honoring cultural origins by name shows you have done your homework.
Second, and in keeping with the first point, make sure you do the work beforehand to understand the nuances of these cultural differences. The best way to do that is to work directly with voices from different communities, and make sure they are appropriately centered.
Third, and finally–and this point applies mostly to organizations seeking to celebrate this month appropriately–make your efforts substantial. If you’re going to engage with a heritage/history month, it has to be meaningful. The point of these months is to serve as annual reminders of our cultural and social diversity, but that doesn’t mean you can tick it off your to-do list with a casual email. Involve your talent or work with partners to make sure you’re doing something that provokes thought and sustains engagement.
Latinx/Hispanic Heritage Month will continue to grow in popularity and importance as our nation gets more diverse. I’m grateful to the many organizers who make it possible every year for teaching us about the cultures and histories of Latin American people. While the remit of a month celebrating so many cultures may be broad, and its cultural responsibilities vast, it is ultimately part of a family of annual celebrations that remind us to look outside our own identity bubbles and acknowledge the fascinating diversity of our nation’s past, present, and future.
I hope you enjoy the month and learn something new.
This article was adapted and reprinted with permission from Diversity Explained.
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