Journey into inclusivity: Hola Cultura adopts the term “Latine”
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How does culture affect language? Language does not define people, but rather people define language, which we can see in how languages are constantly changing as society changes. A prime example is the inclusivity movement that has taken shape in recent years to challenge gender-specific grammar that underpins many languages, including Spanish.
Like society at large, Hola Cultura has made changes in step with these societal shifts. It’s been several years since our online magazine started using the term “Latinx” in deference to people who embrace nonbinary identities. As part of this journey, interns and fellows in Hola Cultura’s Storytelling Program for Experiential Learning (SPEL) incorporated personal pronouns into our team profiles. More recently we voted this spring to adopt “Latine” as our online magazine’s preferred gender-neutral approach when referring to the entire community.
Before we voted, SPEL’s Copy Editing team researched the topic and shared what we learned in a presentation to the full SPEL group. As a Copy Editing Intern, I had a chance to help with the research and interview Rosa Rodriguez, who spoke to us about the Latin/x/e/o debate and offered her expertise and personal insights.
“Latino/Latina is commonly used by older generations, who stick to the common masculine and feminine [constructs since it is what they are most comfortable with],” says Rodriguez. She has a bachelor’s in education and a master’s in interdisciplinary studies, with concentrations in Romance Languages, Linguistics and Cross-Cultural Studies from Texas Tech University (Lubbock, Texas), where she currently works as an Academic Advisor, advocating for her students’ future aspirations.
“Latinx,” Rodriguez points out, was largely “created by academics,” who have pioneered using the “x” in a way it has not traditionally been used.
Rodriguez uses herself as an example when delving deeper into what terms she uses.
“I identify as a Chicana when I am an activist and a Mexican American on a day-to-day basis,” says Rodriquez. Defining herself differently in various circumstances highlights how language melds with the ever-shifting spectrum of identity.
Terms such as “Latino/Latina,” “Latinx” and (now more commonly) “Latine” are sometimes used interchangeably to categorize those of Latin American descent. As such, these terms blend into identity. Hola Cultura will mirror these developments, incorporating “Latine” more into our storytelling while continuing to use “Latinx,” “Latina” or “Latino” to honor the individual preferences of the people we interview and feature on HolaCultura.com.
Rodriguez describes herself as “translingual” and sees one’s spoken language as part of the journey into inclusivity, adding that we are the pioneers of grammar, using and changing it as we evolve as individuals. By defining language as a fluid thing, she speaks to the realities of our changing world and the need for open dialogue to achieve a more inclusive and respectful approach to language and more inclusive spaces.
“Always be emphatic and understanding,” advises Rodriguez. “Know that everyone is different, but there is a way to work together. Language always evolves; it is never one thing, and it keeps changing. Always advocate for equity.”
With this shift to include “Latine,” Hola Cultura continues our journey of highlighting others’ stories and fostering a culture of openness and creativity by advocating for equity one story at a time.
– Story by Alesandra Medrano
– Copy edited by Luke Gehm and Michelle Benitez
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