Struggle to be yourself

Afro-Latinos and Afro-Native Americans seem to have many issues when it comes to their identity and when it comes to what and who they can identify with. Many of them feel like if they choose to identify more to one then they are neglecting the other. Problems also arise when people from either culture do not accept people who are of both cultures. Being denied by both of your cultures can leave a person feeling very alone and bitter. They can also develop negative views of people in these cultures.

In Black and Latino,Roberto Santiago spoke of the injustices and discrimination he faced as a young Afro-Latino. He wrote "'There is no way that you can be black and Puerto Rican at the same time.' What? Despite the many times I've heard this over the years, that statement still perplexes me. I am both and always have been ("Black and Latino")." Despite people always trying to tell Roberto Santiago who he was and who he was not, Roberto knew that he was in fact both Black and Puerto Rican. His younger years were very rough on him but at time went on he did not allow for the narrow minds of otherwise to dictate his life or define him. I applaud the courage and determination it took for him to reach that level of self-discovery because I know it could not have been easy. His Aunt had even told him "Roberto, don't worry. Even if---no matter what you do---black people in this country don't, you can always depend on white people to treat you like a black ("Black and Latino"). I think those words are so powerful because it's true that as long as you like you are of color, you will be treated as a person of color by white people.

 Marta I. Cruz-Janzen wrote in Latinegras that "Latinegras represent the mirrors that most Latinos would like to shatter because they reflect the blackness Latinos don't want to see in themselves ('Latinegras")." This is just another example in the perpetuation of discrimination which fuels the fire of identity struggles. Instead of viewing members of African descent as family, they treat them as social pariahs...making it so difficult for Afro-Latinos to feel like they belong.

Works Cited



Cruz-Janzen, Marta I. "Latinegras." Revelations: An Anthology of Expository Essays by and about Blacks. Boston, MA: Pearson Custom Pub., 2010. 299-311. Print.

Santiago, Roberto. "Black and Latino." Revelations: An Anthology of Expository Essays by and about Blacks. 189-90. Print.