Anti-Blackness in Latinx communities

Afro-Mexicans

TW: Racial Slurs and Ableism 

   "Who taught you to hate yourself?" - Malcolm X

     In December of 2015, Mexico finally recognizes their Afro-Mexicans. Since the 1910 Mexican Revolution, people of African descent haven't been recognized as part of Mexico or considered truly Mexican, So, Mexico finally recognizing Afro-Mexicans and including them in their population is a huge step. But many more steps need to be taken in order to reach the level of visibility needed.

    Afro-Latinx are always subjected to erasure within Latinx communities, due to us being black. Anti-blackness is deeply ingrained in the Latinx community, and this needs to be acknowledged and discussed. The Casta System influenced anti-blackness in Latinx communities and Indigenous ones as well. The Casta system ranked individuals or groups one above the other according to their statuses and authority, and enforced power and control. It was inspired by the assumption that the character and quality of people varied according to their birth, skin colour, race, and origin of ethnic types. I guess one could see why the Latinx community is anti-black.      

  

   The world seems to have this narrative that all Latinx are lightskinned with straight or wavy hair, which is false and harmful in the way that it completely erases dark and brown skinned latinx and Afro-Latinx. We are taught that being "negra" isn't good. This results in countless Afro-Latinx hating themselves. Anti-blackness was firmly instilled in our heads from a very young age.

Afro-Hondurans

As an Afro-Chicanx, I have experienced anti-blackness from many Latinx. A Mexican mother did not even want me sitting next to her and told her son "No te sientas con esa negra" which  translates to "you're not allowed to sit by that black girl" at that time I didn't understand much about anti-blackness so it didn't bother me, but now that I'm aware, it makes me wonder how other Afro-Latinx deal with this issue.

  Non-Black Latinx tend to get upset when black people don't talk about Latinx issues, but they have to remember that it's not our job. All we can do is uplift their voices, which is honestly kind of difficult to do taking their rampant anti-blackness into account. When Steve Harvey accidently announced the winner of Miss Universe pageant as Colombia and not Philippines, the Latinx community went off. So many Latinx showed their true colours, throwing around racial slurs at him like nigger and d*mb monkey. Simply for accidently reading the card wrong.

  Uplift black people's voices, listen to our experiences. Who is more versed in anti-blackness than black people? it is imperative for us to be more vocal about our institutional oppression. No more pretending that we live in a society where it doesn't exist. Black lives are important. Black lives matter

                           

Venecia Holder