Embracing the Rich Tapestry: My Afro-Latino roots

A Kaleidoscope Without Instructions

Growing up in NYC meant my identity came pre-assembled in a delicious, multilayered package I didn't have to shop for. Puerto Ricans, Dominicans, Hondurans, Venezuelans, Colombians, Salvadorans we were all neighbors running in and out of each other's houses, which meant we were all family, which meant we all ate each other's food and borrowed things we never returned (still missing that Janet Jackson's Control CD, by the way...hurts like hell). Spanish flowed through my childhood like an undercurrent, as natural as breathing, while my African ancestry moved through my body in ways I felt before I could articulate them. That kaleidoscope of flavors, languages, and rhythms didn't just shape my identity; it gave me the kind of cultural fluency that made me utterly unimpressed by monoculture from day one. What I didn't understand then was that I was part of something far larger than my neighborhood block—a global phenomenon spanning centuries, continents, and millions of people whose very existence has been systematically minimized.

My family began immigrating to the USA in the 50's. My uncles were the most stylish men i've ever known. Always on trend and really well put together.

The False Choice: Pick One, or Neither

The evolution of what it means to be Afro-Latino is, frankly, a correction that took far too long. For decades, the narrative was simple: Latino or Black, pick one. There was no box that held both, so many of us learned to code-switch between invisible and hypervisible depending on the room. Speaking Spanish became my passport in Latino spaces; my skin became my asterisk. But we were always there—in the clave rhythms, in the faces of our abuelas, in the stories nobody wanted to tell cleanly.

My aunt Melida and my uncle Alberto Guiterrez. My mom's older sister was the first from my immediate family to immigrate to the USA.

My aunt Melida bought her 4 eldest kids in the 60's. A few years after she arrived. Worked 5 jobs to help support her fam back home and save to bring her kids to the USA.

The Numbers Don't Lie

The historical reality backs this up: Brazil has the largest Afro-descendant population in the world, with over 112 million people identifying as Black or mixed-African descent. The Dominican Republic's population is nearly 87% Black and mixed-race. Colombia has one of the largest Black populations in Spanish-speaking Latin America. These aren't footnotes; they're the foundation. The beauty of this moment, however belated, is that younger Afro-Latinos are inheriting a different script. They're watching their reflections multiply in media, politics, and culture in ways that previous generations only dreamed about. It's not gratitude we should feel; it's the overdue recognition that we were never missing from the picture—the frame was just too narrow to hold us properly.

My uncle Alberto. The latino dandy. 1960.

My uncle Alberto. 1960.

Complexity as the Whole Point

What I've learned through navigating misconceptions, confronting racism from within my own community, and stubbornly refusing to shrink myself is that being Afro-Latino isn't about finding balance between two halves. It's about understanding that our complexity is the whole point. We are the living proof that Latino culture was always Black and African influence was always woven into our DNA. The transatlantic slave trade brought millions of Africans to Latin America particularly to Brazil and the Caribbean where they mixed with European colonizers and Indigenous peoples, creating the multiracial societies we inhabit today.

My mom Mirtha Lino 1961. Immigrated to the USA with one thing on her mind: Getting an education.

My mom Mirtha Lino. Some where in the Bronx. 1970.

Heritage as Truth, Not Compromise

From the syncopated beats of salsa that arrived through centuries of trade and struggle, to the savory comfort of arepas made by hands that crossed oceans, our heritage isn't a blend it's a truth that was simply too inconvenient for neat categorization. The challenge, however, is that this truth often comes with a cost. In the 1980s and 90s and even now there's been a shock and discomfort when Black people speak languages other than English, rooted in deep colorism within Hispanic communities themselves. That truth makes me fiercer, smarter, and more grounded in who I actually am, even as I contend with the exhaustion that comes from perpetually having to claim my own space.

Me with my cousins Liz and Ingrid. Harlem, NY 2018.

The Real Cost: Racial Battle Fatigue

The mental and physical toll of navigating anti-Blackness within Latino communities is real and deserves acknowledgment. Many of us experience what researchers call "racial battle fatigue" chronic psychological and physical exhaustion from constant microaggressions, the pressure to prove our worth, and the mental burden of witnessing systemic injustice within our own families. We exist in "identity limbo," forced to choose between being perceived as Latino or Black, creating significant cognitive dissonance and heightened anxiety.

My first Christmas in NYC. The 70's. The plastic on the furniture was a thing!

Barriers to Healing

We face medical discrimination that discourages us from seeking help, a critical shortage of mental health professionals who share our cultural and racial background, and the "myth of racial innocence" the erasure of Afro-Latino experiences rooted in the false belief that Latinos cannot be racist. Yet we also inherit resilience.

Moving Forward: No Permission Needed

Moving forward means continuing to have the conversations that make people uncomfortable about race, colorism, and the selective amnesia that has allowed Latino communities to claim Spanish heritage while minimizing the African roots that run just as deep. It means celebrating our culture not as an act of defiance, but as an absolute given. It means young Afro-Latinos won't have to spend years untangling the lie that they have to choose.

I was shipped to live with and be raised by my grandmother. I was a few months old. My mom needed to work and study. My first language was Spanish.

The Truth, Wrapped in Hope

Because here's the truth wrapped in humor and wrapped in hope: being Afro-Latino isn't something we need permission to claim anymore. We never did. We're just finally loud enough, visible enough, and unapologetically enough ourselves that the rest of the world is catching up. The visibility we're claiming today stands on the shoulders of pioneers who refused to be erased Celia Cruz, whose voice became a diaspora's soundtrack; Cardi B, turning unfiltered Bronx authenticity into a global force; Jean-Michel Basquiat, revolutionizing contemporary art; Roberto Clemente, redefining athletic excellence; Amara La Negra, reclaiming Blackness within Latino spaces; and countless others who claimed space, broke barriers, and made it undeniable that Afro-Latino excellence is not an exception it's a given.

My aunt Melida and I. 2019. She passed away Feb 2020.

The Work Ahead

They've made it easier for the next generation to simply exist, unapologetically and completely, without explanation or justification. The work ahead demands that we acknowledge our African roots fully, educate ourselves and our families about how colorism stems from colonial legacies, and use our collective political and cultural influence to support policies and voices that combat structural racism. Strategic rest is not a luxury; it's a necessity. And solidarity real, active solidarity is the only way forward.

Notable Afro-Latino Trailblazers

1. Celia Cruz – Cuban-American salsa legend whose voice and presence became the soundtrack to a diaspora's soul.

2. Cardi B – Trinidadian-Dominican rapper from the Bronx who turned unfiltered authenticity into a global phenomenon.

3. Amara La Negra – Dominican-American artist and activist reclaiming Blackness within Latino spaces with unapologetic pride.

4. Letitia James – Panamanian-American New York Attorney General fighting for justice with unwavering conviction.

5. Zoe Saldaña – Puerto Rican-Dominican actress who made sci-fi blockbusters impossible to ignore her presence in.

6. Roberto Clemente – Puerto Rican baseball legend whose excellence on the field was matched only by his character off it.

7. Jean-Michel Basquiat – Haitian-Puerto Rican artist who revolutionized contemporary art and defied every category that tried to contain him.

8. Christina Milian – Cuban-American singer and actress who seamlessly navigates music and film with grace and talent.

9. La La Anthony – Cuban-Puerto Rican television personality and entrepreneur who built empires beyond the screen.

10. Pelé – Brazilian icon whose Afro-Brazilian heritage shaped one of the most dominant athletic legacies in history.

11. Rosie Perez – Puerto Rican-American actress and dancer who brought fierce authenticity to every role she touched.

12. Félix 'Tito' Trinidad – Puerto Rican boxing champion whose dominance in the ring became a point of national pride.

13. Gina Torres – Puerto Rican-American actress whose commanding presence and talent redefined what leading women look like on screen.

Historical and Cultural Figures to Know

Understanding Afro-Latino identity requires knowing the foundational figures who shaped our cultures and identities:

Vicente Guerrero – Mexican revolutionary hero of African and Indigenous descent, whose leadership was instrumental in Mexico's independence movement and whose legacy challenges the erasure of Black figures in Latin American history.

Rosendo Mendizábal – Argentine musician and originator of tango, whose Afro-Argentine heritage was central to creating one of the world's most iconic musical genres, yet whose contributions are often whitewashed from the narrative.

Essential Reading on Race, Identity, and the Afro-Latino Experience

1. "Defectors: The Rise of the Latino Far Right and What It Means for America" by Paola Ramos (2024) – A deeply reported exploration into why some Latino voters are shifting rightward, revealing complex motivations rooted in tribalism, traditionalism, and political trauma from Latin American histories. Ramos travels across the U.S. interviewing far-right figures and investigates this crucial, shifting demographic, challenging assumptions about the Latino vote and highlighting its growing power in American politics.

2. "Black Fatigue: How Racism Erodes the Mind, Body, and Spirit" by Mary-Frances Winters (2020) – Defines Black fatigue as the extreme exhaustion resulting from centuries of systemic racism, manifesting as physical, mental, and spiritual maladies passed down through generations. Winters argues that intergenerational trauma is involuntarily passed down at a cellular level while exploring how systemic racism creates barriers that overshadow progress.

3. "Racism in the Mind, Skin, and the Action" curriculum – An educational resource designed to facilitate learning about anti-Blackness and its manifestations within communities, providing tools for understanding how colorism stems from colonial legacies and white supremacy.

These resources offer pathways to deeper understanding, healing, and action in the ongoing work of recognizing and celebrating Afro-Latino identity and combating systemic racism within our own communities and beyond.