In this episode of Word Bomb, Pippa and Karina examine the myriad of modern ways to self-identify as Latin American. Joined by a Chicanx psycholinguist and a Venezuelanx performer, they dig into divisive debates and far-reaching colonial history to see why the gender-neutral term “Latinx”—and its many variations—is on the rise.
You can follow Megan’s academic and activist work on her website and follow her on Twitter @megandfigueroa. NB: She’s compiled a great database of marginalized scholars in the field of linguistics/language.
Augusto is a Venezuelan-born, Dora Award-winning performer, writer, and educator based in Toronto. Check out his website and follow him on Twitter and Instagram @augustobitter.
For further reading, we recommend checking out David Bowles’ excellent and informative blog post on the history of “Latinx”; he has a book on the topic forthcoming from Oxford University Press in 2021. Also consider picking up Ed Morales’ book Latinx: The New Force in American Politics and Culture.
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Latinx: Solving for x in a binary world

Language moves fast and Word Bomb is here to help. Unpacking one explosive word per week, hosts Pippa Johnstone and Karina Palmitesta talk to experts and dive deep into lived experiences to share stories the dictionary doesn't tell you.

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Latinx: Solving for x in a binary world

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