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Why is it that once in a while an Afro-centrist, I imagine dressed in a dashiki, comes along and insists that all Latinos have to identify with Africa? Why don't they identify with us? Why do we always have to bow our heads to either White Gringos and, as of recently to, Black gringos. We've had our specific identity for centuries and don't suffer from the complex of a recently discovered one.
How can Latinos identify with Kawanza or the Anerican slave experience when we never experienced that?
Check your racism.
Kwanzaa is an African-American holiday that was created in the 1970s by an Afro-Studies professor, so of course Afro-Latinos are not going to celebrate it. Hell, I don't even know of any African-American people who do.
And during the slave trade, over 90% of Africans were actually sent to the Caribbean and South America. The U.S. never received more than 10% of the share. Why else does Brazil posses the largest share of people with African ancestral ties outside of the continent of Africa? Why else does the Dominican Republic have a population that is at least 73% Euro-African admixture?
While I disagree about the "lame and uncultured" part of the OP's original argument, he does have a point in that Latinos, primarily those of countries with extensive African history, are known to either downplay or outright dismiss their African ancestry while simultaneously boast about their whiteness.
I've seen it before. I'm white like most white Americans, but I'm not really white in their eyes because of where I was born. I've seen the same happen with Afro-Latinos. They're not really black because of where they were born. It's so stupid. Everyone has this image that all latinos have to be mixed race
I think didn't get your point...
The huge majority of "latinos" are indeed mixed-race. The analysis of mitochondrial DNA of the populations proves it beyond any doubt.
Just observing. it sure looks to me like a lot of the culture in Mexico and Central America is descended from the culture of the Native Americans who were established in those areas. I sure don't see much African based art, or architecture, or holidays, or music.
The southern parts of South America are clearly European based culture, not African.
Oh wait. There is a strong Moroccan influence in the architecture and food of Southern Spain. The Spanish are definitely Hispanic people and they have an influence on their culture from a country in Africa. More of an Arabic sort of influence rather than a tribal influence from deepest darkest Africa and not from any slave trade.
...I'm starting to think that everyone (Europeans, Africans and Asians) hate us for our race-mixing. The "pure race" folks in all continents really hate us, because we're mixed race... They hate us because we're not racists, because we don't fall for the "race" agenda.
Whew! I'm glad I'm a Black American instead of African! I grew up thinking that everyone including Mexican people in East L.A. hated all black people. Not true at all. Then I started hearing how much black people disliked whites and Mexican people. Not true for me one bit. Hispanic people, like asian, black and white people are all sooo very very wonderful and beautiful with all their cultures and dialects. I love it all immensely!
Sure I make comments that refute the silly things that racists on here spout. But when you get right down to it, we are all in the same big hate boat. Many people in this country including myself, might just be more prejudiced [which isn't the same as racist] than they realize. But maybe, just maybe... it's not really us either, but actually this country that was founded on racism and still perpetuating it, dividing and conquering us to where we are squabbling, even killing people over it daily??
Kwanzaa is an African-American holiday that was created in the 1970s by an Afro-Studies professor, so of course Afro-Latinos are not going to celebrate it. Hell, I don't even know of any African-American people who do.
And during the slave trade, over 90% of Africans were actually sent to the Caribbean and South America. The U.S. never received more than 10% of the share. Why else does Brazil posses the largest share of people with African ancestral ties outside of the continent of Africa? Why else does the Dominican Republic have a population that is at least 73% Euro-African admixture?
While I disagree about the "lame and uncultured" part of the OP's original argument, he does have a point in that Latinos, primarily those of countries with extensive African history, are known to either downplay or outright dismiss their African ancestry while simultaneously boast about their whiteness.
Totally wrong in many ways.
The African influence in the DNA of Brazilians is very important, no doubt, but not "majoritarian", as you appear to think.
In fact, DNA studies show that very few Brazilians have more than 50% of African ancestry.
Any way, I'm not saying this to "downplay or outright dismiss" my African origins. I'm saying this because it's the truth, and I like the truth.
And it's totally wrong to say that we here in Brazil "downplay" or African origins. In fact, we are very proud of it. But what we are NEVER going to accept is any Afro-Centrist trying to impose their identity uppon us. We are proud of our African ancestry, but we are also proud of our Portuguese ancestry and our Amerindian ancestry in the same way.
The huge majority of "latinos" are indeed mixed-race. The analysis of mitochondrial DNA of the populations proves it beyond any doubt.
Yes. I dind't get your reply at first, but I'm gonna have to agree that a lot of people in other continents are mad at us because we solved our race relations problem for the most part. In Puerto Rico, there is very little racism, we're more concerned about if you are from there or not, no matter what your ancestry is. But, like elsewhere in Latin America, you still get those pardos, as you call them, that shun any of their African or indigenous ancestry. Most of our "racism" is self-hate, not hate towards others. Here in the US, Mexicans, Dominicans, and Cubans have a problem with me because I'm from Puerto Rico, but those 3 in Puerto Rico don't give a crap. I can live in a very black neighborhood in PR and nobody is going to say anything to me but in the US I can't do that. I'm not the "right color" and will probably be a target of theft
It's almost impossible to find people who are "100% black" in Latin America, unless it's one of the very few recent immigrants from Africa.
People who are "100% white" are also very rare in most Latin American countries, but a little less rare.
But I don't think you are right to say that "only a few" in Latin America have black roots. Here in Brazil, the great majority of the population has some level of African ancestry (it doesn't matter if it's a "minor ammount" of ancestry or not). In countries like Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, Panama, Cuba, Dominican Republic, it's the same thing...
I was thinking about Hispanics, but not Brazil. Dominicans have a high percentage of mulattoes, but Ecuador has 70% mestizos. I don't like the idea just because someone has 1% of black in them that makes them black, that's the mentality of some of the black people who make youtube videos about the topic, it's like they like to take credit when they see the opportunity, but that person who has only 30% black in them will have 70% whtie in them, so to me they aren't really black or white, it's true that a lot of black hispanics do deny being black, a black guy walking in the street I asked for directions, he talked back in Spanish and told me not to talk to him in English, I'm Hispanic but just feel more comfortable talking in English, he told me not to confuse him with the black people in this country- US. It's like an insult to put them in the same category. A lot of Dominicans I've heard talk negatively about black people in general. They don't want anything to do with them.
The African influence in the DNA of Brazilians is very important, no doubt, but not "majoritarian", as you appear to think.
In fact, DNA studies show that very few Brazilians have more than 50% of African ancestry.
Any way, I'm not saying this to "downplay or outright dismiss" my African origins. I'm saying this because it's the truth, and I like the truth.
And it's totally wrong to say that we here in Brazil "downplay" or African origins. In fact, we are very proud of it. But what we are NEVER going to accept is any Afro-Centrist trying to impose their identity uppon us. We are proud of our African ancestry, but we are also proud of our Portuguese ancestry and our Amerindian ancestry in the same way.
Brazil is the largest country in the African diaspora in population with ~85 million people of African descent. This is not discounting people of African descent who also have Portuguese and Amerindian (or Italian or German) ancestry. That is what I was referring to.
I was thinking about Hispanics, but not Brazil. Dominicans have a high percentage of mulattoes, but Ecuador has 70% mestizos. I don't like the idea just because someone has 1% of black in them that makes them black, that's the mentality of some of the black people who make youtube videos about the topic, it's like they like to take credit when they see the opportunity, but that person who has only 30% black in them will have 70% whtie
I think that people here in Latin America should feel free to self-identify themselves as "black" or "white" or "brown" according to their phenotype, their skin color, but everyone here, regardless of considering to be "white" or "black", should be aware that all of us (or at least the huge majority of us) have both African and European ancestors.
You can self-indentify yourself as "black" here in Brazil, because of the color of your skin, but you should be aware that it's almost sure that you also have Portuguese ancestors and Amerindian ancestors.
In the same way, you can self-indentify yourself as "white" here in Brazil, because of the color of your skin, but you should be aware that it's almost sure that you also have African ancestors and Amerindian ancestors.
You may be "white", but you are a little bit "black" too. And you may be "black", but you are a little bit "white" and a little Amerindian too.
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