Africa : Are Latinos / Hispanics - 'Africans' too?

A little more info on african divide in Latin america

Hi Everyone,

I've been reading the post for a while. But this is my first reply. I had some info that might help with the discussion. It actually discusses the african divide in Latin america. The adr is:
http://condor.depaul.edu/~dialogo/back_issues/issue_5/alla_y_aca.htm.
It's very interesting. Here's a little of the article.
"And yet Puerto Ricans continue to ignore this more recent history and depend instead on a distorted past that distinguishes them from African Americans, specifically, and Blacks, more generally. We find, then, that the African diaspora has received even less attention than the Puerto Rican diaspora. But the fact remains that over 95% of the diaspora from Africa ended up in Latin America and the Caribbean; South America received 50% of those enslaved Africans, and throughout the colonial period Black people represented majority populations in all the major cities of the Spanish territories. The material and social contributions of these millions of Africans and their descendants to the making of Nuestra América cannot be exaggerated. Nor should we relegate the African presence to a distant past--in myriad forms Africa infuses almost every cultural space of this hemisphere, whether directly or indirectly, whether acknowledged or ignored."
 
Thanks indeed for your response Jaimia. It was very interesting, as well as very factual. The truth is there are a high amount of Afro-Latinos, especially in the Caribbean and Brazil. I have heard it said by many of them that race is classified differently in their respective countries (many African Americans except these statements at face value). However I don't believe this is the true story.

As a stated in my first post in this thread. I believe that Afro-Latinos identifying themselves only by their country or by the EXTREMELY broad title of Latino is a social-political tactic. Latinos are coming to this country to make a better life for themselves (to escape poverty & persecution in their homelands). In America blacks (despite the civil rights movement) continue to occupy the bottom of the social-economic system. If Afro-Latinos come to this county & identify themselves as black, then they would inherit the economic & social discrimination that we face. Since they are fleeing from poverty they don't want to face economic discrimination here. Therefore they disassociate themselves from blacks: "My skin might be dark, but I'm not black. I'm Cuban, Mexican, Dominican, etc."

I don't want to become inflammatory, but I suspect many Afro-Latinos of trying to "pass". Similar to what many light skinned African Americans have done over the centuries. In the case of Afro-Latinos however instead of using "light skin" they are using language and national origin. Comments made by a few Afro-Latinos who I know personally, and do identify with their blackness, confirms this. As well as the honest statements made by Corvo. That Afro-Latinos would go through such lengths to deny their African heritage is sad to me. However it is a reality that many Afro-Latinos do not want to be a part of the African Diaspora (black as coal, but don't wanna be called black).

Although as a PanAfricanist I consider them to be brothers and sisters. I don't consider them allies until (and unless) they claim their blackness. Again it is a shame because they could be powerful allies; however, you can't force an ostrich to take it's head out to sand.
 
I've met some Proud Afrolatino

I to embrace all of my Afro people. If anyone is interested there is actually a website called AfroLatino at: Afrolatino.com. There are many Proud Afro Latinos that celebrate their African roots. And I just met a Blacklatino that admitted that he once denied his roots. Even though he is dark skinned but now love all of his blackness. So there are those that embrace it and those that are learning. So there's still hope for even the weaker ones.

There is
 
humm!,.. the last three post are off. it sounds like that you can say, know more than AfricanLatinos what AfricanLatinos are. I think you totaly misconsive what latinos are and African Latinos are. there is a difereence is. North Americance blacks?African Americans, doen't deside what the definicions are. I am saying that, some are Latinos and some chose to be identifird as AfricanLatinos. We say what we are. Not Noth American"s Blacks. YOU are not qualified to tell, others how to see themselfs. That would be arrogent of you. You can't define others, NOt all Latinos are of African heritage, As no are n.Americans. But there are people in Latine America that are of African heritage.. You need to look closer at how some of you are ignoring what is on the table, of knowledge? I'm surprise at the lack of informatiom on this issue....?
 

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