The Latin Family has created culture that is uniquely American, and loved around the world. Our definition of Latin has grown from Caribbean to Latinos to the Peoples of the Americas and our Mother Countries.
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This is our take on Latin culture in New York City which is more than 2.4 million people, or 28% of New York City. People of color are a 69% majority.
How We Became Latin, Latinx, or Latine
Latin has many meanings, originally Italian, and then Southern European. The French planted the idea in the Caribbean and Latin America. Our definition is the peoples of the Americas and their mother countries, especially Mother Afrika because Latins and Americans are far more African than we have been taught. All Latin cultures are unique, but family is the common thread.
In Spanish, Latino or Latina describes a Latin man (also plural) or woman. Spanish is a Romance language, so it assigns gender to people and even things. It’s “el día” (the day is masculine) and “la noche” (the night is feminine).
The English language tends to diminish everyone who is not English. Words that describe English culture are precise, clear, and positive. Words that describe everyone else tend to be imprecise, confusing, and demeaning. It’s a sad and primitive remnant of colonial racism in American culture which was left to us by our English colonizers.
Latin
When the French attacked Mexico in the 1860s, they told Mexicans you should let us conquer you because we are Latin brothers. The French wanted to reestablish slavery and join the confederate traitors in the American Civil War.
Because France used to be the world’s cultural leader and Latins are always trying to climb the social ladder, South American politicians embraced the label “Latin America.” In the 1950s, so did the United Nations. That’s how we became “Latin.”
Latinx
Latinx is entering general usage as a name for American Latin, but it just doesn’t work. Latinx originates as an expression of LGBTQ+ gender fluidity and nobody speaks Spanish, Portuguese, French, or Italian like that.
So is your “Latinx” event a Queer event (we might go for that), or are you just trying too hard to be cool? Are you saying all Latins are Queer? We have vibrant LGBTQ+ communities, yet being outed in Latin countries can still get you killed.
We are all for normalization of lifestyles, but the Latin community is socially conservative. Latinx triggers many people, especially outside of New York City. The internet remembers everything. It’s wrong, but being marked as Latinx on the internet can block people from getting employment outside of New York City. Spanish speakers hate it. Bad idea.
Latine
Latine is an attempt to get around the Latinx problem. It’s the French form of the word “Latin.”
Nice try, unless you understand what the French did to Haiti. They took the best land in the Caribbean, destroyed it, and abused the people with a level of sadism that we would now consider crimes against humanity.
Human suffering paid for all those beautiful buildings in Paris and lots of couture dresses. That mess still devils us. Latine is not a nice image. It’s apocalyptic.
We just use Latin, as in Latin dance and Latin music. It’s not perfect, but the other solutions are worse.