The United States is considered to have an individualistic culture, emphasizing that people are independent and autonomous. With an incredibly diverse population, it’s not uncommon for individuals to struggle with understanding the identity of others, and in some cases, even their own. As a society that still struggles to grow out of the customs of the dominant culture, we can start by changing the way we speak and our choice of words.
The Latinx Center at CSUSB hosted an event titled “What’s the X” which covered the importance of inclusive language when it comes to people of Latin American descent.
Led by CSUSB student Jacklyn Chanocua, the first and most important point discussed was the history of the “x” in “Latinx”. The meaning and initiative from the “x” came from the influence of the choice to spell “women” as “womyn”. This political spelling of women, which now included a “y” instead of an “e” emerged in the 1970s and was meant to remove the idea that women were extensions of men. By eliminating the “e” there is no resemblance between the two words, indicating that women are separate, independent, and autonomous from men. Another political spelling choice for women was “womxn”, which gained more traction in the early 2010s. Unfortunately, we still default to male pronouns in some cases when we refer to groups of individuals. For example, it’s not uncommon for people to refer to a group of waiters and waitresses as “waiters”. Even when referring to a group of friends the phrase “hey guys!” seems almost natural.
In the Spanish language, the male/female binary is inherent when it comes to using nouns. There is an overall lack of neutrality when using nouns in Spanish. Masculine nouns are generally ending in “o”, such as Latino, and feminine nouns generally end in “a,” like “Latina.” In order to break out of the traditionally gendered grammar in the Spanish language, the “x” in “Latinx” was added in order to symbolize an unspecified gender for people of Latin American descent. The term is ultimately more inclusive towards the LGBTQ community and invites critical thinking when it comes to understanding the experiences of queer, non-binary, gender non-conforming, and/or trans individuals.
Students shared some of their experiences in their journey with their identities and how those conversations take place. Most students had never heard of the term “Latinx” until they arrived at college, and even then it was barely used. One of the problems mentioned was how some students were unsure how to fill out college or job applications due to a lack of inclusivity. Since a group of Latina and Latino people are referred to as “Latinos,” it leaves out any room for those who don’t identify as males of Latin American descent. When systems in place are exclusive, it raises many questions when it comes to identity, our place in society, and how we experience the world. One of the main points made at the “What’s the X?” event was that it is extremely important to have these conversations in the first place. By understanding your identity, people will gain insight into what challenges you face in everyday life. One example mentioned at the event highlighted the double-edged sword that transgender women face. The emphasis on being identified as a woman instead of a transgender woman is crucial. However, by eliminating the “transgender” part from your identity, people won’t know what kind of experiences and challenges you faced in the past, as well as what kind of challenges you face today.
Although Latinx is a great step towards inclusivity for queer, non-binary, gender non-conforming, and/or trans individuals of Latin American descent, I believe it’s also paving the way for different cultures at the same time. Our choice of language and words contributes to shaping our society as well as influencing those we interact with on an everyday basis. If there is anything to take away from this event, it’s how our choices in language can have such a great impact on the lives of others by making them feel seen, included, and welcomed. It may feel like a struggle to change habits that come so naturally to our culture, such as phrases like “hey guys,” but the difference it can make for someone is a necessary step towards understanding when and where potential obstacles, discrimination, and oppression take place in order to eliminate them.
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