Whether it is with genre titles, class descriptions, or groups of people, there is a natural tendency towards categorization. Categories are both a blessing and a curse in the sense that they offer simplified labels, but the process of simplification can lead to exclusion or erasure of important distinguishing characteristics. One example of this struggle with categories is the term “Latina”. Some people like the term but others find it to be too simplistic or generalized.
            This project claims to look at self-expression of latinidad, but what does that actually mean? A basic definition for the purposes of this project is that it is the subjective expression of Latina culture, which then leads to the question of what it means to be Latina. As Marta Caminero-Santangelo points out in her piece “Who Are We?” there are a multitude of more specific identities under the umbrella of Latina; each different country of origin, whether it be Mexico or Brazil or Cuba or somewhere else, has its own unique traditions and lifestyles. Therefore, some people will say that they are Mexican-American, not Latina, or that they are a Brazilian living in the US, not Latina. For the purposes of classification, Latina can be used to refer to people living in the US with roots in any Latin American country. Latina includes 1st generation immigrants as well as 2nd or 3rd generation children of immigrants and refers to those that self-identify as female (thus the ‘a’ ending on Latina).
            Since we have established that “Latina” and therefore “latinidad” encompasses a huge variety of people, this project tries to appreciate the wide range of expressions of latinidad that are influenced by numerous factors. Included in this diversity is the fact that not everyone self-identifies with the term “Latina”. The three celebrities discussed in this project all self-identify as Latina, so will be referred to as Latina to appropriately reflect their identities. The main aspects of latinidad explored in this project are the use of Spanish, making references to Latin American heritage, and use of Latina hashtags. The original hypothesis was that Latina celebrities express latinidad on Twitter by talking about their Latin American roots and using hashtags associated with Latina movements.