- Author: NBC News by Stephen Nuño-Pérez and Gwen Aviles
"If I were going down to the local taquería, they wouldn't know what you are saying if you used the term,” said a scholar near the Mexican border.
The gender-neutral "Latinx" is becoming the preferred term over "Latino" or "Latina" in some circles — but Hispanic-Americans are debating among themselves about whether it should be.
The question goes to the heart of Hispanic identity in America, and it sheds light on the diverse array of family histories and present-day experiences of millions of people who would have a hard time agreeing on a single word to encapsulate who they are.
Pronounced “Lah-teen-EX," the term has emerged among younger and more progressive Hispanics — as well as scholars, writers and civil rights advocates — to express inclusiveness and recognize the sexual, ethnic and racial diversity of Hispanics. Unlike "Latino" or "Latina," the term does not refer to any specific gender.
The University of California, San Diego, recently announced that it would use Latinx to replace the gender-specific terms Latino and Chicano when referring to those groups. Other universities have already made the change.
But as the term gains traction, some scholars are pointing out that there are Latinos who don't see themselves reflected in the word. Some see Latinx as an elitist attempt to erase a history of more traditional gender roles, or as a distraction from other pressing issues facing Latinos in the United States.
"I am just a few miles from the Mexican border. If I were going down to the local taquería, they wouldn't know what you are saying if you used the term,” said David Bowles, an author and assistant professor at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. Though he is a proponent of using "Latinx," Bowles said it's mainly used among his Mexican-American and Chicano studies colleagues, LGBTQ activists and authors of color.
Motecuzoma Sanchez, a political activist in Stockton, CA who works in community advocacy, police and government accountability, and is the founder of a local organization that focuses on literacy called Semillas (seeds), views Latinx as a “fashionable identity” adopted by elite Latinos to address an issue he doesn't see as crucial in his community.
Latinos "still struggle with educational advancement, incarceration, teenage pregnancy, police brutality, predatory bank practices, discrimination, crime and violence, low literacy, immigration and labor exploitation, diabetes, etc., but suddenly gender nouns are the priority,” Sanchez said.
Sanchez,43, is also concerned that Latinx erases Hispanic history by suggesting that the use of traditional gendered Spanish terms is exclusionary. He sees "Latino" and "Latina" as describing the different roles men and women have historically adopted.
To discard those terms "is to disrespect the entire culture as well as our brothers, fathers who have fought hard to be respected as men," Sanchez said.
Like Bowles, Sanchez said Latinx is rarely used in everyday situations. “No one calls themselves Latinx,” Sanchez said.
Enrique Salas, 27, a South Carolina resident who works in retail, said there's a simple reason he won't use Latinx.
"I don't see the point of it when there's already a word for it, and it's Latinos," Salas said.
But supporters of the term point out that in their experience, much of the resistance comes from Latino men, while proponents include those who want to raise awareness of gender as nonbinary, including those who identify as gay, queer or transgender.
"People who identify as such should have language that validates their identity," said Christian Uruburo, 24, a clinical research coordinator at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York, who is gay. "I use it on a regular basis to identify myself or in English conversation."
Using Latinx avoids the complications that come from gendered language like "Latino" or "Latina," he added.
Liza Estrada, 22, a student at San Francisco State University, said she first became aware of "Latinx" on Twitter. She praised the fact that it's becoming more common in her academic life.
"Professors at my school have started incorporating the term as well, which is really great," Estrada said. "It's a huge step that teachers are becoming aware about the nonbinary students in their classes and aiming at inclusivity," she said.
"It teaches us to accept everyone in the community — even more so, we aren't valuing the masculine over the feminine."
In her experience, the majority of those who object to the term are men, especially those she encounters on social media.
"It's usually men who have a problem with it," Estrada said. "They claim that we're trying to change the Spanish language, which is ridiculous because the Spanish language is constantly changing."
Proponents of Latinx argue that Spanish's gendered structure privileges men in many ways: For one, masculine terms are often used to describe dominant traits. Simple, everyday uses of gendered pronouns reaffirm social relationships in which women are viewed as inferior. One example is the common use of the pronoun “he” to describe God.
Studies have found that gendered language can reinforce existing inequalities between men and women and that this can even affect economic productivity. One study by a researcher at the Rhode Island School of Design who studies the role of norms and identity suggests that countries that speak gendered languages have less gender equality than countries that speak in genderless languages, particularly in terms of economic participation.
Some see Latinx in the context of social justice: María R. Scharrón-del Río, an associate professor at Brooklyn College, has made the case that Latinx succeeds in incorporating groups and communities that have traditionally been left out of the greater Hispanic umbrella.
“As Latinos, we pride ourselves on the strength of our family ties,” Scharrón-del Rio told NBC News in 2017 for an article on the growing use of the word. “Using Latinx is a way to bring visibility to people who have been marginalized and who we have not taken care of as part of our families.”
ACKNOWLEDGING A WORD'S SOCIO-POLITICAL HISTORY
Concern over the use of Latinx also comes from Chicanas, women of Mexican descent who have a desire to respect past political battles, including the fight to use terms like Chicano/a and the more gender-neutral Chican@.
Denise Sandoval, a professor of Chicano and Chicana Studies at California State University at Northridge, grew up identifying as Chicana while fighting for recognition of the role of women in the Chicano experience. Chicana activists in the 1960s sought a voice in a movement dominated by men.
Bowles recalls gender activists in Argentina and Paraguay in the 1970s who crossed out the letter "o" at the end of gendered words on their protest signs as a demand for acknowledgment.
Sandoval sees the discussion over Latinx as both important and a distraction.
“My tendency is to not enter this discussion, because this is really not about labels, but all the forms, both institutional and collective, that marginalize and oppress us, such as homophobia, racism, sexism, etc.,” she said.
Sandoval said it's important to focus on the intersections of race, gender, sexuality and power, and how they affect identity.
“I can't use Chicano only to map the Mexican-American experience. One word doesn't define us. One label doesn't define us. When you get to unmasking the layers that make up our communities and the different ways to identify ourselves and the ways we negotiate identity-making in the U.S., no one word works. No one term is going to fix it,” she said.
The scholars who spoke to NBC News said that people have a right to identify themselves however they wish, but that things get complex when institutions, such as the media, the government or universities, privilege one set of identity terms over another.
Everyone agrees, though, that Latinx will not be the last word coined by Latinos.
"We, as Latinxs, make new words everyday," said Estrada, the student from San Francisco State. "Why should Latinx be any different?"
Source: Published originally on nbcnews.com, Is 'Latinx' elitist? Some push back at the word's growing use, by Stephen Nuño-Pérez and Gwen Aviles, March 7th, 2019.
Here are two solid examples of being truly culturally relevant that illustrate the power culture has in connecting brands to this lucrative consumer segment.
This year the San Antonio Missions, a minor league baseball team in San Antonio, Texas, was asked to “rebrand” themselves for a season-long tournament called Copa de la Diversion or the “Fun Cup.” The team landed on the name “The Flying Chanclas,” a cultural insight made famous by Hispanic comedians such as George Lopez poking fun at the Hispanic mom's preferred tool of corporeal punishment — the cheap plastic sandal often hurled at misbehaving children to snap them into submission.
As part of celebrating the new name, a logo was created for The Flying Chanclas and was sold on branded materials like baseball caps, t-shirts and jerseys. The effort was such a success that Flying Chanclas merchandise outsold an entire year's worth of Missions merchandise in just two weeks and Sports Illustrated gave it the #1 Rank for Fun Name.
Another example is for a CPG brand our agency worked with. Like many brands that targeted a traditional Hispanic, Spanish-dominant, first generation consumer, their sales were lagging with the aging of this population. It was clear they needed to reach a younger generation (Latina Millennials) who are majority U.S.-born and are more likely to be English-dominant or bilingual. This segment was also being exposed to and leaned towards many other general market brands. Significant consideration was built into the strategy to not insult the core consumer.
The solution was to keep the status of the brand as being a very Hispanic product (true to its roots) but give the brand a playful twist of “Hispanicity.” We used cultural cues like color and fashion to illustrate the brand's Latino roots but in a playful way that appealed to this younger demographic. In essence, bridging a sense of pride for the brand that all Latinas could connect with while showing a new face representative of the unique cultural space inhabited by Latina Millennials. The results were a huge success.
The lessons here come from taking the right cultural insight and letting it grow in the right medium. For the Missions, it was something culturally very funny and very much a part of many childhoods. For the CPG brand, it was holding onto the roots of the brand, but letting the branches invite something modern and true.
Developing truly culturally relevant Hispanic marketing is based on knowing your target and trusting in the insight to connect to your brand.
It works.
Source: Published on MediaPost.com, What Does it Take To Connect Culturally To Hispanics? by Karla Fernandez Parker, June 19th, 2018.
- Author: UC Davis by Julia Ann Easley
Traditional Aztec dance, mariachi music and contemporary Latin dance will mark the opening of a new facility for the Center for Chicanx and Latinx Academic Student Success at the University of California, Davis, on Wednesday, Sept. 27.
The center is among new and expanding campus initiatives to support the recruitment and academic success of historically underrepresented groups — African American, Chicano/Latino and Native American — and reduce the time necessary for all students to earn their degrees.
UC Davis is also pursuing designation by the U.S. Department of Education as a Hispanic-Serving Institution, or HSI, which opens the door to grants to help students succeed in college. In fall 2016, about 23.8 percent of the campus's domestic undergraduates were Chicano/Latino, and Davis expects to meet the designation's threshold of 25 percent this fall.
Cirilo Cortez, director of the Chicanx and Latinx Retention Initiative and the center, said the center serves as a hub to provide academic support for Chicano and Latino students; empower their leadership, career and personal development; and help them access campus resources.
“We affectionately call it el centro, and it's a place where students can find a sense of belonging and family, too,” he said.
Operating in temporary quarters since last fall, the center will now use former meeting spaces on the second floor of the newly renovated Memorial Union. It includes study and socializing areas, computer stations, a conference room, offices and a kitchenette.
Students will be able to meet on-site with tutors and counselors, as well as academic and career advisors. The center will host cultural events, skills workshops and for-credit seminars to help students succeed in their transition from high school or community college.
Cortez said academic support and faculty advising will include the STEM fields of science, technology, engineering and math, where Chicano and Latino students are underrepresented.
The opening ceremony will begin at 5 p.m. on the south patio of the Memorial Union with the performances and remarks and then move to the center for a ribbon cutting and tours.
Source: Published originally on www.ucdavis.edu, UC Davis to Open New Center for Chicano, Latino Students, By Julia Ann Easley on September 15, 2017
- Author: NACS
By 2060, Hispanics are expected to make up nearly 30% of the total U.S. population. As this demographic grows, so too will its impact on the foodservice industry. Technomic's Hispanic Foodservice Consumer Trend Report explores how this consumer group has and will continue to shape foodservice as their usage grows.
Forty-one percent of Hispanic consumers (PDF) say they use foodservice twice a week or more often, up from 36% in 2013. The study identifies operator and supplier opportunities to appeal to Hispanics by emphasizing elements like healthy eating as well as connection to family and authenticity, which this group tends to prioritize to a greater extent than other consumers.
“Hispanics prioritize eating meals with family, and they feel strongly that restaurants are an ideal place to spend time with family,” explains Sara Monnette, senior director of consumer insights for Technomic. “There is a greater opportunity to gain Hispanics' loyalty, as they're visiting foodservice locations, especially coffee shops and family-style concepts, more often than the general population.”
Meanwhile, a subset of the U.S. Hispanic population is growing both in numbers and buying power. Earlier this year at the NACS State of the Industry Summit in Chicago, attendees learned that multicultural consumers make up 45% percent of the Millennial population in the United States — and 21% of them are Hispanics.
In terms of foodservice opportunities for the c-store industry, this younger Hispanic cohort is also growing up with well-defined eating attitudes and behaviors. To help build loyalty among these customers, convenience retailers can incorporate spicy flavor profiles and zesty condiment bar options into prepared food programs.
Source: NACS, Hispanic consumers boost foodservice opportunities, July 17, 2015
- Author: BusinessWire.com
“it is important that Hispanic/Latino children learn about the Hispanic culture”
Patterns from previous waves of immigrants to the US suggested that today's generations of US Hispanics would acculturate quickly. The research shows no increase, however, in the proportion of Hispanics who identify themselves as “highly acculturated” – just 18%, the same figure as in 2009. By contrast, 55% of US Hispanics now consider themselves “Bicultural,” up from 43% five years ago. The group that is shrinking is the “less acculturated,” who showed a 12-point drop, from 37% in 2009 to 25% this year.
This trend toward biculturalism may be related to the fact that more US Hispanics now say they were born in the US (43%) than in Mexico (37%); the two figures have essentially flipped from 2009 to 2014, with the proportion of those saying they were born outside of the US dropping by 11 points.
Reflecting this move towards Biculturalism, the language mix in the US Hispanic home has also changed distinctly; the proportion of those who speak “more Spanish than English” has dropped from 30% to 21%, while the figures have risen for “both languages equally” (from 21% to 25%) and “more English than Spanish” (14% to 19%). Being monolingual (all English or all Spanish) is the exception for US Hispanic households; 81% speak at least some English in the home, while 85% speak at least some Spanish.
US Hispanics are also relating more to some “mainstream” US cultural values, such as being willing to give up family time to get ahead and rejecting fatalism. Over four in ten (41%) said they agree at least partly with the statement, “Being successful is important, even if I have to sacrifice time with family and friends”; this compares to 37% five years ago. In contrast, a full 86% believe that “it is important that Hispanic/Latino children learn about the Hispanic culture” – suggesting that Hispanic values and culture remain strong.
“This data clearly confirms what many in the Hispanic marketing space have been seeing – that the market is changing,” said Carlos Garcia, SVP of GfK's Multicultural practice in North America. “The market is acculturating, and yet it remains distinctly Hispanic in taste and feel. Hispanics are not immune to the ebbs and flows of the economic and social tides; but even as they adapt, they are holding on to their food, their families, and their values. Out of this data, two key lessons for marketers emerge -- communicating to Hispanics can no longer be only in Spanish; and, conversely, more English-language communications are reaching Hispanics, and therefore need to be sending out a coordinated strategic message – even as it is fine-tuned culturally to reach diverse populations.”
The new findings come from six years of profile surveys among participants in GfK's KnowledgePanel Latino, which covers 93% of Hispanics of all acculturation levels – including English- and Spanish-dominant and bilingual people. It also represents the 32% of Hispanics without internet access at home by providing those panelists with a computer and ISP.
Source:Published originally on BusinessWire.com as55% of US Hispanics Consider Themselves Bicultural – Up 12 Points Since 2009, December 11, 2014