Always Black, Always Puerto Rican
Posted on February 28, 2008

While growing up in Puerto Rico it was normal to be called out as the Black guy. At school or the playground, it was not uncommon for people to refer to me as el Negro. Whether these comments were made with a positive or negative connotation, it was clear to me as well as everybody else that I am a Black person. I self-identify as Black- or Afro-Puerto Rican. But interestingly, my Blackness has constantly been challenged since I relocated to the U.S. mainland 14 years ago.
 

For example, it is not uncommon for somebody to ask me:

"Why do you say that you are Black? I thought that you were Hispanic."

My usual reply is: "What does being Hispanic have to do with whether or not you are Black?" Many people do not seem to understand that it is logical and acceptable for a person to self-identify as both Black and Hispanic. Among Latinos in the U.S., there is a preference to emphasize cultural and national identities rather than racial identities. Despite such classification preferences, the fact is that all these ethno-racial identities co-exist and they should be understood and embraced rather than ignored and mismanaged.

"Why do you say that you are Black? I thought you were Puerto Rican."

What does being Puerto Rican have to do with whether or not you are Black? The existence of a Black segment within the population labeled as Hispanic is not commonly considered in our society. I usually have to scratch my head whenever facing limited choices in a questionnaire that reads:

Please, select ONLY ONE of the following:
1. Black or African American (not Hispanic)
2. Hispanic (regardless of race)

In this case, there is no need to read between the lines. Just read between parentheses. In our society, a person having a Latin American cultural background is continuously discouraged from claiming his or her African ancestry. Individuals may be considered Black as long as they are not of Latin American descent. If they come from a Latin American culture, the system is not interested in whether or not they are Black.

Within the U.S., there seems to be no place for Latin Americans of African ancestry or Black Americans with Latin American cultural backgrounds. For these people the question becomes: Should I mark the box for Black, Hispanic or Other? Some Afro-Latinos do not find this question an easy one to answer.

"Why do you say that you are Black? You speak Spanish!"

What does speaking Spanish have to do with whether or not you are Black? Why are people comfortable if I claim my Latin American cultural heritage, but not when I claim my African ancestry? Why is it that only the offspring from 5 percent of the Africans brought as slaves to New World—those brought to the U.S.—are considered Black, while the offspring of the remaining 95 percent are expected to adopt this Hispanic label that only acknowledges the European component of the overall culture?

Latin Americans and U.S. Latinos are racially mixed. Both the terms Hispanic and Latino refer to European cultural ancestry, while African, Native American and other ancestries within the pan-Latino community seem to be disregarded.  Hispanic is not a race. U.S. government guidelines for the collection of data on ethnicity and race recognize that there are Blacks of Hispanic origin, Afro-Latinos, as well as Blacks not of Hispanic origin, African Americans.

The recognition of an Afro-Latino ethno-racial identity is government policy, but society-wide acceptance of the Afro-Latino concept remains to be seen. This process is likely to gain momentum as U.S. Hispanics of African ancestry become more comfortable self-identifying as Black and begin to celebrate their African ancestry, both genetic and cultural.

Afro-Latinos must understand that, given the changes in the demographic landscape, it will become critical to self-identify as Hispanics of African ancestry. Being recognized as Afro-Latino could have significant socio-political implications in such arenas as anti-discrimination law, corporate diversity practices and healthcare management. Embracing our full identity may also lead to an examination of socio-economic disparities along racial lines among Latinos.

As U.S. Latinos, we will not be successful in our demands for inclusion into the mainstream if we do not practice it within our own community. Hispanics who are Black still face various forms of discrimination based on skin color, in addition to discrimination based on cultural background. For this reason, the overall Hispanic community must advocate for the inclusion of Black Latinos and other Latino minority groups in all aspects of U.S. society.

Promoting inclusion and advocating for the rights of Afro-Latinos is essential to reach our social goals as a unified pan-Latino community. The community will grow stronger when all members feel included and supported. All Latino voices should be heard.

José Méndez-Andino, Ph.D., works as a medicinal chemist in the pharmaceutical industry in Cincinnati.

José can be reached at mendezandino@gmail.com.