Who uses such expressions?
Because they are screaming about Kyle Rittenhouse, I heard about MEChA (Movimiento Estudiantil Chicanx de Aztlán). I was curious, so I looked them up. I don’t recommend it.
Their website is a word salad nearly devoid of meaning. As an example, using a sentence that actually parses:
MEChA chapters are often the only groups on campus that seek to open the doors of higher education for our communities
If the doors are not open, how did the members of a group (i.e. more than one or two) get there in the first place?
Aztlán is the common homeland and is the place of the collective experience and social praxis.
What does that even mean? It’s much worse if you have read the previous two sentences: Today we understand Aztlán not as a defined territory. Instead, it is an idea that unifies all Raza as a sacred place of origin, to which Raza espouse a physical connection.
So, let me get this straight: Aztlan is an idea, not a place. Yet, it is a place – a “homeland” even – to which one can “espouse a physical connection”, but not actually HAVE a physical connection, because “espouse” is mere a fancy word for “proclaim” and saying something doesn’t create physical anything (vibrations in the air notwithstanding).
Praxis (from Ancient Greek: πρᾶξις, romanized: praxis) is the process by which a theory, lesson, or skill is enacted, embodied, or realized. “Praxis” may also refer to the act of engaging, applying, exercising, realizing, or practicing ideas.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Praxis_(process)
Stripping the adjectives: Aztlán is the homeland and is the place of experience and process. A place of experience makes a vague sort of sense – leaving aside that all experiences happens somewhere, so a special place for them is a bit odd – but what is a “place of practicing [realizing, engaging, etc…] ideas”? (And it’s not a place. Or is it?) Isn’t that school? Aren’t you there already? It has the advantage of being an actual place.
“Oh, he’s so simple-minded; it’s a metaphor!” Ah. I see. One can have a “physical connection” to a metaphorical place. Got it.
Keep in mind that this is a COLLEGE organization; these are not grade-schoolers struggling to learn to speak.
Marked Up 