On The Media: Critical Perspectives From Latinx Writers
On Monday, September 30, the Latinx Project at NYU hosted its second annual dinner for Latinx writers and cultural critics. The informal gathering was made possible by a small grant from Critical Minded, a “granting and learning initiative to support cultural critics of color in the United States” founded by the Ford Foundation and the Nathan Cummings Foundation, and housed at Allied Media Projects.
As stated in our invitation to the group, the goal of this dinner was to bring together more than a dozen Latinx writers to share critical perspectives on media and the arts. In doing so, we hoped to address issues ranging from the many roles we fulfill to the content we create, the audiences we represent, and so on. More broadly, we hoped to discuss the potency of our work, what makes it necessary and impactful for audiences and institutions alike. In short, we wanted to know exactly what Latinx writers have to offer. What followed was an hours-long conversation involving various perspectives—with several common themes emerging from the start.
The most immediate takeaway was the shared excitement among our guests at having an opportunity to meet with fellow writers face to face—in this case, in the cellar of the Cuba Restaurant in Greenwich Village. For Latinx writers, the need for spaces where they can engage collectively was a common concern, since many feel isolated, often being the only “Latinx writer” within their places of work. This feedback underscores the importance of not only hiring more Latinx talent but also of the role that institutions like the Latinx Project can play in facilitating safe spaces for writers to meet and support one another. Last year’s dinner, for example, yielded several collaborations among those who attended.
The issue of being the “only person in the room” is tied to broader concerns such as the general lack of awareness of the Latinx experience. It’s no wonder then that Latinx audiences can be reduced to a monolith comprised of loyal consumers with significant buying power—in addition to more negative or offensive stereotypes. This dearth of knowledge is what Latinx writers must confront on a daily basis, which can hinder their ability to push conversations forward. Think of the obligatory reference of Puerto Ricans having U.S. citizenship before one can delve into the heart of a specific issue affecting the Island or its mainland diaspora. Instead, Latinx writers are attuned to the needs of an audience that is almost always expected to know nothing of the Latinx experience yet somehow consume a hollow version of its essence.
Ultimately, Latinx audiences remain largely ignored by US media—only briefly and suddenly appearing relevant whenever there is a crisis or some inescapable part of the news cycle must center Latinx communities. The lack of nuanced representation perpetuates this erasure and helps keep perceptions static. Latinx writers are a driving force in changing this dynamic, which often requires convincing editors at major publications to take advantage of an opportunity they may perceive as risk. This could mean adopting a sort of “Latinx style guide” that encourages Latinx writers and non-Latinx writers alike to use gender neutral language or to not italicize words or phrases en español. The overall goal is to minimize the constant need to explain ourselves to readers and editors, and to be understood on our own terms. Regardless, the question of exactly how much context to provide will always remain. Ideally, Latinx writers should be able to challenge readers by assuming they will do research if truly interested in understanding a particular aspect of the Latinx experience. This kind of accountability and contextualization goes one step further when it comes to Latinx audience, since both reader and writer likely share a common interest in representation.
Latinx writers can also be expected to consult, for better or worse, on everything and anything related to Latinx history and culture. This typically amounts to unpaid, undervalued labor, such as clarifying the conventions of Spanish surnames or dispelling the myth that Rosalía is Latina. Writers with a Latinx background should not be tokenized as general experts on Latinx topics because not every Latinx writer is best suited to cover every Latinx story. We have blind spots, too. Editors, in turn, shouldn’t rely on “Latinx identity” as the sole criteria for presuming knowledge or expertise on a particular subject. It’s not about finding a Latinx writer, but the Latinx writer. This may even require us to pass the mic to a fellow Latinx colleague in order to ensure a topic is addressed from a place of authority and fluency of understanding. This is not to exclude or limit Latinx writers from certain topics, but to acknowledge the need for a more robust chorus of Latinx voices participating in conversations that normalize our individual and collective experiences with regard to race to identity, class, gender, history, politics, appropriation, and so on.
This can also be achieved through generating our own content, where we create safe spaces for Latinx audiences to consume media that bypasses the mainstream white [male] gaze. It’s no surprise that many of the Latinx writers in attendance spoke of having personal projects that allow them an unrestrained level of editorial control in whatever format they desire or find most accessible—be they zines, independent publications, social media, and so on. The opportunity to more freely and directly address one’s community is often a necessary refuge for Latinx writers who may deal with impostor syndrome in environments where their writing is being tailored in a way that makes them feel uncomfortable or performative.
Above all, it is important to recognize our conversation as part of a much larger, ongoing conversation. Some examples include Elizabeth Méndez Berry’s excellent essay, “Why Critics of Color Matter,” and a New York Times op-ed she co-authored with Chi-hui Yang entitled “The Dominance of the White Male Critic.” Most recently, NPR’s Lulu García Navarro wrote about media erasure of Latinos in response to the coverage of the El Paso Walmart shooting this past summer. There are many more examples, but this is just to say that we are here, creating space for these conversations in the hopes of pushing them forward, past the limits of expectation.
For more information on Critical Minded, visit their website.