Hispanic Heritage Month is celebrated from September 15th to the 15th of October. Every year that Hispanic Heritage Month rolls around, the same question always comes to mind. Is it time for Hispanic Heritage Month to be rebranded? This comes to mind because there is always discussion around the use of the word Hispanic.
An article by The NY Times mentions that many “…bristle at the persistence of the term “Hispanic,” given its connection to Spain and colonization.” I feel like this is a big contributing factor to why people don’t necessarily associate themselves with the term Hispanic. I personally don’t like using the term Hispanic for myself because it reminds me of how the Spaniards conquered Mexico and all the horror that came with it. I know Hispanic tends to refer to people who speak Spanish, but it can also be associated with colonization.
An article by progresstexas.org says that “…a survey of 18 journalists, activists, and writers, said that they did not feel any special connection to Hispanic Heritage Month and that they objected to the use of the term Hispanic, preferring the term Latino instead.” This goes to show that many people do not like or feel attached to the word Hispanic. It is also important to mention that there are people who do not mind the word Hispanic, and that is okay as well.
Now some people might ask, “If we’re not calling it Hispanic Heritage Month, then what should we call it?” I don’t believe that my answer is the best or correct one, but it is just what I personally call it. I think that replacing the word Hispanic with Latinx would be a lot better. Latinx Heritage Month is a lot more inclusive, and is gender neutral.
I know some people don’t have a preference when it comes to the words Hispanic, Latino, and Latinx, but I just believe that everyone should feel included during Hispanic Heritage Month. There is also the issue that the word Hispanic is often thought of as a Spanish speaking person. Not all Latinxs speak Spanish and I feel like using the term Hispanic isn’t inclusive. For example, there are people from Brazil who speak Portuguese. These people are being excluded from Hispanic Heritage Month as they do not speak Spanish. It is time for Hispanic Heritage Month to be rebranded.
I am super happy that Hispanic Heritage Month is celebrated, but I think that we need to keep up with the times and be more inclusive. Latinx is a great word to use because it is gender neutral. Latinx is a term most commonly used among the younger populations because this newer term might be a little difficult for the older generations to understand. I think it is important for people to be aware of new terminology and its use in society. Hispanic Heritage Month is outdated and deserves a better term. While I offer the word Latinx in place of Hispanic, I am completely open to other suggestions. I just hope we become more inclusive when it comes to celebrating Latinx heritage.