The Power of the X in Latinx: The Politics of Terminology as Reflected in Contemporary Research

• In Event: Contesting Racial, Ethnic, and Indigenous Categorization in Higher Education Research and Practice

Abstract

The Handbook of Latinos and Education offers 32 comprehensive chapters that contribute to the scholarship on “Latinos and education” by regarding educational issues that impact this population. Through a critical document analysis (Bowen, 2009), we explore how the leading Latin* education scholars utilize and define pan-ethnic labels in the Handbook of Latinos and Education (Murillo et al., 2021). Within the Handbook of Latinos and Education, scholars use different terms to refer to people from the Latin American diaspora. Some authors provide definitions while others do not. Also, some chapters are inconsistent with their usage of terms (i.e., Latino, Latinx, Latino/a, Latino/a/x). The variation of terms used within each chapter and throughout the book, suggests an unpredictable consensus and perpetuates confusion given that most authors do not provide a definition and justification for their use of terms. For example, authors stated they use Latinx because it is the “popular gender-neutral” term, adapted by academia, and “to be inclusive of gender expression and identities that are both within and outside of the gender binary of male and female”. Such practice assumes this term is the norm and encompasses non-normative genders. Other authors provide context to why they include the letter “x” in the prefix Latin<-> and Chican<->. Furthermore, the “x” is also uses in other terms, amigx, indiginx, xueer, jotx, and muxerista.

The nuance of pan-ethnic terms and language causes confusion and is misleading for those unfamiliar with research regarding Latin*. Such language emphasizes how scholars use terms without sufficient knowledge of the complexity of each term. In other words, the variety of terms used in the Handbook of Latinos and Education reproduces the trafficking of racial and ethnic-gender identities from communities to academia without sufficient explanation.

Using pan-ethnic terms is a shared responsibility that is necessary to advocate for marginalized communities, this means we must write in other languages to decolonize academia and our thinking and provide definitions of terminology that aims to liberate communities. For example, the pan-ethnic term Latino in English evolved over the years to be inclusive of women by adding “a” or replacing the “o” and “a” with “@” after the prefix Latin<->. The “a” and “@” in Latino disrupt the male-centricity in the term Latino by elevating Latina women and reflects how Spanish-speaking communities have made an impact within the literature review in the United States in predominantly English-speaking spaces. Thus, it is critical to note that the terms Latino/a and Latin@ are centered on gender normativity ruled by the Spanish grammatical languages and does not necessarily include people who do not identify with the gender binarity. Both the terms, Latino/a and Latin@ excludes people who do not identity with the gender binary (Latina and Latino). With this same argument, in 2014, the term Latinx gained popularity to disrupt the terms Latino/a and Latin@ and to create a term that was meant to be inclusive of “all”, including gender-nonconforming people. Furthermore, the term Latin* was coined to challenge assumptions of how gender inclusivity within Latinx.

Authors

• Cristobal Salinas Jr, Florida Atlantic University
  Presenting Author

• Diana Cervantes, University of Texas at Austin
  Presenting Author