Cultural alienation

One of the most obvious expressions of cultural alienation of this continent, perceptible everywhere, lies in one word and its derivatives: the well known “latino” linked to an outrageous stupidity especially since it refers to descendants of the Incas, Aztecs, Mapuches, African slaves, etc.

This word, in addition to being unconsciously used by Natives, really shows the state of mindlessness found in a large part of the populations inflicted with amnesia and ignorance.

How can anyone in their right mind, whether in their own country or elsewhere, find a similar cultural identity with a foreign population as distant as the Latins? What ‘Latin’ is there in the Cordilleras of the Andes, the Amazon, the Sierra Madre or the Caribbean?

Origin of the Latins

As a reminder, Latins come from the region of Latium [map of Latium in annex] still an Italian province of Lazio today, which surrounds Rome and whose expansion – that of the Roman Empire – never went beyond the Atlantic coasts of Europe. Therefore, why is it that on the other side of this ocean peoples would still claim to be descendants of Latium? At least, the Italian-Americans, wherever they are, have legitimacy to be called Latins, but as for the others, why should they? Is it because they speak Latin languages? In this case, shouldn’t Quebec be part of Latin America since they are (or were) apostolic Roman Catholic, or stated otherwise, of Latin confession? In this case, wouldn’t an Irish or Polish Catholic living in New Jersey be considered a Latin American; and conversely, wouldn’t a Peruvian or Panamanian converted to Pentecostalism, or practicing an ancient religion, cease to be “Latin?”

As we can see, all of this shows an incredible mental confusion of the greatest contempt for history, geography, intellectual rigor and conceptual precision, not to mention a form of disrespect toward their ancestors. A decolonization campaign worthy of this name could therefore not be undertaken without this essential preliminary step; the one that requires an unequivocal awareness of how inadequate the words derived from the radical are, such as Latin America, Latino, Latino Español (Spanish spoken in America and quite frankly the pinnacle of aberration) in reference to the peoples of this continent and the eradication of their common language and official use.

We will therefore promote a campaign that will go beyond the mere awareness of this issue, because we will submit to the various and competent authorities that are able to eliminate that wording – which is not only absurd but doubly colonial since it links the name of an Italian navigator; Amerigo (Vespucci) to the Latin epithet – to confer, get together and suggest a new name for the continent, preferably associated with one or more indigenous languages, knowing that there are many and that a compromise will have to be necessarily negotiated between the various peoples that are simultaneously engaged in a common destiny.

Ixachitlan, Tawantinsuyo and Abya Yala

Suggesting Ixachitlan or Tawantinsuyo would be easy, but could potentially create a new form of imbalance, internal this time. We could use a neologism, an acronym or anthroponym (name of a place derived from that of a person, of a historical figure, a god, a wise man, a liberator or a mythical or imagined representation (why not feminine, such as Pachamama or (in another record) Mariane, Lorelei, etc.), which suggests and heightens the real or commonly desired essence of the continent (examples of anthroponyms: justifiably, Bolivia for Simon Bolivar or inconsiderately, Colombia for Columbus) that satisfies all parties and that, despite the likely differences, could reach a unanimous agreement if they focus on the true significance of the objective. The spirit of cooperation and good faith that will have prevailed in the choice of this name will then constitute a significant foundation to begin the process of decolonization and the subsequent rebuilding of this continent.