DON'T CALL ME LATINO

DON'T CALL ME LATINO

By Peter Salcido

Latino is a European invention that was and is forced upon the indigenous population throughout colonization and cultural and ethnic genocide meant to erase us. To get rid of our sacredness and power. The indigenous populations of North, Central, South America including the Caribbean all belong to one ethnicity. The cultures, of course, vary and change depending on what part of the two continents your ancestors are from. We all look different and sound different. But we are still Indigenous to these lands.

“Latino is a European invention that was and is forced upon ...”

I stopped calling myself Latino about a year and a half ago. I decided to introduce the idea to my family, who are considered “Latinx” and it was a very difficult thing to do. It was difficult for all of us because this is how most of us grew up. Being called Latino. The generations before us had made it a point to stop sharing our original indigenous culture, and so it became lost and forgotten. I’ve chosen to reconnect and reclaim my ancestry through my research and finding myself through my own self journey.

“I stopped calling myself Latino about a year and a half ago...”

I’ve recognized this veil that was put over my eyes and removing this was revolutionary to me and my family. I didn’t know how important it is to know who my ancestors are. Until I realized that I didn’t have a culture. I didn’t have an identity. The identity I was told was the identity that had been pushed upon my great-great-grandparents and generations before. They needed to survive. They didn’t have a choice. Today I honor them by declaring myself as Native American. My ancestors are from these lands and I will do everything in my power to pay tribute to them as they walk with me every step of the way. I will not feed the process of Indigenous erasure.

“ Today I honor them by declaring myself as Native American.”