With so many rules to know about political correctness, it’s so easy to get lost in the maze. Photography school instructor Edwin Vargas helps shed light on a few of them in this Diversity & You series.

People kept asking Edwin Vargas—Technical Director and Instructor in the Academy of Art University‘s School of Photography—the difference between Hispanic, Latino, and Latinx. Or for tips on how to use the terms Latino, Latina, and Latinx.

So many people, in fact, that he decided to do something about it.

Mr. Vargas figured that short, public service videos would be a great way to answer these questions in a clear, easy to understand way. But he knew he would need help creating them. So he approached the pros at the School of Communications & Media Technologies to pitch his idea, and a collaboration was born.

Unity in Diversity

Together the two Academy schools created “Diversity and You,” a short video series designed to provide clarity on how to use culture- and gender-neutral language, and why it’s important.

The purpose of culture- and gender-neutral language is to avoid choosing words that may be interpreted as discriminatory, demeaning, or biased, or imply that one sex or social gender is the norm.

“We are all trying to learn to unlearn,” says Mr. Vargas. “We are all trying to be sensitive as to how each person may want to identify. This is about being respectful and recognizing the other person in the appropriate way,”

Check out the series here.

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