Matthew Yglesias: The Latinx problem

[frazzled]

8. Gender neutral innovations in language are always hard to accept

I’ll agree that the x has no relevance in Spanish, but it does in Spanglish. And I have heard Latino newscasters where I live use Latinx. For Americans, it’s not such a stretch, and not hard to pronounce: it’s Latin-ex. I’ve gotten used to hearing it on TV where I live.

I recall the giant uproar when Ms. was first introduced. We don’t bat an eye now.

Several decades ago the reform temple we belonged to hired a new, female assistant rabbi, who introduced gender neutral language into the services. No more Lord or other male terms (e.g., Father or King as a translation of Aveinu Malkeinu, an important prayer on the High Holidays usually translated as “Our Father, Our King). God should not be assigned a gender. It was completely jarring at first, but soon became so natural that the use of the word “Lord” elsewhere was shocking and offensive to hear.


For an alternative view arguing for the use of the term, by a Latina (!), see

Gutierrez: The argument for ‘Latinx’
Pallas Gutierrez, Op-Ed Contributor
https://dailynorthwestern.com/2018/10/16/opinion/gutierrez-the-argument-for-latinx/