June 12, 2017
By Alfredo Torres Jr.
“A rose is a rose is a rose,” says Gertrude Stein in the 1913 poem “Sacred Emily,” evoking the concept that naming usually describes the imagery and emotions associated with it. Of course, branding and labels are markers we use to identify tribes or groups that share ideologies and traditions.
In a country that has popularized the concept of the melting pot, questions still abound among ethnic millennials about their identity as Americans.
For many, the simple act of classifying a vast regional group into a monolithic entity is convoluted at best and foolhardy at worst.
One label gaining traction and controversy is the term “Latinx” (pronounced La-tin-x). In an attempt to create a more welcoming environment for Hispanics who do not identify as male or female, Latino millennials have coined the moniker Latinx. They argue that the Spanish suffix “o” or “a,” in Latino/a, alienates transgender people. Certain Latinos have scoffed at legitimizing such a term, much less giving it currency.
What must be addressed, however, by both Latino traditionalists and millennials, is that one’s ethnic identity is neither static nor can it be compartmentalized. From Mexican-American to Chicano to Latino, to the emergent Latinx, the evolution of ethnic identity revolves around the struggle for equality and acceptance within the U.S., along with the need to discover one’s culture and origins.
The history of race and identity among Mexican-Americans has been transitional since the 1848 Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. After the bloody Mexican War, Mexican residents living in newly acquired U.S. soil were left with the challenge of being accepted into Anglo-American society.
Unfortunately, they weren’t.
In late 19th and early 20th century America, people of Mexican descent were labeled “Mexican,” despite being born and raised in the U.S. This led to much racial discrimination.
Eager to pursue equality, many U.S.-born Mexicans sought distinction between Mexican immigrants and themselves, giving rise to the hyphenated term “Mexican-American.”
During the 1960s civil rights era, the label “Chicano” gave rise to defiance and radicalism. The term was derived from the Mexica (pronounced Mesheeca) tribes of Mexico. Adopting the militant style of the Black Panthers, Chicanos challenged the concept of assimilation into Anglo-American society and embraced their indigenous Aztec roots.
Then came “Latino,” a broader ethnic label used to incorporate various Spanish-speaking groups. Adoption of this term is regional. Although Californians embrace the term, Texans still negotiate between “Hispanic” or “Tejano.” Not even “Latino” has been fully adopted (Some quipping, “I don’t speak Latin”).
Latinos are on the cusp of undergoing another identity shift — Latinx. Many Latino millennials believe the term challenges the gender-biased, oppressive state of an inherited language associated with Spanish colonialism.
I am reminded of ’60s civil rights activist Malcolm Little (you may remember him as Malcolm X), who refused to acknowledge a surname given to him by his slave masters. Instead he claimed, “I am Malcolm X,” liberating him from his oppressive roots. Latinx may be a new trope to an old narrative.
Only time will tell if Latinos across the nation will be uttering, “I am Latinx.” Until then, I implore Latino traditionalists and progressive millennials to reflect carefully and deliberately because ethnic identity does not exist inside a vacuum. Rather, it is a fluid representation of ongoing negotiations between history and culture, examining who they are, what they believe, and where they have been.
Source: My San Antonio
