As you may have heard already, we are currently in the midst of an annual celebration that has historically been called National Hispanic Heritage Month. Before we get into celebrating the two Latinx eco heroes you’ve come here to learn about, I want to address the name of this month first, as there is some controversy surrounding the title.

Recently, there has been a shift away from using the term “Hispanic,” which has a European origin and some racist connotations, in favor of the term “Latinx,” which more accurately reflects the diverse Latin American origins of the peoples and cultures meant to be celebrated during this time. The word Latinx is an inclusive means of identification for non-gender specific, Indigenous, and non-Spanish speaking people such as Brazilians. This term also includes the Spanish speaking people of Latin America, who are covered by the more exclusionary term Hispanic.

Some quick background on this important cultural event: It runs from September 15 through October 15th every year in the United States, and was established in 1968 by President Lyndon B. Johnson.

Despite the cultural rise of the term Latinx to describe the diverse peoples whose origins are in the western hemisphere south of the United States, this monthly celebration is still officially titled “National Hispanic Heritage Month.” Media outlets including ones which I consider to be fair and inclusive have been torn on how to refer to it as well. This NPR article outlines their decision to stick with the official name for now. I personally am still uncertain about it and am by no means an expert on this controversy. I’m just doing my best to be respectful and inclusive in my terminology choices. If you identify as a Hispanic or Latinx person I would to hear your perspective on this in the comments below!

 

For the moment, let’s call it Latinx & Hispanic Heritage Month, and perhaps that will continue to evolve into a new name for this celebration in the future.

 

So, now that we’ve got that important piece of nomenclature debate out in the open, let’s move on to discuss these two Latinx eco heroes that everyone needs to know about!

 

Xiuhtezcatl Martinez

This relatively young environmental activist has been speaking out for climate justice since he was just 6 years old. In 2015, he made waves as a teenager when he spoke at a United Nations General Assembly in three languages: English, Spanish, and Nahuatl, his native language, on the subject of the climate crisis. He was quoted as saying,

 

“What’s at stake right now is the existence of my generation.”

 

Xiuhtezcatl, also know as X, was born in Boulder, Colorado, and is an American citizen of Aztec heritage. Also in 2015, X joined in a lawsuit filed against the US government for its failure to address climate change.

Click here to read more about Xiuhtezcatl Martinez’s climate activism. 

He’s also a musician and artist. Click here to view his website and to listen to his music.

 

In this video, which he filmed at age 11, Xiuhtezcatl Martinez shows the impact of climate change on his community in Colorado.

 

Here’s another short video about this young climate activist and his life story:

 

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

If you’ve been following US politics at all in the past several years, you probably know who this is. Hailing from my hometown of New York City and of Puerto Rican descent, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (also known as AOC) made history in 2018 as the youngest woman ever elected to Congress at age 29.

She is a member of the US House of Representatives and has been in the headlines for her progressive platform and outspoken views on everything from the inner workings of congressional meetings to the negative effects of social media.

Case in point, on her first day of congressional orientation in 2018, AOC participated in a climate change protest outside the office of her colleague and the House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi.

In 2019, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez introduced her plan for addressing the climate crisis in Congress. Called the Green New Deal, this ambitious plan seeks to ensure high-wage jobs, net-zero emissions in 10 years, clean air and water for all, plus more including access to nature and a sustainable environment.

 

This mesmerizing and kid-friendly short film outlines a brief history of climate change in the United States starting in the 1970s. It also covers the current state of the planet and AOC’s plans to combat these environmental issues in the future:

 

One of the many important facts mentioned in this video is the extinction of the Northern White Rhino. If you missed my post about the plight of the African rhino population and what you need to know about Endangered Species Day, please read about it by clicking here!

 

This list of eco heroes is obviously not complete or comprehensive. However, it spotlights two of the most prominent young Latinx voices currently fighting for climate justice in this country. Please, tell me in the comments below about other eco heroes you’d like to see mentioned here next year for Latinx & Hispanic Heritage Month! 

 

• climate crisis