By Luis Alarcon, Director of Recruitment & Admissions, Lincoln Land Community College
The conversations had been building for some time. In hallways, caucus gatherings, and conference sessions, a shared sentiment kept surfacing: Does “Latinx” fully capture who we are? This month at the 111th AACRAO Annual Meeting in New Orleans, that question reached a meaningful turning point. With approval from the Board of Directors, the Latinx Caucus is now officially the Raíces Caucus. This is more than a name change. It is a statement of identity, belonging, and direction.
Why Now? A Timely and Necessary Shift
Language evolves. So do communities. In recent years, the term “Latinx” has been both embraced and contested. While it emerged as an attempt to move beyond gendered language, research shows that its adoption has been uneven and, in many cases, limited among the very communities it aims to represent. For example, a Pew Research Center study found that only a small percentage of U.S. Hispanics use the term “Latinx,” with many expressing unfamiliarity or discomfort with it (see Pew Research Center’s analysis on Hispanic identity and terminology).
Scholars have also pointed out that while “Latinx” seeks inclusivity, it can feel externally imposed or linguistically disconnected from Spanish language traditions (Salinas, 2020; Guerra & Orbea, 2021). Within our own AACRAO community, many of us felt that tension. The issue was not about rejecting inclusion; it was about expanding it.
LatCrit and the Power of Naming Ourselves
This shift is also grounded in Latino Critical Race Theory (LatCrit), which reminds us that identity is not neutral; it is shaped by power, history, language, and lived experience (Valdes, 1996; Solórzano & Delgado Bernal, 2001). LatCrit challenges dominant narratives that define communities from the outside. Instead, it centers the voices, histories, and self-definitions of those within the community.
From a LatCrit lens, the question is not simply what is the most inclusive term? It is who gets to decide and whose voices are being centered in that decision?
Our move away from “Latinx” reflects that critical awareness. For many in our community, the term did not emerge organically from lived experience, nor did it fully resonate across linguistic, cultural, and generational lines. Choosing Raíces is, in many ways, an act of reclamation. It affirms that we have the agency to define ourselves on our terms.
Why “Raíces”? Reclaiming Depth and Complexity
We chose Raíces, meaning roots, because it reflects something deeper, broader, and more enduring. Roots are not singular. They are layered, interconnected, and grounded in history, culture, and lived experience.
For our caucus, Raíces acknowledges that:
Our identities are not and cannot be confined to a single label.
Our community includes individuals who identify as Latino, Latina, Latine, Latinx, Hispanic, Afro-Latino, Indigenous, and more.
Our experiences are shaped by migration, language, family, geography, and intersectionality; many elements that cannot be reduced to just gender alone.
This shift aligns closely with frameworks like Community Cultural Wealth, which emphasize the richness of cultural assets and lived experiences beyond dominant narratives (Yosso, 2005). In many ways, Raíces allows us to honor ganas, servicio, resilience, and cultural pride without forcing them into a single linguistic construct. It gives us room to breathe.
From Label to Living Identity
What became clear through our discussions is this: identity is not static, and it should not be reduced to terminology alone. The move to Raíces represents a transition:
From a label to a living identity.
From a term centered primarily on gender neutrality to a framework centered on belonging.
From a single word to a shared foundation.
This is not about erasing “Latinx.” That term continues to hold meaning and importance for many. Rather, this is about recognizing that our caucus needed a name that could hold all of us, across generations, regions, and identities.
What This Means for AACRAO Members
For AACRAO members, this change matters right now because it reflects broader shifts happening across higher education:
Language matters but listening matters more. Institutions are increasingly being called to engage communities in defining how they are represented.
Identity is complex and evolving. As enrollment leaders and student affairs professionals, we must move beyond one-size-fits-all terminology.
Belonging drives engagement. When individuals see themselves reflected authentically, they are more likely to participate, lead, and thrive.
The Raíces Caucus is modeling what it means to respond thoughtfully to these realities.
Looking Ahead: Grounded, Not Limited
As we move forward as the Raíces Caucus, our mission remains aligned with what has always guided us: empowerment, awareness, leadership, and community. But now, we do so with a name that better reflects the fullness of who we are.
We are rooted in our histories.
We are shaped by our journeys.
We are connected through shared purpose.
And like any strong set of raíces, we grow not by narrowing, but by expanding.
“As the saying goes, ‘They tried to bury us, but they didn’t know we were seeds.’”
share