CRISTINA VALENTÍN RIVERA, MS4
University of Connecticut School of Medicine
Just over a year ago, I learned of a new controversy among Latino academics in the U.S. mainland. One of my peers stood up in the middle of the room to ask “what do you think about the term Latinx?”
This was the first time I heard the term Latinx, a term coined in the United States to describe an individual of Latin American descent. It was recently accepted into the Merriam Webster dictionary, and this created an opportunity for a whole group of Latinos to find a term that they can identify with: a female can identify herself as Latina; a male can identify himself as Latino; and Latin Americans who are non-binary can identify as Latinx. I support the addition of this word to the dictionary for that purpose. However, I am concerned that this word is being used outside of its original purpose. Adding Latinx to the dictionary to fill a gap is one thing, but extending its use to replace words we do have-- such as Latino-- appears to highlight a cultural divide.
The Latinx movement, which was born in a predominantly English-speaking country, is now moving beyond its original purpose. Specifically, it is advocating to change the Spanish language by replacing the suffixes –a and -o with –x: Latino with Latinx, juntos with juntxs, and so forth. English-speakers are concerned that, since Latino ends in an –o, it is too masculine to describe a group that does not consist solely of men. However, in the Spanish language, the suffixes –o and –a are not restricted to gender. Even articles of speech can be feminine or masculine, such as el agua or la patria. Additionally, when describing the Latino population in Spanish, the suffix –o can be replaced with an –a. For example: la gente Latina, las personas Latinas, la comunidad Latina. In fact, the Latino population, in Spanish, is la población Latina. Does that sound too patriarchal? And, since Latino does not imply Hispanic, are we changing the Portuguese language, too?
In addition to finding Spanish grammar too masculine, some people remain concerned that the use of terms such as Latino population excludes the LGBTQ community. It is unclear how. As explained previously, the term Latinos can describe a group of men, as well as a group of people in general. How, then, does the “male” term Latinos extend to include women, but stop just short of including the LGBTQ community? In the way Spanish grammar works, I am Latina and I am part of the Latino community. If I identified as Latinx, I would still be part of the Latino community.
I concede that language is allowed to evolve, and I believe there is room for improvement in the Spanish language. For example, there is a movement in Spain and Latin America to add “latine”(pronounced “lah-TEE-neh”) and “elle” to the Spanish dictionary, in addition to “él” and “ella.” If we want to pursue inclusivity in the Spanish language, we can start by support steps that these countries have already taken. However, Latinos in the United States understand Spanish in the context of their bicultural upbringing, and a consequence of this is the proposal for vowels to be replaced with a consonant: Latinx, mejicanx, juntx, and so forth, such that monolingual Spanish speakers cannot pronounce these words as they are written. If monolingual Spanish speakers cannot pronounce these words, how do we feel comfortable advocating for this change in their language? Using the English perspective to "correct" Spanish also highlights a class divide: socioeconomic disadvantage often hinders the ability to learn English, and the term Latinx is used mainly by a small, college-educated, primarily English speaking population in the U.S.
Latin American does not have a homogeneous culture or language. For example, as non-voting citizens of the U.S.A., residents of Puerto Rico find themselves in an awkward position of belonging to, but not really being part of the U.S.A. The colonial relationship between the U.S.A. and its territories adds another complication to the Latinx debate: the role of language in colonialism, and the use of language to transmit beliefs. If concern with the term Latinx is assumed tantamount to rejection of the LGBTQ community, this diminishes the experience of monolingual Spanish-speakers and bilingual Latinos who have never been in a place to hear the word used, due to their cultural or socioeconomic backgrounds. Listening to the term Latino being publicly denounced as sexist only highlighted the sense of division between our cultures.
The argument for and against the term Latinx has been overly simplified. Cultural differences affect the way language is perceived, and we all must remain respectful to the perspective of those who come from a different culture. Otherwise, this movement intended to promote inclusivity will ultimately exclude the majority of Latinos both inside and outside of the United States. Open-mindedness, on the other hand, will help foster the sense of unity that we need to continue in our pursuit for improved healthcare of the Latino population. El pueblo unido jamás será vencido.