September 24, 2022

"I don’t know that there should be a common Latinx identity. This identity is rooted in land and geography when it should..."

"... be rooted in understanding settler colonialism in the Americas. I would be invested in a political Latinidad that first and foremost fought for indigenous sovereignty and black liberation. If it doesn’t do that, I don’t see the purpose...."

Said Alan Pelaez Lopez, a Zapotec cultural critic, artist, and academic, one of the 6 participants in a conversation at "The Problem With Latinidad/A growing community of young, black, and indigenous people are questioning the very identity underpinning Hispanic Heritage Month" (The Nation).

"Those who can identify with Hispanic or Latinx are those who benefit from power because of language, race and religion. Latinidad offers them a whole community, and then they become the ones at the top of it because they speak proper Spanish and they know their culture and they come from a Christian or Catholic background, whereas people who are practitioners of curanderismo or Santeria, who speak a bastard Spanish, who speak indigenous languages, or who come from other colonies in the Americas are erased from that identity.... Living in California has made me really critical of Latinidad. Mexican folks here are very nationalistic, but the Central American community, because of Mexico’s nationalism, has pushed back so much that they’ve actually become anti-indigenous in their narrative. It has created a binary opposition where Central American identity depends on borders. But I know Zapotec people living in Guatemala.... I think that Central American Twitter, because of Mexican nationalism, has tried to retaliate, but has accidentally perpetuated indigenous erasure...."

61 comments:

rhhardin said...

Women's heritage month could celebrate the contributions of men.

Dude1394 said...

They just have to create more victim classes once the current ones run out of bennies

Temujin said...

In the end, the far left will devour itself. It has to. No one and nothing in this world is as pure as a made up ideology.

Dave Begley said...

Agree! Divide Hispanics into a number of smaller groups and begin fighting.

Achilles said...

Anyone who uses the term "Latinx" is the definition of a racist piece of shit.

RNB said...

"Splitters!"

Tom T. said...

In other words, get ready for further and more detailed demands.

Sebastian said...

"rooted in understanding settler colonialism in the Americas"

Meaning, we should shame rather than celebrate the vast majority of actual "Hispanics," whose settler ancestors were even more ruthless than the northern white settlers?

n.n said...

LatinX is a mutant designation that denies male and female sex, masculine and feminine gender. It is a judgment and label under the DIE paradigm that includes racism, sexism, ageism, and class-based bigotry. One step forward, two steps backward.

n.n said...

Women's heritage month could celebrate the contributions of men.

The "burden" of feminists' quality of life.

Yancey Ward said...

This could be the one weakness of the Democrat coalition- it is hard to keep 90%+ of the blacks voting for you and not start to lose Hispanic voters on the margin.

Richard Aubrey said...

Guy needs a hobby.

Joe Smith said...

These whiners need to stop speaking the language of their conquerers first.

Then they should contemplate the brutality of their indigenous culture.

Hernán Cortés was a badass who, by defeating their ancestors, also defeated one of the most brutal 'cultures' in world history.

retail lawyer said...

What is the gender of "latinidad"? What is "indigenous sovereignty", beyond casinos?

Jersey Fled said...

Who is a Latino anyway?

My daughter's college room-mate's father was born in Mexico. Her mother is an Italian American from New Jersey. Is she a Latina?

And I've never been able to figure out Philappinos. Are they Asian or Hispanic?

rhhardin said...

Atina-lex. Pig latinx.

mccullough said...

Mexican-Americans are the largest ethnic group in the U.S. They outnumber German-Americans, Irish-Americans, and African-Americans.

Nothing reeks of colonialism as much as Academia.

Michael K said...

The millions streaming across our border are no longer mostly Mexicans. Mexico doesn't care much about those "migrants" because they are not Mexican. Who knows who they are ? For sure the Biden regime doesn't know.

Michael said...

Who talks like that?

Andrew said...

Are the Latinx people descended from the human sacrifice people, or the wipe-out-the-tribes people?

Smilin' Jack said...

“But I know Zapotec people living in Guatemala.... I think that Central American Twitter, because of Mexican nationalism, has tried to retaliate, but has accidentally perpetuated indigenous erasure...."

Third World problems. Yawn.

Gahrie said...

Hernán Cortés was a badass who, by defeating their ancestors, also defeated one of the most brutal 'cultures' in world history.

I have never understood why Mexico has the Aztec eagle emblem on their flag. That would be like Israel having the swastika on their flag. The Mexican people are descended from the people preyed on by the Aztec. The Aztec were almost totally wiped out by disease and war. Even if you do believe that modern Mexicans are descended from the Aztec, then having the emblem on the flag would be like Germany having the swastika on their flag.

Mary Beth said...

Anyone who uses the term "Latinx" is the definition of a racist piece of shit.

9/24/22, 10:44 AM


You're saying that the first step in honoring a culture isn't disrespecting their language?

Gahrie said...

Hispanic identity should be rooted in understanding settler colonialism in the Americas.

OK, but by definition that leaves the U.S. out, because the colonization of the peoples who are called Hispanic today was done by Spain and Portugal.

I would be invested in a political Latinidad that first and foremost fought for indigenous sovereignty

Again, this leaves the U.S. out. We have granted the Indians almost total sovereignty on their reservations. Cite an indeginous population in a Hispanic country that has more soverignity and better treatment.

and black liberation.

We liberated Black people over 150 years ago, long before the Hispanic world.

Static Ping said...

Considering that "Latinx" is not a thing except in far-left circles, I lost all interest in the person's opinion. It is a flashing "FRAUD" sign.

gilbar said...

Shouldn't someone (here) point out that that "l word" is HATE SPEACH?

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

Soren Kierkegaard: The most common form of despair is not being who you are.

There are two ways to be fooled. One is to believe what isn't true; the other is to refuse to believe what is true.

Achilles said...

Mary Beth said...

Anyone who uses the term "Latinx" is the definition of a racist piece of shit.

9/24/22, 10:44 AM

You're saying that the first step in honoring a culture isn't disrespecting their language?

That is one good first step.

Personally my first step is not taking billions of people from numerous countries and cultures that are all different and distinct and trying to lump them into one tribal group with a made up label for the purposes of dividing them from the common culture of our country.

Black people from Kenya are different than Black people from Jamaica.

Aisan people from Hong Kong are different than Asian people from Vietnam.

But Democrats do not see people. They see groups to divide and control.

In order to do this they must divide and label and separate people from their cultural roots.

The motives and the means are evil

Michelle Dulak Thomson said...

OK. "Latinx" is an insult to Spanish-speakers everywhere. Also Portuguese, French, German, and everyone anywhere who speaks a gendered language. It's a bunch of white folks telling you that your native language must be scrapped, b/c (gasp!) it genders things. I mean, golly, what a heinous crime.

The only language I'm familiar with that doesn't gender things is . . . English. What a coincidence.

Josephbleau said...

“Even if you do believe that modern Mexicans are descended from the Aztec, then having the emblem on the flag would be like Germany having the swastika on their flag.”

When it’s all you’ve got, you just have to go with it. The Aztecs represent effectiveness, strength, and will to power. It’s like Egypt admiring the Pharos, except that present Egyptians are not related to the old empire.

Ampersand said...

Racial and ethnic essentialism is immoral, and dumb. The left's use of ethnicity is purely aimed at political power, through the creation of easily manipulated dissident cadres. David Bernstein's recent book, Classified: The Untold Story of Racial Classification in America Hardcover (2022) demonstrates the irrationality and unfairness of racial classifications in the US.

The meaningful classification for Obama has little to do with race. If I were to assign an "essence" to him it would be that he is affiliated with a tribe of progressive intellectuals like his mother the anthropologist. Calling Kamala "black" ignores her Brahmin Indian upbringing, much of it in Canada. I have met a number of people with elite degrees and only much later discovered that they were supposedly "black".

Steven said...

I have never understood why Mexico has the Aztec eagle emblem on their flag.

Well, it helps to know that "Aztec" was a 19th Century coinage by a German, and that the Aztec name for themselves was "Mexica".

Leland said...

We must have dozens of genders for identity, unless your language and heritage suggest only 2 genders over millennia; then you can't even have your own identity. Progressives are racists. "Latinx" is a smear of a long and proud culture.

Jim at said...

A month set aside for this particular grievance group.
A month set aside for another, particular grievance group.
A month for this group. Another month for that.

One day for veterans.

Christopher B said...

Maybe somebody could write a book about this.

Christopher B said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
rhhardin said...

Aztec were indians, at least I suppose so because Piper named an aircraft after them.

Darkisland said...

Achilles said...

Anyone who uses the term "L****x" is the definition of a racist piece of shit.

(I fixed the spelling)

You beat me too it, Achilles. Thank you.

I have complained before about Ann permitting this word in comments. Now she is posting it.

Ann, you wou elide the n-word if it appeared in a NYT article and would be right to do so.

Why do you not elide this foul obscenity?

John stop fascism vote republican Henry

Darkisland said...

I wrote my thank you to Achilles before reading all the comments.

I now see he was not alone with a number of others taking umbrage.

I wish to extend my thanks to all who took exception. We cannot let this racist garbage stand.

Now if we can just get Ann on board...

John stop fascism vote republican Henry

Darkisland said...

Jersey Fled,

We really need Buwaya here to answer the question but it appears that the hispanic/Asian classification depends on who it benefits at any given moment.

For Filipinos

John stop fascism vote republican Henry

Darkisland said...

I am Puerto Rican.

But does being Puerto Rican mean that I am latino or hispanic?

What about my kids? 2 Puerto Rican grandparents.

Grandkids? 4 Puerto Rican grandparents?

Is Salvatore Biadotti, 4th generation born in Argentina, still speaks Italian in the home "latino"? If yes, because he's Italian heritage (who is more Latino than an Italian?)

Or because he is 4g argentine?

Same question about Gerhard Stroessner. 4g argentine, still speaks German by preference still regards German as his culture. Argentine for sure. Latino?

John stop fascism vote republican Henry

Darkisland said...

Nicolae Ceaușescu? Dictator of Romania.

Latino?

John stop fascism vote republican Henry

Earnest Prole said...

A month set aside for this particular grievance group.
A month set aside for another, particular grievance group.
A month for this group. Another month for that.

One day for veterans.


If everything is important then nothing is important — scarcity is Econ 101.

Howard said...

Who cares if it's racialist to utilize LatinX. Seeing how it makes you people come unglued is worth the price of admission.

Nancy Reyes said...

First problem: By using the term Latinix, he proves he is more in touch with the elite woke community than with those from Spanish or Portuguese speaking countries, who tend to dislike this term.
Second, by using this term, he implies the radical non sexual individualism of the elite, ignoring the family oriented culture of the immigrants which is anti family, whereas the male/female (ying/yang) of the family is important in these cultures.
Finally, I winced when he said:" But I know Zapotec people living in Guatemala". Reminds me of the white who used to say "but my best friend is black (or in the past, Jewish)" so they can pretend they are an expert and can speak for those groups.

Ampersand said...

Racial and ethnic essentialism is immoral, and dumb. The left's use of ethnicity is purely aimed at political power, through the creation of easily manipulated dissident cadres. David Bernstein's recent book, Classified: The Untold Story of Racial Classification in America Hardcover (2022) demonstrates the irrationality and unfairness of racial classifications in the US.

The meaningful classification for Obama has little to do with race. If I were to assign an "essence" to him it would be that he is affiliated with a tribe of progressive intellectuals like his mother the anthropologist. Calling Kamala "black" ignores her Brahmin Indian upbringing, much of it in Canada. I have met a number of people with elite degrees and only much later discovered that they were supposedly "black".

Yancey Ward said...

Howardpuss is the equivalent of LatinX.

Rocco said...

Gahrie said:
...the peoples who are called Hispanic today [were people of colonies of] Spain and Portugal.

Nobody uses this term correctly, but Brazilians should properly be called Lusitanic, not Hispanic.

Rocco said...

John stop fascism vote republican Henry said:
"Is Salvatore Biadotti, 4th generation born in Argentina, still speaks Italian in the home "latino"? Same question about Gerhard Stroessner. 4g argentine, still speaks German by preference still regards German as his culture. Argentine for sure. Latino?"

George Romney was born and lived in Mexico as a child. His family only came to the US because of political violence. So is Mitt Romney a Latino?

Rocco said...

Ampersand said...
"Calling Kamala "black" ignores her Brahmin Indian upbringing, much of it in Canada."

Calling Kamala "black" ignores her Jamaican heritage, much of which is white.

Jupiter said...

"Meaning, we should shame rather than celebrate the vast majority of actual "Hispanics," whose settler ancestors were even more ruthless than the northern white settlers?"

That's exactly backwards. The Europeans who settled in North America wanted the land, and drove the Indians off of it, exterminating them or confining them to reservations. The Iberians who settled Central and South America were mostly content to keep the Indians as serfs. This was partly because the Southern tribes were more civilized, and partly because the Iberians were looking for loot, not toil. The Indian Benito Juarez was elected to President of Mexico in 1858. The US has never had an indigenous president, although Lizzie Warren has her hopes.

Jupiter said...

"Racial and ethnic essentialism is immoral, and dumb."

Yeah, right. I think it says that in the Old Testament. Fuck my tribe, I'm a citizen of the World!

Sebastian said...

"That's exactly backwards"

Jupiter: my comment was not 100% serious. Just toying with the prog rewrite of history a bit. Which would compel us to a little less nice toward (many) "Hispanics" if we are being consistent. Their settler ancestors did bring a lot of death and destruction, after all.

Amadeus 48 said...

"Mexican folks here are very nationalistic..."

Stay out of the Loop in Chicago after dark on May 5 and on Mexican Independence Day. The traffic jams are intolerable. Chicago is about 1/3 hispanic now, mostly from Mexico. Every young person with access to a car grabs a Mexican flag and heads for downtown. It is not frightening, but very annoying, and people have died from lack of access by paramedics.

EdwdLny said...

Maybe if racism is such a problem in this country, it isn't, arguments to the contrary are bullshit, they should stop using race as a qualifier and an excuse. Freaking idiots.

n.n said...

LatinX (i.e. alien) takes us back to the original colonialists, who came after the indigenous colonialists, who probably followed smaller settlements including communities and families.

n.n said...

people have died from lack of access by paramedics

Mobs of Some, Select [Black] Lives Matter with rainbow hues of [anti]fascism.

Drago said...

Howard: "Who cares if it's racialist to utilize LatinX. Seeing how it makes you people come unglued is worth the price of admission."

Since you routinely use "latinx", its understandable you would want to minimize your racialist/racist comments.

But the Latinos notice it don't they? And they dont like pasty whiteboy wussies using that term for them.

I'll bet that bothers Howard too.

Of course, given the New Soviet Democratical pasty white guys have called Latinos "monkeys", "tacos", "trash" etc, and all in just the last several months(!), its no wonder the Latinos are heading for the exit from the New Soviet Democratical plantation.

PeterJ said...

Oct. 12 used to be celebrated as "El Dia de la Raza', meaning "the day of the [Spanish] race."
And there was a group called "La Raza". Has that name been changed?

PeterJ said...

Oct. 12 used to be celebrated as "El Dia de la Raza', meaning "the day of the [Spanish] race."
And there was a group called "La Raza". Has that name been changed?

Rusty said...

"Of course, given the New Soviet Democratical pasty white guys have called Latinos "monkeys", "tacos", "trash" etc, and all in just the last several months(!), its no wonder the Latinos are heading for the exit from the New Soviet Democratical plantation."
That and they like to hold onto the fruits of their hard work. Not have it given to the guy whos pants are still wet from wading the Rio Grand.