4 ms·

The damning thing about Latinx though is how forcefully it was hoisted onto Hispanics by whites who knew little to nothing about their cultures. They simply saw

by xwdv 6y ago

The damning thing about Latinx though is how forcefully it was hoisted onto Hispanics by whites who knew little to nothing about their cultures. They simply saw an opportunity to make latinos conform to their world views and now identifying yourself as latinx signals that you are one of those fully assimilated hispanics that has bought into white culture, and who can be expected to be agreeable on certain topics without embarrassing yourself or other whites. So pervasive this has become, that merely identifying yourself as Latino or Latina instead of Latinx can be seen as a sort of statement that can send out the “wrong vibes”.

bob33212 6y ago
I don't blame them. If you are offered an executive role at a successful company because you can help with PR, it may be good for your career. I don't see how that is any different than someone with an climate science degree joining a company to help them "go green". Obviously the role exists partially for PR, but there may still be positive things you can do.
- xwdv 6y ago
  Nothing good comes from a culture that perpetuates whitewashing other cultures just to please whites and their visions of an ideal minority.
  - cbozeman 6y ago
    You're being downvoted, but I completely agree. The whole "woke" / "political correctness" movement is mostly bored white people. This is the result of a group of people with no real major battles left to fight. You make up an enemy to give your life purpose.
    - Ekaros 6y ago
      Or to make money, when you don't have anything real to offer. And in some cases it has clearly reached level of blackmail.
  - bob33212 6y ago
    Don't let perfect be the enemy of good. Dr. King explains this far better that I can. https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/blog/2011/10/21/arc-moral-universe-long-it-bends-toward-justice#:~:text=Martin%20Luther%20King%2C%20Jr.%2C,time%2C%20but%20it%20does%20happen.&text=Each%20of%20us%20who%20works,together%20we%20can%20accomplish%20multitudes https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/blog/2011/10/21/arc-mor....
lazyant 6y ago
Seems convoluted and unfair to condemn all people using a term for what you think are their reasons. Simpler explanation is that "Latinx" doesn't carry a gender so it's more inclusive than "Latinos" and shorter than "Latinas and Latinos". I'm not saying it was a good idea but I don't get all the negativity towards it; at worst seems a misguided attempt by well-intentioned people, big deal, just let people call themselves whatever they want and let words and people evolve (see "African-Americans" and "Blacks").
- xwdv 6y ago
  The negativity is because Latinos did not call themselves Latinx, white people called them that because they didn’t understand and were intimidated by gendered languages, seeing them as a threat to “inclusivity” rather than just a different way of speaking. So then any “progressive thinking” Latino was forced to adopt the term for themselves as a result of peer pressure to fit in. I know I’m being hit with downvotes to my name the more I try to explain this but I’d rather speak the truth and be punished than stay quiet and take it to the grave.
  - sunshineforever 6y ago
    I am transgender and I feel similarly about the language that has been adopted by our community in recent years. The difference is that the terminology seems to have originated from the trans community itself. But there are many modern correct terms that I don't feel comfortable using for myself but if I don't use them I am instantly seen as regressive. It's even so bad that one of the terms I used to enjoy casually calling myself among friends is now regarded as an outright slur and saying it is akin to cursing in a problematic manner. And yet it's something that I used to enjoy saying with no ill intent or bad feelings whatsoever. It's a sad situation. When I use the socially correct terms I feel as though I'm being forced to speak a certain way and it doesn't feel empowering, in fact it makes me feel vulnerable in a way that I don't necessarily want to be with every stranger that I come across.

by xwdv 6y ago

bob33212 6y ago

I don't blame them. If you are offered an executive role at a successful company because you can help with PR, it may be good for your career. I don't see how that is any different than someone with an climate science degree joining a company to help them "go green". Obviously the role exists partially for PR, but there may still be positive things you can do.

xwdv 6y ago
Nothing good comes from a culture that perpetuates whitewashing other cultures just to please whites and their visions of an ideal minority.
- cbozeman 6y ago
  You're being downvoted, but I completely agree. The whole "woke" / "political correctness" movement is mostly bored white people. This is the result of a group of people with no real major battles left to fight. You make up an enemy to give your life purpose.
  - Ekaros 6y ago
    Or to make money, when you don't have anything real to offer. And in some cases it has clearly reached level of blackmail.
- bob33212 6y ago
  Don't let perfect be the enemy of good. Dr. King explains this far better that I can. https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/blog/2011/10/21/arc-moral-universe-long-it-bends-toward-justice#:~:text=Martin%20Luther%20King%2C%20Jr.%2C,time%2C%20but%20it%20does%20happen.&text=Each%20of%20us%20who%20works,together%20we%20can%20accomplish%20multitudes https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/blog/2011/10/21/arc-mor....

lazyant 6y ago

Seems convoluted and unfair to condemn all people using a term for what you think are their reasons. Simpler explanation is that "Latinx" doesn't carry a gender so it's more inclusive than "Latinos" and shorter than "Latinas and Latinos". I'm not saying it was a good idea but I don't get all the negativity towards it; at worst seems a misguided attempt by well-intentioned people, big deal, just let people call themselves whatever they want and let words and people evolve (see "African-Americans" and "Blacks").

xwdv 6y ago
The negativity is because Latinos did not call themselves Latinx, white people called them that because they didn’t understand and were intimidated by gendered languages, seeing them as a threat to “inclusivity” rather than just a different way of speaking. So then any “progressive thinking” Latino was forced to adopt the term for themselves as a result of peer pressure to fit in. I know I’m being hit with downvotes to my name the more I try to explain this but I’d rather speak the truth and be punished than stay quiet and take it to the grave.
- sunshineforever 6y ago
  I am transgender and I feel similarly about the language that has been adopted by our community in recent years. The difference is that the terminology seems to have originated from the trans community itself. But there are many modern correct terms that I don't feel comfortable using for myself but if I don't use them I am instantly seen as regressive. It's even so bad that one of the terms I used to enjoy casually calling myself among friends is now regarded as an outright slur and saying it is akin to cursing in a problematic manner. And yet it's something that I used to enjoy saying with no ill intent or bad feelings whatsoever. It's a sad situation. When I use the socially correct terms I feel as though I'm being forced to speak a certain way and it doesn't feel empowering, in fact it makes me feel vulnerable in a way that I don't necessarily want to be with every stranger that I come across.