THE AFRO-LATINA
I honestly went back and forth on what my stance should be for this post. I wanted to be more factual than opinionated. But I realized that my own thoughts and experience would suffice. So here’s what I think about being Afro-Latina/o…. who cares?
It’s your own personal preference to identify yourself however you please. As a Latina myself, I struggled with self-identification growing up in the melting pot of New York City. What do I call myself? What do I feel represents me the most? I think deciding on whether you would like to be labeled as Latina, Black or Afro-Latina has to do with the self. My mom is full Puerto Rican and my dad is black. But I do not identify myself as being black nor do I identify myself as an Afro-Latina.
Are you an Afro-Latina?
Afro-Latina is a term used for a person from Latin America with African descent. This could be Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Cuba, Venezuela, Honduras, and so on. Of course Africa has had a major impact on the cultures of some of Latin America. There is no denying that, with the African influence being carried all the way to present day.
However, many people believe that when a Latin person does not want to be labeled as Black, they are denying their ancestors and the history behind their ethnic background. Which I believe is not true. It would be different if someone did not know the history behind their ethnicity or chose to be ignorant.
It is not DENYING. Denial is an assertion that something said, believed or alleged is false. It is deeper than that. It is a choice. It’s about self-identification. Growing up mixed or labeled as Afro-Latina (cause there is a difference) is difficult. I grew up in a Puerto Rican household, eating bacalou for the holidays and listening to El Gran Combo with my Abuela. I wasn’t constantly exposed to my African-American roots, except for when I learned about the slave trade in school. Even so, I was always more excited when the textbook mentioned Puerto Rico.
Here’s My Story!
As I grew older I realized that Black girls always referred to me as being Spanish rather than being black. And I will never forget when I told a friend of mine I was Black and Puerto Rican. Before I can even say I was also Puerto Rican she was already laughing at me. As I developed my “self” more I began to take more pride in being Latina. It’s what I know, and what I am comfortable with. In college I realized that during Black History Month, I didn’t see any Latinos. I never saw a Latina labeled as a “Black Queen”.
In society, there is this notion that Black girls are of this make up, and Latina girls are of this make up. Listening to that throughout life, influenced how identified myself too. It’s like society has this make believe checklist of what a Latina should look like and what an African-American girl looks like. So of course I went with being Latina. Therefore how can society be upset because Latina(o)’s don’t want to be racially categorized as Black.
I Chose Not to Identify…
So as the controversy continued to bubble about Latino’s being Black, I chose not to identify myself as such. I did not want to belong to a racial group that did not see me as one of their own. I think that is why many Latino’s do not like being called Black. Because in their heads, where they are from everyone is Dominican or everyone is Puerto Rican. There is no race.
There is no “Black Dominican” or “White Puerto Rican.” So I don’t mind checking “other” on the consensus form or being known as “the Spanish girl.” Because that’s exactly what I am. I am the Latina, because I CHOSE to be. I identify myself as such.
For the very few who do identify as Afro-Latina, that’s great. But just because some people don’t identify as being Afro-Latina(o) or Black does not mean they are denying their African roots. Denying it would be ignorance at it’s best. We can acknowledge the African influence. It lives within us, it’s in the music, and it’s in the dance and the food. We just rather label ourselves as Latina.
Miquira J.
