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Far-Left Salon Mag Gives Up On Term “Latinx”

Far-Left Salon Mag Gives Up On Term “Latinx”

Proposes Equally Ridiculous Alternative “Latine”

https://youtu.be/XenO2suvvU4

Despite the woke left’s best efforts, the so-called “inclusive” term “Latinx” – believed to have started around 2004 – has failed to take root within the Hispanic/Latino community. Polls have consistently shown that only tiny minorities prefer the term “Latinx,” with others showing overwhelming majorities using “Hispanic” or “Latino/Latina” over “Latinx” to describe their ethnic background.

Because the term not only does not resonate with most in the Hispanic/Latino community but also offends some of the older generations, even some Democrats in Congress, including Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), have made moves to stop using it altogether in formal communications. Some of their affiliated special interest groups have responded accordingly by doing the same.

Naturally, the backlash against the use of “Latinx” has caused some progressive websites to conveniently change their tunes as well, like Salon, which five years ago told us that “Latinx” was the way to go:

… but which has now moved on to another term they think would be a suitable substitute:

“Latine,” which has previously been floated in higher ed as an alternative, is the way forward, according to writer and Saint Louis University Assistant Professor Melissa Ochoa, who first argued why she agreed that the use of “Latinx” was offensive:

The distinct demographic differences of those who are aware of or use Latinx calls into question whether the term is inclusive or just elitist.

Individuals who self-identiy as Latinx or are aware of the term are most likely to be U.S.-born, young adults from 18 to 29 years old. They are predominately English-speakers and have some college education. In other words, the most marginalized communities do not use Latinx.

Scholars, in my view, should never impose social identities onto groups that do not self-identify that way.

[…]

If a term is truly inclusive, it gives equitable weight to vastly diverse experiences and knowledge; it is not meant to be a blanket identity.

Women of color, in general, are severely underrepresented in leadership positions and STEM fields. Using “Latinx” for women further obscures their contributions and identity. I have even seen some academics try to get around the nebulous nature of Latinx by writing “Latinx mothers” or “Latinx women” instead of “Latinas.”

[…]

But there is a much better gender-inclusive alternative, one that’s been largely overlooked by the U.S. academic community and is already being used in Spanish-speaking parts of Latin America, especially among young social activists in those countries.

It’s “Latine” — pronounced “lah-teen-eh” — and it’s far more adaptable to the Spanish language. It can be implemented as articles — “les” instead of “los” or “las,” the words for “the.” When it comes to pronouns, “elle” can become a singular form of “they” and used in place of the masculine “él” or feminine “ella,” which translate to “he” and “she.” It can also be readily applied to most nationalities, such as “Mexicane” or “Argentine.

[…]

Nevertheless, problems can still arise when the word “Latine” is imposed onto others. “Latina” and “Latino” may still be preferable for many individuals. I don’t think the “-e” should eliminate the existing “-o” and the “-a.” Instead, it could be a grammatically acceptable addition to the Spanish language.

I mean, if “young social activists” are leading the way with the use of the term (just like they did with “Latinx”), then it must be okay, right?

Sure.

Defiant Ls, of course, made sure to immortalize Salon’s about-face:

Daily Wire suggested leftists were doing their thing by moving the goalposts yet again:

Others pointed out that really what the author was arguing here was to essentially push another term on the Hispanic/Latino community after the other one failed to gain traction:

Let’s not forget, too, that Republicans were well ahead of Democrats when it came to an understanding of how this term would not fly with most people:

All of that said, keep in mind that the real reasons for the move away from “Latinx” revolve primarily around political and electoral concerns, as the Miami Herald inadvertently explained in a December 2021 editorial where they argued woke Dems should abandon their “Latinx” campaign:

Every time a Democratic politician uses the term, a Republican operative celebrates. It’s just what the GOP needs to make the case that Democrats are too busy being “woke” to worry about the everyday-life concerns of Americans. Of course, Democrats have more to blame than just a word for the inroads Donald Trump made into those communities in South Florida last November. The Democratic Party is struggling to land the right message with voters and has been notoriously absent from the Hispanic community until the eve of elections.

I predict “Latine” will go over about as well with the Hispanic/Latino community as “Latinx” did. But far be it from any self-respecting conservative to step in the way of Democrats when they’re in the middle of self-destructing…

— Stacey Matthews has also written under the pseudonym “Sister Toldjah” and can be reached via Twitter. —

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Comments

Most of the Spanish-speaking people I know, and I know a lot of them, don’t like being called Latinos either. Generally, they are Americans of Mexican, Cuban, Puerto Rican or other origins. Everyone used to be trying to blend in. Today, we are returning to tribal identification. Regression is the progressive way.

    The Gentle Grizzly in reply to Pasadena Phil. | September 27, 2022 at 7:18 pm

    “Today, we are returning to tribal identification.”

    The ones pushing this hide behind slogans like “celebrate diversity”.

    There is a strong movement in the Hispanic community in Texas to simply being called “Texans”. This includes second generation Mexicans in particular. Because they invariably meet 5th generation and original descendants of Texas with a Hispanic background who identify themselves as Texans. And realize they are also.

Atinx-lay. Pig Latinx.

Who would want to be called “la tinks” anyway??

Sounds like a Spanish Tinkerbell……

    healthguyfsu in reply to Dimsdale. | September 27, 2022 at 9:16 pm

    It was actually pronounced “latin-ex”, which is even worse.

    RIP (only in peace so it doesn’t come back)

    I love the dripping irony of a bunch of white Karens trying to rebrand their decrees with their (not) catchy new diversity commandment.

have always looked people in the eyes and called them by name–whatever they want to call themselves (their “ethnic group” as it were) is their business–am not into labels or the progressive “terms du jour”–have been in this industry over thirty years now and with very, very few exceptions, the only colour that has ever mattered to anyone is green

is the same in our personal life– in practice, we try and treat everyone the way we’d like to be treated leavened with a bit of advice from one of my grandfathers:

” be careful of first impressions–a man’s (or woman’s) character reveals itself over time ”

haven’t read salon in decades

ThePrimordialOrderedPair | September 27, 2022 at 8:05 pm

“Latine”

LOL. It makes most people think of latrine.

The left just refuses to acknowledge that most languages are highly gendered and will stay that way. The least gendered language of all major languages is English – which has no gender in anything but actual gender, itself – but leftists tried to act as if English was the most gendered, patriarchical, backward cavemannish language around … until the sheltered leftist boobs were forced to examine … uh … any other language.

And the left still refuses to accept that if they want to try and degender a language like Spanish they are going to have to go a hell of a lot deeper than one or two nouns – they’re going to have to retool the entire language, basically.

So, in lieu of doing any of that we end with their newest offering to the gods of stupidity – latine. This will last for about 20 seconds and then their next installment should be good for some more laughs.

As to leftists and this language crap … they made such a big deal about changing Time’s “Man of the Year” to “Person of the Year” … and then they started naming things that weren’t even people!! So the title didn’t matter, in the least. All the leftists wanted to do was destroy things – which is really what they are all about.

Can’t the progs EVER just leave something alone?

    Paddy M in reply to Paul. | September 27, 2022 at 9:00 pm

    Nope. Communists destroy. It’s what they do.

    BierceAmbrose in reply to Paul. | September 27, 2022 at 9:10 pm

    No. By definition “Progressives” are all about making things better — Progress! — with their big idea because it sounds good. They decline to account for what is lost if it works, or the price of their schemes if it doesn’t. And they’re insulated: progressives always want to do things different and better to for other people.

    I knew a Trotskyite barista finishing his Masters to go teach who asserted that these days they’re all about meeting, writing, and thinking to solve the problem of Stalin. It shoulda worked. And *that* *guy*…

    So, Kudos for noticing how that played out, though he / they seemed little bugged by Lenin, or that post-Stalin plenty of mess continues. He / they did acknowledge some recurring A / B tests that suggest you gotta do the Socialism thing right, or it comes out worse than Capitalist hell: North and South Korea, East and West Germany, Venezuela before and after.

    He / They had no respose to my take:

    Didn’t y’all think you had your big thinking right the last time? Not sure I’m gonna bet on your new scheme. How about y’all try your new plan somewhere else, then show me how it played out?

    Really no difference in approach between Trotskyites before or now, and current US Progresssives. Only the proposals differ: gonna BigThink and do it to you is the same.

    irv in reply to Paul. | September 27, 2022 at 9:26 pm

    If they did, how would the deplorables ever become enlightened?

    CommoChief in reply to Paul. | September 28, 2022 at 9:29 am

    Nope. The d/prog want to exercise dominion over every aspect of life.

When things look bad for Democrats – news media apparatchiks always report that there is a “messaging” problem. Because any other admission would reveal problems with leftist policy. And then they’d have to explain the actual problem.

“Messaging problem” was used a lot during the obama admin. Its so nakedly cynical.

After thirty years+ controlling the manufacture and distribution of propaganda Dem politicos are still tweaking the recipe.

Latin

LatinX is a mutant designation.

LatinE denies the binary sex and gender (i.e. sex-correlated attributes) state of humanity and conflates with the transgender spectrum (e.g. homosexual orientation, mismatched attributes).

Fat, lazy. stupid white liberals making up rules for minorities.

Re: “Les”

Les is a French plural article for the and is “neutral”, but it assumes the masculine form just like many English words.

So now they are trying to make Spanish into French and they aren’t even removing the masculine form…I’m sure that will go over real well in Europe.

Whatever happened to “Chicano”?

It’s always the saddest part of the day when the circus clowns sit down to remove their makeup.
But take heart! Tomorrow they will put on brand new makeup!

Salon never fails to amaze me with their bullish*t.

“Okay, after years of trying to change a language to suit our leftist mindset we’ve decided to give up on the whole ‘Latinx’ thing.
BUT…. here’s some new words you can use instead!!”

“Abuela” didn’t do so well for Hillary either.