Is Latinx Literature Dangerous? Free Essay Example

Latinx literature is a form of linguistic revolution that advocates for the adoption of Latinx as a gender-neutral representation of Latin@, Latina, and Latino. The primary purpose of Latinx literature is to deghettoize Latino cultural values and beliefs and make them vital mainstream of a gender-neutral and all-inclusive canon. Latinx lacks gender binaries and serves as an intersection of -Spanish and Latin-American descendants identities. Latinx literature is not dangerous in the sense that it give room for gender non-conforming, non-binary, queer and trans individuals. Therefore, Latinx literature as a gender-neutral canon is not dangerous as it advocates for the reclamation of Latino identity, legacy and language from European civilizations levied on Latino-Americans.

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A dangerous literature is one that can denounce linguistic imperialism. Spanish discourse which criticizes Latinx literature terming it a dangerous canon in the eradication of Spanish language, the earliest common discourse among the Latino, promote linguistic imperialism and cultural erosion. According to Varela, Spanish empire could not conserve its regional integrity during the emancipation period in wars against French and Americans which led to Spanish speaking Puerto Ricans, Cubans and Mexicans being devoured by a chauvinistic commitment (159). The erasure of Spanish gender inclusivity, language and culture began in emancipation and liberation periods in the 1830s, before the conception of Latinx (Varela 160). Therefore, Latinx literature is not dangerous but serve as means of advocating for inclusivity, examining privileges and internalizing colonization.

Latinx literature is a form of modern realism. It is a way of adapting to the environment and culture which causes shifts in racial and gender norms in the contemporary Latino culture. The environment that is causing the alterations of the Latino culture is described by Anzaldua as a setting where the whites in the North distant themselves from the queer, half-breed and mixed-colored individuals in the South (1515). The importance of Latinx literature is also seen in the Precious Knowledge film where Mexican-American studies enabled the students to be active, informed and engaged in understanding their cultures. The Arizona legislators saw the programs as an indoctrination of dangerous ideologies in the form of divisive ethnic chauvinism (Palos). It was a politically motivated legislation considering that there were continuous waves of anti-immigration laws in Arizona. Other than decreasing school drop-out rates among the Hispanic which was at 48%, teachers considered the curriculum as a transformative social justice program (Palos). Therefore, Latinx literature is not dangerous.

Works Cited

Anzaldua, Gloria. "Borderlands/La Frontera." Stavans, Ilan. The Norton Anthology of Latino Literature. New York: W.W. Norton & Co., 2011. 1490-1515. Print.

Precious Knowledge. Dir. Ari Palos. 2011. Film. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rHl-uP_UTDc&list=PLV6OFBIQLxVvaAICQRnrC7fGZIv2t125E>.

Varela, Felix. "Annexations." Stavans, Ilan. The Norton Anthology of Latino Literature. New York: W.W. Norton & Co., 2011. 151-171. Print.