Latino Audiences: Embracing Complexity

It is essential to understand the complexity and diversity of Latino audiences for authentic engagement in any field, including informal science learning. We offer four key ideas that can serve as foundations for considering Latino audiences: identity and culture, amplification, decolonization, and risk-taking. The content of these ideas speaks to the need to shift from simplistic viewpoints to more holistic perspectives which acknowledge culture as dynamic and fluid, view audiences in more complex ways that reflect on the intersections of identities and experiences, and engage in practices that deepen our own cultural competencies. These practices can move us toward more genuine collaborations with the communities informal learning organizations seek to reach.

This article was the result of ideas initially developed and presented by the authors at the Generating Engagement and New Initiatives for All Latinos Summit (GENIAL). Latino Audiences was one of several themed strands addressed during the Summit held on June 5–6, 2017. The strand session development was led by Cecilia Garibay and the session ideas were collaboratively developed with the co-authors of this article.