Age: 23
Roots: Dominican
Occupation: Community Organizer at Make the Road PA.
What does it mean to be Afro-Latina?
Being an Afro- Latina comes with many trials. At a very young age, I learned that my dark skin set me apart from other Latin people. Most of my childhood I was bullied because of my dark complexion; according to many people I was “too dark to be Dominican or Latina”. The constant bullying led me to start resenting my African roots. Identifying myself as Dominican became difficult since many people had a hard time believing me, so I started disassociating myself from my ancestry. As I matured, I began accepting every part of myself, and I began identifying as “Afro-Latina”, which many people had a hard time grasping. I became more educated about my African roots. Being an Afro-Latina means strength and courage. I have the strength to remain resilient through oppression and trials, and the courage to love myself.
What am I doing as a Dominican American Woman to gain the respect Afro-Latinas deserve?
I stopped relaxing my hair and embraced my natural curls. I started looking in the mirror and fell in love with my brown skin. I understand now that being a Latina is more than skin deep; we are a colorful community that is rich in history and culture. As an activist for racial equality and a community organizer, I have learned that the best way to gain respect is to educate. Most people in our Latin community are unaware that many of us have African ancestry. I gain respect by educating people both within and outside of my community. I live my belief that I am not better than anybody else and nobody is better than me. Therefore, I am unapologetically Afro-Latina!
“Most people in our Latin community are unaware that many of us have African ancestry.”