Celebrate Latinx instead of Hispanic Heritage Month

This week we welcome the celebration and acknowledgment of our Latinx communities even though the proclamation made by our government is a missed opportunity for true inclusion and representation.

"In recognition of the achievements of Hispanics, the Congress, by Public Law 100-402, as amended, has authorized and requested the President to issue annually a proclamation designating September 15 through October 15 as “National Hispanic Heritage Month.”"

A Proclamation on National Hispanic Heritage Month, 2021

As you can read above, the language used in the proclamation made by the White House, suggests that we should celebrate the contributions made by the Hispanic community in the United States. But, because they chose to use the word Hispanics instead of Latinx, they are excluding many communities whose heritage does not includes the Spanish language, even though many of these diasporas descend from countries geographically located in Latin America.

Countries and territories such as Brazil, French Guiana, Guadalupe, Haiti, Martinique, Saint Barthelemy, Jamaica, Dominica, Trinidad & Tobago, and Saint Martin, to mention some, were colonized by countries that imposed other languages other than Spanish. It is important to mention that the majority of the population of these communities identifies as Black.

The legacy of this part of the population of the United States includes preserving their mother languages such as Native tongues, Creole, Portuguese, French, and more.

When are these communities celebrated and acknowledged? Do they also get a month?

Therefore, here is why I am choosing to use Latinx instead of Hispanic:

First and foremost, it excludes the colonizers
Latinx includes every person whose heritage stems from the Latin American territories regardless of their mother tongue
Latinx also includes and celebrates all identities

Lastly, it is important to keep in mind that these communities need to be celebrated, acknowledged, and included in our curriculum all year long.

The Latinx community is so vastly diverse that it is of the utmost importance that we work on creating spaces for more representation throughout all aspects of our teaching and to be mindful of the impact such efforts have on our students and overarching communities.

Tell me how are you preparing to celebrate Latinx Heritage Month?

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