With the introduction of European settlers and the mission period these diverse groups were lumped together as one group to be civilized and subdued. "America was constituted as the first space/time of a new model of power of vocation...the first identity of modernity..the codification of the differences between conquerors and conquered in the idea of "race", a supposedly different biological structure that placed some in a natural situation of inferiority to the others." (Quijano, page 1). Earlier in history, some of the conquered nations' men opted to sacrifice themselves to their gods as a way to reaffirm their masculinity despite losing independence in battle. With colonization, this practice and the entirety of their religious beliefs were seen as barbaric and eliminated. Losing this reprieve for the men caused a significant identity crisis in the native populations as they saw themselves now as feminized when conquered. When Cortes conquered the Aztecs he even renamed their sacred land, New Spain. Further driving home that they had lost their cultivated identity and were now to be funneled into a new way of life.(Minster) 

https://www.thoughtco.com/consequences-of-the-conquest-of-aztecs-2136519

It is so vivid here in this depiction how different the Spaniards were to the Aztecs, by a simple comparison of armor and color or lack thereof. The Aztec culture was prominent in the central Mexican region, so much so that their language Nahuatl (history.com) was the dominant tongue in the region. At the time of the invasion of the Spaniards, the Aztecs ruled over some 6 million people. (history.com) This new rule by the Spaniards was a major shift for the region.  

In the early lines of the poem, Gonzales describes "existing in the grasp of American social neurosis, sterilization of the soul and a full stomach. " (Gonzales) This ties in with Aida Hurtado's account about accelerated assimilation leading to feelings of isolation and multiplicity of identities many Chicanx experienced during the mid nineteenth century. Schools placed students in limbo to learn the American culture, speak in only English on campus while later attempting to acknowledge diversity. The push to assimilate and acculturate left students in limbo wondering which parts of their family lineage and culture to keep and which to discard in order to obtain the American dream of security, wealth and freedom. Accelerated assimilation put students in a strain, although it was "not a malicious position; rather it was offered as the solution to Chicanos/as becoming part of the middle class and bettering their lives...however had a very high psychological cost for Chicano/a children." (Quien Soy?, pg 9). She also found great confusion when moving to a new state during her schooling years, where her native language was not as penalized. So much confusion and tug of war for these children caught between their family tree and the promise of a better life in America. There is a distinct tie between ones language and their identity. Not merely as the ability to communicate within your culture but the way of speaking and relating to one another through tone and distinct sounds unique to each language. "English typically replaces the language of ones immigrant parents and grandparents. As a result, linguistic assimilation sometimes fuels efforts to regain the language and heritage that has been lost. " (Brookings) He goes on to describe a young man who was Mexican American and a native of Texas who was unable to speak Spanish yet he so desperately desired to and made it his mission that his children would speak Spanish before learning English. There is a vivid sentimentality to language because it is intangible, it cannot be tucked away and passed down to generations like a heirloom. It must be practiced and actively nurtured to live on through time.  

 Meanwhile "US Latino' is a complex category, whose specificity has come to refer to a variety of groups living in this country.. Central American migration to the United States includes after all a heterogeneous array of social groups..this does not take into account the Belizeans and Panamanians, who have a greater degree of integration with African American and Afro-Caribbean US populations as opposed to Latinos." (Arias, p 171-2). Belizeans are a mix of Garifuna and various Creole groups, as well as descendents of the ancient Mayan empire. Without this knowledge you may not have assigned either of these performance groups to a Latinx country. The drummers are Belizean and the dancers are Panamanian. 

This confusion is on further display in the music video featuring Lido Pimienta called the Light II on the Halluci Nation. A young girl is called an Indian by a potentially Chicanx woman who feels she is supporting a diverse culture of arts by having an important artist over for a meal and hiring a girl who needs work to clean her home. She misses the opportunity to actually support diverse culture in that the girl is an artist of dance for her home Halluci culture herself. How interesting also to note that these two Spanish speaking women, in the same room are really worlds apart yet both appear to be struggling to keep up and be successful in their distinct identities.  

And so with a question so broad of what is the identity of the Latinx community, the answer is in fact just as broad. There is no formula, recipe or nailed down description for the Latinx identity, it is merely a thread of your history and how you came to be here through a Latin American country born person. And of the one who came before you, what of their life and personal culture do you wish to carry on in hopes another down your line will carry the torch after you? 

https://portside.org/2022-01-08/lack-left-wing-culture-weakness-progressivism-latin-america

Sources

I am Joaquin by Rodolfo Corky Gonzales, quoted and video:

https://youtu.be/OCVZ_rlBQR8

Pre-Contact Culture Areas Map by Paula Giese

Chicana Identity in a Changing US Society by Quijano

https://www.thoughtco.com/consequences-of-the-conquest-of-aztecs-2136519 , Minster

(Spanish Conquistador, Keen Collection, Getty Images) 

https://www.history.com/topics/ancient-americas/aztecs , various authors

https://www.brookings.edu/articles/do-we-really-want-immigrants-to-assimilate/ , Brookings

https://www.belizehub.com/belizean/

https://i.pinimg.com/736x/9c/b6/04/9cb6040f90693ad191df51809062bf19--population-ancestry.jpg

https://youtu.be/N7chvQWL9rI

https://portside.org/2022-01-08/lack-left-wing-culture-weakness-progressivism-latin-america