On social media this past
week there was a collection of the usual sports and political debates, photos
of turkey and sweet potato pie, and critical tweets aimed toward Jane the Virgin lead Gina Rodriguez. In
a recent roundtable interview with Ellen Pompeo, Gabrielle Union, and Emma
Roberts regarding women and Hollywood, Rodriguez stated “I get so petrified in
this space talking about equal pay especially when you look at the
intersectional aspect of it, right? Where white women get paid more than black
women, black women get paid more than Asian women, Asian women get paid more
than Latina women, and it’s like a very scary space to step into.” Now if Gina
was referring to non-Hollywood related pay equity then certainly this statement
rings true when comparing the pay of women versus that of non-Latinx white men.
Black women are typically paid 61 cents, Native American women 58 cents and
Latinx women 53 cents for every dollar paid to white, non-Latinx men. However,
in the context of Hollywood, on television the highest paid actress or actor is
Latinx actress Sofia Vergara, according to Forbes, with no women of color
cracking the top 10 highest paid actresses in film.
While pay equity was
seemingly the topic at hand during the roundtable discussion, Rodriguez’s
comment brought up an entirely different but just as important topic on the
nuances of race and ethnicity and Afro-Latinx identity, something of which she
has touched on before. Previously, Gina has questioned the representation of
Latinx individuals in Marvel and DC product (Rosaria Dawson, Zoe Saldana, Tessa
Thompson, Jay Hernandez, J.R. Ramirez, and Gabriel Luna have all made recent
appearances in such product with each identifying as Latinx and three as
Afro-Latinx); suggested that her idea of a superhero film would include
highlighting Christopher Columbus and colonialism which she referred to as “the
migration of the Spaniards and the influence of the mixes of people in South
America and in the Caribbean”; and interrupted her Small Foot co-star Yara Shahidi when an interviewer commented to
Shahidi “You are just goals for so many young black women,” to which Rodriguez
interjected with “So many women. Women.” This has not the first time Black and
Afro-Latinx individuals have been erased generally, entertainment industry or
not. Twitter users Sofia Quintero (@sofiaquintero) and Chief (@saychieeef) each
shared their thoughts regarding her recent comments which included pointing out
disparity in representation of Afro-Latinx and dark skinned Latinx actresses,
confusing Latinx identity and racial identity, and lack of discussion of power
structures. Particularly powerful points made include this statement by Chief
“… lighter skinned Latinxs pretend everyone has the same oppression, which
erases the unique struggles of Black and Indigenous Latinxs, erases their
racial makeup entirely by claiming a homogenous identity…” as well as this one
by Quintero “Her comments not only erase the unique struggles of Afro-Latinx
artists but they also trivialize just how much African American artists have
had to grind to get what they have now, and they, too, are still
under/misrepresented.”
As the fastest growing
presence in the United States, Latinx individuals comprised 16% of the overall
US population in 2010 with numbers rising over the last eight years. Despite
the growth of the population within the US, there is a tendency to treat Latinx
populations as one uniform group, which disregards the distinctions of culture,
race, and dialect. Due to the rigid understanding of the Latinx identity,
individuals such as Afro-Latinx people are often absent from conversations
surrounding the history and current events of Latinx individuals. Afro-Latinx
individuals are those people of African descent in Mexico, Central and South
America, the Spanish-speaking Caribbean, and the United States. Afro-Latinx
illustrates that Blackness as a racial identity can apply to different cultures
and ethnicities. Although there is a distinction between race and ethnicity,
the conflating of the two when discussing Latinx people has contributed to the
lack of understanding of the Latinx identity and the nullification of the
Afro-Latinx experience. The US Census provides one example of how society has
reinforced misinterpretation of Latinx identity. The Census provided ‘Latino’
as a single group option starting in 1970 before adding ‘Hispanic’ in 1980.
‘Hispanic’ was removed as a racial category staring in 1997 with Latinx
individuals often indicating ‘Other’ when selecting their race. Although the
Census specified that ‘Hispanic’ was an ethnic category and encouraged
individuals to select one of the five federal racial categorizations, Latinx
individuals continued to write in their country of origin as identity markers.
The Census therefore measures self-identification and does not coincide with
the complexities of race and culture outside of the United States.
Researchers have
indicated that Census data related to Afro-Latinx individuals is inaccurate due
to the difficulties in categorization on the survey as well as persistent
anti-Black racism within the Latinx community as Latinx self-identification
could have some inaccuracies due to historical disdain for the Black community,
which may not portray a solid count of Afro-Latinx individuals in the US. Anti-Black
racism has been present and institutional within the structure of Latinx
cultures throughout history, similarly to its presence within United States
history. Much of the anti-Black racism stems from European colonization and
slavery. Racism, in addition to colorism, is rooted in the practices and
ideologies of the Spanish colonizers. The devaluing of culture, language,
religion, and phenotypic features of indigenous and African people lead to a
societal push for diluting the presence of Black and indigenous populations. A
caste system based on color was created to incorporate a hierarchical system of
race classification wherein those of darker skin or races that incorporated
indigenous and Black individuals were forced to occupy lower economic and social
positions. The impact of colonization as well as the caste system has remained.
Within the media, light-skinned and/or white-passing Latinx people make up a
larger majority of Latinx representation within news outlets, television, and
films. In some cases, Italian individuals have portrayed Latinx individuals,
which equates Latinx identities with Whiteness, encourages whitewashing and
ignores the cultural diversity of the Latinx population. Countries have also
historically adopted ‘racial whitening’ to which immigration from European
individuals was encouraged and unions between European immigrants and Latinx
individuals were supported in an effort to produce children that were
light-skinned or white-passing which would contribute to diluting Blackness. A
more recent and common instance of anti-Blackness is the degree to which Latinx
people talk about how ‘we are all mixed’, a statement that emphasizes the
notion of color-blindness and supports the misinformed idea of a uniform Latinx
identity. This color-blind stance can create concerns for Afro-Latinx people
who are outspoken regarding their identity as they may be seen as disruptive
when attempting to have conversations about racial identity with those who
claim we are ‘post-racial.’ This stance additionally groups Afro-Latinx
individuals and their experiences with those who work, unconsciously or not, to
oppress them as well as invalidates their experiences.
Despite
the difficulties that could present themselves to Afro-Latinx people in the
form of discrimination, colorism, and erasure, Afro-Latinx individuals have a
long history of contributions to United States and Black history. Afro-Puerto
Rican Arturo Alfonso Schomburg was a major figure during the Harlem Renaissance
who advocated for the study of Black history in the United States. Paulina
Pedroso was an activist in the 20th century who advocated for labor movements
and the end of segregation in Florida and Cuba. Carlos Cooks was a part of the
Civil Rights Movement, an ally of Malcolm X, and the founder of the Young Lords
Party, a Puerto Rican nationalist group similar to that of the Black Panther
Party. Afro-Latinx individuals established Los Angeles. In 1781, 44 settlers
arrived to what is now Los Angeles with more than half identifying as Mexicans
of African descent. Additionally, before the landmark case of Brown v Board of Education, an
Afro-Puerto Rican woman fought segregation in schools seven years prior. Segregation
in California school districts was eradicated after Mendez v Westminster as Felicitas Mendez and her husband fought
against an Orange Country school that would not let their children attend a
‘white’ school in 1943. Our history and contributions, while not as widespread
as they should be, are present and important in understanding Afro-Latinx and
US culture. We have been a part of movements for the rights of Latinx and Black
individuals as well as committed to uplifting what makes our diverse identity
dynamic.
Rodriguez’s comments are a
reminder of the need for continued education regarding the vast diversity of
the Latinx identity. Gina has done some important work to highlight Latinx talent
along with many other Latinx actresses. However, the Latinx identity
incorporates more than just a single Latinx experience. There are narratives
that have yet to be explored which can be due to structural issues such as
white-washing or lack of financial backing of diverse media as well as the misrepresented
broad view of what Latinx includes. Afro-Latinx people have existed for
centuries and we have a storied history of our contribution to our culture.
Beyond just us, there are many other Latinx individuals with stories that have
yet to be told or voices that have not been elevated. Rodriguez’s comments are
just one example of what has been a long history of erasure and eradication of
the existence of Afro-Latinx people and what we have to offer. Whether
intentional or not, words and actions have meaning and the past and present has
indicated that anti-Blackness is present within the Latinx community. Gina
Rodriguez is one individual who is bound to make mistakes however, what is
risky about her mistakes is the platform she has access to. Many individuals
will watch and consume her words, some without knowing what could be problematic
about them. The hope is that with her missteps come education. And if that is
not the case, there are many advocates who will continue to press for
dismantling a flawed system and awarding proper plaudits and representation for
Afro-Latinx people. There is still work to be done to address disparities
within our own community and it will take uncomfortable, internal work to
begin. We have to ask questions of ourselves, hold ourselves accountable, and
hold each other accountable along with questioning the wider systemic issues
that have been prevalent for centuries. Should we as advocates aim for equity
and inclusion, we must understand who and what we are advocating for as well as
encourage growth for those who wish to stand with us.
Written by Erika
Hanley, M.A.
References
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Gina Rodriguez Gets Much Needed History Lesson After Trying to Sugarcoat the
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too, are still under/misrepresented. [Twitter Post]. Retrieved from https://twitter.com/sofiaquintero/status/1066122136950112256
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Afro-Latinx People Made Huge Contributions To Black History — Then Got Erased.
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