Racism In Latin America
There’s a very common misconception made about the parameters of racism. Most people assume that an oppressed group is incapable of being racist. Most Hispanics will deny to their last breath that they are racist. I, a member of an oppressed group, the Hispanic community, am here to tell you that it is possible, and that most Hispanics who deny their racism are suffering a serious case of denial.
Most people have this very generic view of Hispanic people that has been picked up through the media; indigenous looking Mexicans who are portrayed as laborers or cleaning ladies on American TV or Spanish speaking telenovelas. What many don’t know is that in Mexico, as in most Latin American countries, there exists a considerable black population. Just last year Black Mexicans were recognized by the Mexican government in a national survey according to an article on Huffington post. About 1.38 million of them were recognized as being of African descent.
Many will be shocked to know that there exists a black population in Mexico (I myself was very shocked) and will wonder how this went unremarked for so long. Mexico, like most Latin American countries, is deeply racist. This racism can be traced back to colonial times, when the Spanish invaded our lands, and brought African slaves to work.
They embedded in our community a deep rooted hatred for black and indigenous people. Everything that is black or indigenous has a negative connotation— calling nappy hair “bad hair,” avoiding the sun in the quest of keeping the skin pale and “pure” and the word “Indio” being synonymous with stupid. These people, my people, have suffered prejudices and mistreatment throughout so many years; there just was never some grand civil rights movement to bring to light this truth.
This dislike of blackness has permeated the people themselves. They deny their black identity, try to straighten their hair to death and lighten their skin to blend in. They even speak ill of their own kind, wishing to distance themselves from their truth.
What needs to be understood by the general population is that there is no standard look for a Hispanic person. The identity of the Hispanic community is very rich and complex. There are Hispanics of African descents, Asian descent and Middle Eastern descent. All these people have brought up with them different traditions and looks that have added different layers to what it means to be Hispanic.
To boil down such a rich group to trite stereotypes seen on TV is just straight up insulting. That is why you see the term Afro-Latino being thrown around more and more lately. La La Anthony, Cardi B and many other celebrities consider themselves proud Afro-Latinos and have addressed the rampant racism that exists within our community.
I am a proud Afro-Latina because I realize that the only way to fix this problem, like with any problem, is to recognize the issue and to work to instill pride and self-love in our marginalized brothers and sisters.
