When was the last time you practiced Spanish outside of FLS 101? When was the last time you watched a movie without a white protagonist or without any white characters? When was the last time you learned about the history of people of color just because you were interested?
We live in a big world, but a lot of the content we see over-represents white people. Because of this, we should practice learning about other cultures.
Given that it is Latinx Heritage Month, let’s address the elephant in the room first: More of us should speak Spanish fluently, and I’m guilty of not being in the group of fluent speakers. Spanish is a global language; in the United States alone, 42 million people speak it as their first language.
Compared to European countries, we fall dead last in foreign language proficiency. Speaking a second language is standard in other parts of the world, and in America, we already have a massive Spanish-speaking population.
This isn’t to say that by the time we all reach college we should be fluently bilingual, especially given that this seems to be a wide-scale issue. But knowing some basic vocabulary and making an effort is a productive start.
With discretion, look into attending some of the events around campus during Latinx Heritage Month. Make sure to research the event prior to attending to ensure you aren’t intruding, and if need be, speak to one of the organizers. Some of these events are intended to share culture with the wider campus and educate, and we should take advantage of that when appropriate.
Outside of events over the next month, consider looking into more diverse movies, shows, books and other media. At NC State, we have plenty of organizations devoted to providing diverse media like Nubian Message.
One recent example of diverse media that might interest you is Blue Beetle, a Latino superhero film that was helmed by Latinx people in the cast and crew. It faced a lot of racist backlash and hasn’t been able to perform as well due to actors joining the writers’ strike. Personally, I loved it and think it’s definitely worth a watch.
The act of diversifying your watch catalog is arguably more powerful than one might realize. A recent study said that out of the top 100 films of 2022, 46 of them did not have a speaking Latino character.
This becomes an especially pertinent issue when it comes to recent content bans like those in Florida. When diverse content — both academic and that intended to entertain — faces racist pushback, the onus falls on us to learn more and seek out that content ourselves.
Another avenue is to look for books and documentaries about Latinx history if you aren’t that educated on the subject. If you’re struggling to find those resources, you can reach out to professors — both those here and at other institutions.
I know being asked to take up historical readings in lieu of scrolling through TikTok after a long day isn’t the most appealing, but it’s part of why we have heritage months. Unfortunately, we do not live in a world where Latinx history is regarded the way it should be.
Latinx Heritage Month is not just about several student organization events; it is about learning more about Latinx culture, contributions and history.
Even if Latinx Heritage Month isn’t directly important to you or someone close to you, that doesn’t give you reason not to engage with it. We live in a big world, in a diverse country, with so many different people, and you’re only limiting yourself if you choose to not pursue the resources and events available to you.
