Escondido

The following piece, “Escondido”, came as a reflection after partaking in the 2022 Lavender Languages Institute after reading the article titled: The Complexity of the “x” in Latinx: How Latinx/a/o Students Relate to, Identify with, and Understand the Term Latinx (Salinas, 2020). I self-identify as Latinx and throughout the week at the 2022 Lavender Languages Institute, I reflected on what Latinx meant to me. My initial understanding of Latinx was that the term would allow me to express my non-binary gender identity and be more inclusive of gender divergence. I also learned about Latin* and how it unsettled superficial understanding of Latinx, and I realized the X meant more than showcasing gender inclusivity. To me, the X meant embracing my hometown situated in the San Diego-Tijuana borderlands. Escondido translates to “hidden” in Spanish and my hometown is often called the Hidden Valley. The X meant embracing the hidden quality of my home and the borderlands community as well as empowering me to no longer hide.