KIYAN’S MOM SPEAKS ON RACE AND CULTURE
Lala Vazquez, the soon-to-be wife of NBA player Carmelo Anthony, recently wrote a personal essay called “Yo Soy Boricua”. In the essay, the Latina talks about being Puerto Rican, but looking “black”. She asks the question that many have asked, “When does being black and being Latina have to be mutually exclusive?” Lala concludes the article by saying that she hopes to raise her son to “understand who he is.” Read the entire personal essay below.
“Yo Soy Boricua” by Lala Vazquez:
“A lot of people don’t realize that I’m Latina, which is fine. One thing about being Latina is that there isn’t one look that comes with the territory. I don’t expect people to know my cultural background just by glancing at me. I do, however, expect that when I tell people my family is from Puerto Rico, that I will be believed and not accused of trying to be something that I’m not. It usually goes something like this: a person having a conversation with me discovers one way or another that I’m Puerto Rican and fluent in Spanish. That person then expresses their shock over these realizations for any number of reasons–common responses are, “You don’t look Latina” and “I thought you were black!” I never said I wasn’t black. And since when does being black and being Latina have to be mutually exclusive?
In my experience, people tend to have an uninformed and rather narrow view of what it means to be Puerto Rican. For me, not looking like some people’s idea of a typical Latina has been challenging and often painful. I constantly find myself trying to justify who I am, and why should I? I’m proud of my heritage and my family. Both of my parents are from Puerto Rico. They raised two kids in Brooklyn and later in New Jersey, where we ate arroz con gandules and pasteles and listened to salsa music. I feel just as at home in Puerto Rico, where I still have tons of family, including aunts, uncles and cousins. Puerto Rico is in my blood. And that has nothing to do with the color of my skin.
I’m not angry with anyone who doesn’t understand the complexities of race and culture. And I’m also not interested in having long, drawn out conversations about how it’s possible for me to look like this and speak Spanish. In fact, sometimes I make it a point not to mention my parents’ birthplace because I don’t always feel like having the inevitable discussion that follows. Instead, I let people look at me and come to their own conclusions. As I start to get my feet wet in Hollywood, I already know that there are certain parts I won’t even be considered for. The character can be Puerto Rican and speak Spanish just like me, but Hollywood defines Latina as Jennifer Lopez and Sofia Vergara. As beautiful as they are, we’re not all one race in Latin America. But I don’t go to auditions so that I can give history lessons to film executives. I’d rather skip the entire process.
I’m raising my son to understand who he is, and it’s my hope that he’ll never let others define him. It reflects poorly on us when we don’t educate ourselves about the rest of the world and what it looks like. I encourage people who are interested to learn more, do research and ask informed questions. If you’re lucky enough to visit various countries in Latin America, you’ll be baffled to see the blackest of the black and the lightest of the light living together. And I dare you to ask one of them to prove their latinidad.“
156 Comments to “KIYAN’S MOM SPEAKS ON RACE AND CULTURE”
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Wow, great essay! If I’m not mistaken, I believe that Carmelo is part Puerto Rican also…….
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Yes, you are right. Melo’s dad was PR.
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hello
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Very well-written and informative, Lala!
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What does she mean by being Latina but looking “black” though? Latino/latina is a culture. Not a race. There are Black latino’s White latinos, Indian’s latinos and Mixed Latinos. Slavery existed in the caribbean , Latin countries 100 years before it existed in America. Racism is alive and well in the Latin countries. They treat their black citizens like crap most of the times as well.
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Just what she said. You are merely repeating the main theme of her essay. Many people still think that Puerto Rican is a race. She is not one of them.
I got her point CLEARLY. Well written Lala.
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Yes Puerto Rican is a race!! I am Puerto Rican 100%!!! We are a race of people it makes no difference that some are light skinned and some are dark skinned all are still boricua and yes we are a race of very proud people. Yes there is some african in the roots as well as taino indians and spanish(Spain). But PuertoRican is our race the same way blacks don’t call themselves just African any longer. I love my black husband and my mixed children but I will not deny my race.
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Puerto Rican is an ethnicity. According to current scientific study there is no true distinct “race” of people based largely on biology and DNA findings. All of us have much more that binds us than separate us, the separation is largely superficial and subjective.
That said, since the world is still largely operating under the social, political and semi-geo influenced idea of what race is, among other things–I subscribe to a “black” identity, proudly. As for my ethnicity, I would suppose it would be a conglomerate of what is to be an American, proudly so–though I am not beholden to either to define ALL that I am, none of us should be.
You are of course free to think as you like. More power to you, pride in self and where you come from serves as anchors–its a human trait to do so, that is not missed by me.
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GTSA,
You might want to get some psychoanalysis for your perhaps undiagnosed
PTSD! Who cares if a person can claim 1% white, 2% American Indian, 3% Irish, and a cousin on your great great grandmother’s side that’s an octoroon etc. The litmus test is: can you get a job, a loan, housing, higher education, etc. without being discriminated against if you have the physical characteristics of a black person!!!!
In most instances the people in decision making positions don’t have the physical characteristics of a black person. As such, they don’t care, nor can they see in your black face, that your great great great grandmother was the rape victim of her master. Catch a clue sweetie. If you look black, you’ll be treated accordingly.
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Your Black La Di Da something or the other, instead of wasting your time blogging, I suggest you make an effort to educate yourself. Google is available to you, surely you have access to the internet. You act as if I made this stuff up about anthropologists findings on race. I also acknowledge that no matter what the findings, we are NOT living in a colorblind world either. That is not my reality or many others and I don’t pretend that it is. If you read all of my posts, you’d see that Ms. trigger happy –lol.
You reach back several weeks to hit this thread again and again. Give it a rest.
You can’t educate me or anyone else on what it is to be black. But one thing you can do is feel free to waste time foaming at the mouth at my cluelessness–lol.
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GTSA, Response to your 2/9 blog:
Still clueless I see! Two masters degrees, and a 2nd year PhD student!
Educated! I think I’ve got that covered! You ,on the other hand; well,
let’s just say that your comments speak for themselves! Both you and LaLa are LAME!
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Why the run down of your degrees, whether real or imagined. I am just a faceless stranger posting in cyberspace. Who are you trying to impress?
Let’s say I take your run down at face value–AND?? There are many educated fools in the world.
Your need to resort to lazy name calling instead of articulating a counterpoint with some finesse & class speaks volumes.
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GTSA:
Your inability to list your vitae verifies the obvious fact that there’s no evidence to support your idiotic jargon. My credentials are what they are. You made the comment, “you need to educate yourself.” So don’t resort to hatin’ when you get stepped to from someone with documented licensure and street savvy to boot. You’re out of your league. You stand a better chance sparring with other amateurs such as yourself. You must be a sadomasochist. You bore me.
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You are a joke and childish to boot.
Bye bye now.
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GTSA:
AKA: You’re Black, LaLa (they wouldn’t post my comment under my previous moniker)
Your inability to provide your vitae would only demonstrate that there’s no substance or evidence to support your idiotic jargon. Let’s be clear, my educational background is well documented! Consequently, my credentials are what they are. No more or no less. It was YOU that wrote, “you need to educate yourself.” So don’t resort to hatin’, when you get stepped to by a professional with street savvy. You’re out of your league, amateur. You must be a sadomasochist or something. You bore me.
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Got your number and got you pegged. You are not doing a good job hiding behind your screen name. Kinda like the talking villian phenomona in movies. Person just keeps talking and talking until they get hung by their own rope or stupidity in your case. What personality of yours will show up at the blog site tomorrow? Would be nice to be given a heads up, so I know whether to grin or to duck.
Since I bore you, please stop replying. You’ve drawn your conclusions that I am lame, clueless, etc. based on a post regarding someone who is really irrelevant in my life as well as yours I would presume. Real genius you are-lol. Why don’t you use your education, again real or imagined, to bring about some positive change in the world, instead of blogging to the death about LaLa and her supposed identity crisis.
Like I said and if you aren’t truly three sheets to the wind, educate yourself. Don’t tell me that you are the old dog that can’t be taught new tricks. Must I repeat, I didn’t do research, anthropologists have regarding race-goodness. Five degrees and still can’t read SMH.
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Way to go!!
Finally someone with sense.
Thank You. This was well written
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My family background is African, Taino Indian and Spanish as well, but that does not make me Puerto Rican- I was born and raised in the USA so I am American and I consider myself to be Black (I love it and don’t see not a thing wrong with it)! It is just like when I tell people that part of my ancestry consist of people who happened to be Jewish – Being Jewish is a religion not a race (but people continue to confuse the two). I am proud of all my ancestors, without them there would be no me…
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@Jae and to whomever believes that Hispanic is a race… your comment (s) is mad old BUT I still felt the need to respond and I hope my reply not only gets posted but read as well. I too am Puerto Rican (a white man) and I want u to know that Puerto Rican IS NOT A RACE! I don’t know who told you that honey but they were WRONG!
Every time someone says that Hispanic/latino is a race I ask the question Is West Indian or Jamaican a race? ponder on that! I’m glad lala spoke on this matter because there are truly too many ignorant folks roaming this earth
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True B! I’ve always wondered also,why there are only light skinned Latinos in the spanish soap operas? It’s like they ignore their dark skinned citizens altogether. Wassup with that!?
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That’s not true! Look at Cuba, Mexico, Panama, Costa Rica, Puerto Rico, even Spain… which “spanish” soap operas are you talking about? You and Mr. “B” made some false assumptions – you don’t even know what are you talking about! It’s a cheap trick comming from a poisened mind. Please, keep your nonsense to yourself.
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I agree 100%. Being Puerto Rican denotes a location not a race. Therefore, she is by definition an American negro born of Puerto Rican negro parents; one denotes a location the other a race. Consequently, she is undeniably a black woman. Apparently, ideologically she identifies with both the Latin and African American cultures. On a likely unconscious level, she appears to struggle with self perception despite her claims to the contrary. The tone of her essay is defensive tinged with a hint of denial of her African lineage. She acknowledges her blackness only by default, and fails to fully embrace her African ancestry with comments like “I never said I wasn’t black.” I would think that taking ownership of her race would be clarified and put to rest in her opening statement. For example, I’m Black. I think that her failure to do that speaks volumes.
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Very good outlook. It’s hard to understand how with all this technology people can still remain so ignorant and incurious.
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Race is a perception; it doesn’t exist. It is a political construct meant to reserve limited resources for a select few. We are placed in “color categories” at birth to denote our “perceived” potential in all areas of life. Think about it: there is no place in Africa called Black,& no place in Europe called White. The colors are used as a guide as to how we should treat each other and what we should expect. If your label is Black, we are trained to perceive inferiority; if white, superiority. Proof of this is seen here, described by Lala, and many other people of combined ancestry. If a person is not clearly “definable”, how will one know how to treat them or what to expect from their personality? God forbid we actually took the time to get to know someone without pre-conceived notions! We should eliminate the “color code” all together; then no one would ever have to defend their unique ancestral background because we would re-train ourselves to expect ANY of the myriad combinations of nationality, culture, and ancestry. No combination of background should ever “surprise” us.
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Amber what you write has validity, but at the same time we can’t wish this race thing away. It is not only a political construct, but a social construct among other things. Remember, humans are very social beings with senses and perceptions. Differentiating and categorizing is part of our make-up AND so is forming associations based on seemingly trivial things.
Yes, Lala does look mostly “black”. I put quotes because that is a loose way of categorizing–no definitive, but I did it anyway based on averaging skin tone and other things about her that I associate with a population of people, based admittedly on something as trivial as appearance.
That said, I am not so narrow minded to limit her to that one perception of who she is. It is nice to read her essay and see how proud she is of her Puerto Rican heritage as well. I think the real shame lies with people who like to box others in because they have a narrow view of how things are or should be.
I have no problem with self identifying as “black” whether it be an illusion or construct. Fact is I do share an ancestry and lineage with a population of people among other things– yes,it is a shame that the association has been downgraded by certain other dominant cultures or groups of people and dividing by race has been used to ill advantage.
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Excellent comment.
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And then the census comes out and reinforces these sterotypes. The only consistancy it holds is for ‘white”. If you are white there are not other boxes for you to check. It doesn’t matter if you are Scot/Irish, german whatever……BUT if you are non-white then you have to pick and choose. Latinos must choose two as they alert you that “Latino” is not a “race”. Black, [word omitted], African-American and it goes on; while we have others asking for more boxes to extend this craziness even more. It’s all just so sick.
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Well, although black is the code that I’ve been labeled, I will never see myself as “black”. There is nothing “black” about me (or Lala for that matter). We are ALL of African descent. What I don’t like is that she almost seems offended by the association; she’s not recognizing that the deliniation of race IS racism institutionalized (well-put Virgie!)She should use these opportunities to inform the ignorant that while she, like all others, has originated from Africa, her ancestors settled in Puerto Rico and that is the nation and culture that she owns and is endeared. She should reiterate that NONE of these facts make her “black”. However, she should also not be surprised by the comments given the nature of humans to “categorize”, as you’ve said.
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EXCELLENT!
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Amber, step off with your lame psycho-babble!!!! Her ancestry isn’t combined! Her culture may be, but not her race!!!! Take your psychology 101 theory back to the junior college where you got it. You have a lot to learn! The REAL BLACK folk in the room know what’s up. Step off you imposter, wanna be.
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@ Amber, you speak of black and white, yes you’re right they do not truly exist in people. however, it is not because of the words/titles but because of the connotation. Black and/or white are colors not races. Such as, the beautiful black moon shines bright tonight. Those two words can also be a state of mind… such as Black Power for Black people. And to all of the very misinformed people on this site who continue to write the delusional statements “God didn’t intend for humans to recognize color”, or “Gods wants us to be color blind like he is”? Need to study the Bible not just read it. He speaks on cultures, races/ethnicity and languages very profoundly, and took great effort in creating different people. And if you examine humans we all align perfectly with our male/female counterparts. No, God not only intentionally created different races he also intended/expected for humans to recognize the differences… what he never intended, for humans to under-appreciate, malign or disrespect the differences.
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I don’t even know why this is an issue she needed to write about..okay she’s Pureto Rican…great. Shoot, every black person isn’t from Africa so their you go. Tomato/Tamato. Moving on..
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Then why did you read it and comment?
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@KHRISH-Because this is a blog site and a free country and just as the poster has a right to post it, I have a right to comment about it. Even if I don’t think it’s interesting, that is my opinion, as you have yours.
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Tomato/Tamato lol too funny! Yea, the article was in fact dumb..Who does that anymore?
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She needed to write about it to further decrease ignorance. Latinos don’t have a specific look, but many people assume they do. She was mostly reaching out to those people.
Either way, even if she only wrote this essay as an emotional release, its still not pointless.
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Great essay. I was aware of LaLa’s background and I can appreciate where she’s coming from. I do agree that society thinks black should look a certain way as well as latinos however, the world is changing and there are so many more multi-racial children being born so that image of what a race should look like will be a thing of the past.
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I disagree! Utopia does NOT = multi-racial children being born. Race is a social construct AND racism is institutionalized. Having multi-racial children will not end systematic racism.
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Well said….although some still don’t get it.
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Thank you, Vergie! I agree with Khrish. Very well said.
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Doesn’t this all go back to judging people by their outward appearance? We’re human and that’s exactly what we do. The Bible said, “Man looks at the outward appearance, but God looks at the heart.”
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Unfortunely we don’t live in that ideal world. We have to deal with the things here on earth.
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Yeah, Khrish, judging by appearance is a reality, but we can change. We don’t have to remain ignorant.
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well-versed
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This is just a CLASSISM move only. Do she know the HISTORY of Puerto Rico? The reason why her SKIN is of DARK COMPLEXION is because she is of AFRICAN DESCENT! Wow, this essay was not all that great to me. She has a baby by a sucessful basketball player, was a VJ on MTV, take photos of herself with Kim Kardashian and other Hollyweird chicks and this is suppose to be something great to read? I’m not impressed with the Willie Lynch Syndrome going on here with the Latina chicks in the Business of Hollyweird. What was the purpose of the essay and maybe she just have too much time on her hands.
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Are you okay? LOL = “Her SKIN is of DARK COMPLEXION because she is of AFRICAN DESCENT?”… so what’s wrong with all the super dark Indian, Malaysian or Australian (Aborigines) people? You think their skin is of DARK COMPLEXION because they are of AFRICAN DESCENT, ha? This is so stupid… all humans are of AFRICAN DESCENT! Every human DNA, traces all the way back to the continent of Africa. Literally everyone is African – not because of culture anymore, but because of DNA! The Mitochondrial Eve of 150,000 years ago is our common ancestor of all humans alive on earth today. The Mitochondrial Eve represents that woman whose mitochondrial DNA exists in all the humans now living on Earth!
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Aborgines(indigenous of Austrailia) are of AFRICAN descent, DUH. African slaves went EVERY WHERE. African slaves went from Italy, to South Asia, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, and a slew of other countries in the world. African-Americans ALWAYS think that people who are black(african descent) only live in America. Brazil got the LARGEST portion of the African slaves, not America. There are Afro-Mexicans who are 3rd or 4th generation slaves just like a lot of Afro-Americans. In southern Italy there are Italian who have a lot of African blood in them. At the same times there are afro-russians, and the list goes on. “Black” refers to people of African descent. You cannot call a Afro-American a Haitian, because they were born in two different places in the world, so people just say “black” to describe both.
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ALL humans are of AFRICAN DESCENT! I know, people like you don’t understand even the simplest things… but you should educate yourself instead of posting the same BS under thousends of different names!
Aborgines are of AFRICAN descent, as ALL humans are (from the darkest to the lightest), but they were never African slaves! And so-called European slaves went to Italy, to Greece, to Asia, to South America, to Latin America and even to North America too! Nothing special about that fact… Slavery exists since time immemorial and is alive even today.
And to follow your strange logic about slavery and skin colour, the super dark Indian and Malaysian people must be “black” too, because they are so dark skinned, or what? Go to India or Malaysia and tell those people (with thousends of years of history) your stupid theory about slavery, that all people who are looking dark enough (I guess you would call them black) are descendents of African slaves. They would rip you into pieces…
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Hello??? Has she heard of the diaspora? Um….yes, culturally she may be Latina but she is BLACK!
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Did we read the same essay? She does not deny she is black. She states she is a black Puerto Rican. She takes issues with people not viewing All of what she is and pigeonholing.
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You read my mind. Thank you.
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GTSA, you’re clueless!
This girl clearly has identity issues! So much so that she wrote an essay about it for all to read! At the end of the day, she’s black! End of story. In actuality, her parents are from Puerto Rico, she was born in the United States which makes her American. Either way, both she and her parents are black. I believe that the majority of the people in the room get that. The problem lies with the under tone of denial in her comments.
For argument sake let’s take out the culture, language, and place of birth from the equation and what do you have? Race!!!!! When she walks into a room, without uttering a word, it’s her race, not her culture, that communicates who she to the observer. The whole PR thing is adopted not biological. Culture is about environment, race is about DNA.
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move along little doggie, now move along their little doggie-funny.
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I am proud & secure in my blackness, I could careless who wants to climb aboard the glory to claim it for themselves. Not a racist bone in my body, just a lot of pride.
La La can claim to be a Chihuaha, that’s her life and her biz–lol
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@GTSA Right on, my Nubian sista! lol at chiuaha (sp) remark!
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There’s a name for LaLa has: MENTAL ILLNESS. Read your friendly DSM IV-TR.
I’m so proud and secure in my blackness! Thank God!
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I like the essay and good job Laalaa. Tell them
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CB & Giggles: Your comment=Fail. She said that bieng black and being Latina are not mutually exclusive. Her point is that “Latina” encompasses many colors. Please, folks, work on the reading comprehension skills!
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@Annie: I comprehend just fine. I got La La’s point..and like I said, the same could be said for Black folk. It’s not that serious, we don’t agree, okay.
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I’m feelin lala’s essay excellente;)
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@GIGGLES THAT IS WHY SHE WROTE THE PIECE. You would think all people with common sense know not all black people come from Africa but they dont. I use to teach English overseas and people would always ask me where I am from because my English was soo good. I would look at them and shake my head and Say the US. They would look at me and say oh so where is your family from? I would say The US. They would look at me confused and say no your grand parents. Again I would say The US. Then they would say but your black!!! DUH, and so are a few million other people. After hearing this at least 20 times I finally realised that many people have an idea of what people SHOULD look like. so, for her the experience she had was people thought Puerto Ricans look nore like a White or tan color but not black. For me, people thought only white people are Americans.
People are not educated about things like this. Many people never know more than what they see on TV or read in the LIES of history books and so on. The people I talked to knew there were black people in America but thought they were all from families that came to the states and were just born here. Soe of these people had never heard of the slave trade and didnt understand it. I was in complete shock. They NEVER learned it in school and of course they never picked up a book and read about it…
so thats why she wrote it to inform the MANY that just dont know any better….
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Nisaa, you got that right. I use to be one of those blacks who would look at some Puerto Ricans and say, wow, they look as black as I do–well duh,
I think what bridles some is that some Puerto Ricans and other etnicities want to run as far away from any association with a common black/african ancestry as possible. Some with even more stereotyped black features and darker complexions than Lala are highly offended when such an association is even inferred–sadly.
So I am very careful either way not to make quick judgements about people based on appearance. Just try to look beyond the surface in general–but I still got eyes, and that rudimentary instinct in me as a human being to distinguish perceived differences big and small is still at play even if conscioulsy muted–people who say they don’t distinguish differences even trivial ones at least INITIALLY are lying to themselves.
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Wanted to add, not only perceived differences, but perceived likeness.
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I know you are so right. I used to live abroad and had the very same questions asked of me. And especially when living in Italy, which I found really strange, because they would question my being American instead of South American, yet they were dancing to Donna Summer and all the other Black American musicians. I had the identical run down of questions. It’s weird.
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@Nisaa: I understand, and I’m sure it can be frustrating, but I didn’t think an all out letter was necessary, that’s just my opinion. I’ve been mistaken for various nationalites but I don’t see the need to put it on blast. While I always knew she was Latina (because she proudly has said it before), I didn’t think it was SUCH A BIG DEAL. I don’t think she owes anyone an explanation as to who or what she is. She is La La. And sadly, if people don’t know that all people (nowadays) can be from anywhere in the world no matter the color, then that’s their problem. It’s not her fault their ignorant. People talking about people being ignorant about this subject, all the while they’re getting their panties in a bunch as if it’s not okay to disagree. But I do see your point and was glad to read your comment.
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I haven’t read everyone’s comments yet because I need to put down my thoughts immediately before they vanish into thin air.
I thought Lala’s essay was very well written, and I’m glad she addressed this subject. If people weren’t so color struck and always concerned about what someone’s race/ethnicity is, we might start accepting one another as human beings instead of being so obssessed with how light/dark people are or how “good” their hair is. It’s getting old.
Lala, I understand your pain, and thoroughly get the point. I believe a lot of people are ignorant when it comes to race and ethnicity. For example, a lot of people still haven’t figured out that there are blacks who range from very light to very dark. There are some blacks who have straight hair, some with kinky hair. There are blacks with, so to speak, “Europeans” features, and some with, so to speak, “black” features.” Nevertheless, they are black. They might have some mixtures somewhere in their background, but nevertheless, they are black. One just never knows what race/ethnity anyone is. There are blacks who live all over the world like Puerto Rico, Brazil, South America, etc.
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Sorry, Brazil is in South America.
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Carly, I just replied to you, but it was meant as a continuation/correction to my previous comment. Sorry about that.
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This is a bogus piece…So LaLa does being Puerto Rican make you any lesss black. You don’t look black, you are black. I am not just American I am African-American aka BLACK. Not more or less one or the other. The slave ships stopped at several coasts and dropped our ancestors off on their way to America, however the orgin was the same AFRICAN. This is true for Panama , Guam and anywhere else that has a Black population. Peurto Rican is not a race its a nationality.
Secondly if you are so opposed to being considered black why are you in the magazines for black audiences and on BCK? They don’t have a Puerto Rican Website for your black butt.
I agree with Nappi Napz!!!
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You should educate yourself more on this topic. Damn, the slave ships… again, what’s wrong with all the super dark Indian, Malaysian or Australian (Aborigines) people? You think their skin is of DARK COMPLEXION because they are of AFRICAN DESCENT? So they were brought to these areas by the slave ships? LOL! And again, all humans are of AFRICAN DESCENT!
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Thank you. You took my thoughts and words right out my head and mouth. She doesn’t have any spanish ancestory. Her African ancestors were placed on an island we know as Puerto Rico and your and my African ancestors were placed in a area we know as America. She’s Black just as much as I’m Black. Is there some “special” point to the fact that she speaks spanish and enjoys latin foods in comparison to the Black community’s language, culture, and food? And by the way I’m a fairer complexion Black women than she is and I take the utmost pride in being BLACK. I’m often told no you’re not Black and I make certain to correct them. There is nothing wrong with having pride in your family history I think what’s so offensive about her essay is the underlining disdain reflected in being associated with the American Black culture that is very unsettling.
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Soooooo true, Simply Black.
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As some one who is also of Latin decent but with mahogany skin and “black” features, I know what it’s like to get the “Oh, you’re a Latina?! You look black!” response. But it has never bothered me because I am black! Slavery existed in the AmericaS (not just North America) and the Caribbean too. There are black people there as well!
The whole labeling of race, and ethnicity is just way to complicated to define what-is-what (especially when it comes to the whole category of Latin).
I PERSONALLY chose to define it as: My RACE is black, my ETHNICITY is Cuban, and my NATIONALITY is American.
Latin is not a race (to me) unless I’m referring to what ppl see as the typical looking latino/a ONLY because(as far as I’m aware) they lack any real term to define their race.
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I didn’t read the full thing…but is she saying that race and ethnicity are different? -if so, then she’s right. Don’t need to be a genius to know that. Culture is what binds the two together.
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Stop making excuses. Look at Zoe Saldana and models such as Arlenis Sosa. They are proud of who they are. They don’t have to make statements. They are beautiful Dominican women who don’t have to scream it from the mountain tops. We know who they are not just because of their names. They identify themselves with who they are and move on. They don’t have to explain themselves to everyone and they embrace every part of who they are. We respect them for that and their fellow Dominicanos are proud of them as well. There aren’t enough latinos being represented in Hollywood but there are Afro Latinos and those who don’t “look” Latino. Just face the fact that maybe you can’t act! Rosie Perez already discussed this before. NEXT!
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Another thing. We already know she’s Puerto Rican and respected that. Why do we have to know this all over again? ugh! Respect to the Boricuas but this was a disgrace. Let’s teach the children to love themselves no matter where you come from. We don’t have to go out of our way to explain to no one who we are
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bLaah bLah bLah!!! whY we even LooKing at COLOR! wer aLL huMan beinGs with nice compLexions, peopLe. shEEsh.. im TiRed of this RACE, cuLture thing. however, im glad LaLa is representing her PR bLood. if you ak2LLy go there, you wiLL Learn that PR’z are made up of BLACK, InDians, and WHiTes!
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Why do you guys type like this?
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Same question here. It’s so difficult to read.
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sorrY bouT thaT guys! LoL.. im so used to typing Like this on TEXT.. my Letters have to be a certain way. And i end up doing the same when im typing on my PC. if you would like..i can rewrite that!
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starr08
You responded well without getting offended. Very mature. I too was wondering why you typed like that? Want to read your comments but sometimes the letters throw off a lil’
Maybe it is a generational thing.
Who is the cute girl with all that hair in your pic?
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WOW!!!! I have no idea how old you are but you are light years more mature that 99.9% of the people on this site. I almost fell out of my chair.
We just want to be able to read it! I can’t believe how old I feel now. lol.
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@GTSA: Thank you! No offense @ all. i just reaLized that I have to revise my typing when im done. hehe.. ooh and that pic is just one i found on googLe because im natural & I want to represent that pic for all my naTural Ladiies!
@mOnique: Thank you as weLL! im 19yrs old. i just feeL theres no need to argue about these things. “keepin it kooL.” lol.. Love, peace, and..God bLess. thnx.
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It just really comes down to where the slave ship dropped your ancestors off. Some of us ended up in Brazil(most), the caribbean and finally the US, purely co-incidence.
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ANon I agree with u. Be proud of who u are without having to scream and talk out loud about it. LOL Its nothing wrong with LALA embracing who she is and speaking about it. But i felt the whole “looking black” thing was a little jaded.
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I am also dark skined and people keep asking me if I am indian because of my features and hair texture, I hate it, I see myself as black, puerto rican is not a race but a nationality. No matter how she dresses it up, she is black.
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I agree with everything she said. However I notice that some of you are assuming that b/c she is addressing this issue that she must hate being called black b/c she is of mixed ancestry. Well sorry to burst your bubble but black in the USA is not exactly the same as black in Latin America due to the fact that they didn’t have a one drop rule. Black there means being of pure African ancestry which is why when they come to the USA are rudely awakening to what is viewed as black here. They also get to hide behind the Hispanic bubble as the US categorizes them all into one group no matter what their race is. All in all, I don’t think she is ashamed of being referred to as black, she just wants people to understand that being latino and black aren’t mutually exclusive.
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I don’t call myself Black because it confuses people when they see me. I call myself African American and I think the word black to describe a people is a misnomer, it does not factually describe anybody. Being Black is not about a skin color because I am very light-skinned, with green eyes and straight auburn hair and people are always saying you don’t look black. What does looking black look like? I don’t even know anymore.
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So you don’t look black enough to be called black but you feel you look African enough to be called African American? That makes no sense. I’d rather be called black than AFrican American. I love my African brothers and sisters, but I have personally never been there and my family has American roots now for hundreds of years.
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Puerto Ricans were slaves from 1508 until 1870 longer than any other group in the Western world. Dark-skinned Hispanics are still subjected to the colorism rules that was imposed upon them by the slave holding Spaniards of Spain.
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I’m puerto rican and just want to say that Lala is WRONG she acts like she not black when in reality yes she is black. Shes a black Puerto Rican and she acts like theres somethings wrong with that. Shes making us afro latinos embarassed, she needs to be proud of her roots and stop acting like “i just look black but im not black”. Yes Lala learn about your culture you are black!
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She did say she is black, but the way they titled the article made it seems like she was saying she just looks black and isnt black.
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Well said. Lala was definitely on point in this essay. I know where shes coming from. It obvious some of these people did not understand what she wrote! She doesnt deny beibg black, she is saying that she is a black latina (or afro-latina however you want say it). She saying that she is both, and hates poeple seecond guessing her claims. Its not about “looking black” or “looking latina” its you background and your roots that define who you truly are. I always knew she was an afro-latina. This is the case with Zoe Saldana and Dania Ramirez and Christina Millian to name few. My family is from Belize and i hate it when people call me blk. Not because im denying being black but because when they say black they really mean African American. My family is not from America so i’m really not african american. But I am BLACK! My family like so many others are really a mix of so many cultures. This is especially true for people from central america, and the islands. Wooh. I’m done.
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Question, Elizabeth. When people call you black, are you assuming they think you are African-American? Have you asked them? You might be surprised because if one has lived on this planet long enough, they’d realize that not all black people live in America.
I think the whole race thing and all is overrated. People brag about how many ethnicities are recognized in their families as though they had anything to do with that. I am not defined only by my race, even though I am proud to be black/AA (I really wish more of my people were), but that is not all of who I am. I celebrate my culture and our many accomplishments, but I also celebrate all the other aspects of my life as well.
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Yess i always asks because I consider myself black, but not african american. My ancestors are from africa, obviously, but they didnt immigrate to the US. They went to Belize. So its just the terminology i dont agree with. Its not like i have any problem with poeple thinking im african american because im sure people will just not care and make their assumptions. I just personally believe and know for a fact that i am not African AMERICAN.
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I agree with you. I am proud of my blackness. I’ve never understood why some people want to make things so difficult for themselves by playing these mind games. And then the census comes around and start dissecting everyone again. It’s like a catch 22.
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Oh, I beg to differ with you. If your family immigrated from Africa, you are African American. I, who was born in American and my ancestors as far back as I can trace are American with African roots consider myself “Black American” because I don’t know from what part of Africa my family came. Besides Black Americans have a heritage in this country that is unique to any other Blacks that immigrate here. African American is anyone who immigrated to America from anywhere in Africa, regardless of skin color. My friends who are East Indians born and reared in Kenya and immigrated to America, are African American. That is my great opposition to this cultural assignment that for some reason was chosen as an identification for Blacks with a long, and unique history in America. Our experience in this nation if unlike anyone who immigrated here. So I consider myself Black, who is American because my home country is lost to me. I always stress that I am Black, the noun, and American, the adjective. I find that most people who are Black but immigrated to America find a problem with being Ameican Black because of our history and they feel it will determine how they are treated. They feel that somehow they will be treated better if they are not known as African Americans. I accept being Black American as a plus and am unwilling to share it because our history gives us entitlement in this country that no immigrant should ever be able to claim.
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Yess my ancestor did immigrate from Africa but not to AMERICA (the US). My entire family as far back as i can recall lived and were born in Belize. I completely agree with everything your saying though. And i feel as though a lot of african americans claim to say “they got native american in them” to try to change the way they’re precieved.
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I don’t think that. My grandfather was Cherokee and I don’t feel that way. The Native Americans were brutalized as well. As one Native American comedian put it in talking about Blacks who are part Native American….”not only did they steal the land but they made us work it for free” A bit of humor there. I never try to run away from my heritage I am Black American and the mixture is what makes me so. It’s just that Africa is a very large continent and if one is taken as a slave and striped of their language and culture how can you know from which country on the second largest continent in the world that you came.
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So do you consider yourself, although Black, Belize/American or are you first generation American?
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Yahh but there are some poeple i’ve come across who do think that way. Yess, i consider myself a first generation Belizean American.
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Yes, black descendants of african slaves here in the U.S. have a unique and wonderful history. People unfortunately choose to concentrate on all the downtrodden part of it. Just look at K Easwarwan’s post in this thread noting,and I quote:
“Go to India or Malaysia and tell those people (with thousends of years of history) your stupid theory about slavery, that all people who are looking dark enough (I guess you would call them black) are descendents of African slaves. They would rip you into pieces…”
My first thought was, Why the need to use such a violent reference to make a point? Unfortunately, there are some people who would be so inclined at the mere insinuation…boggles me.
When I look back and think about the African slave great, great, great grandparent and so forth—surviving, thriving and carrying on despite such brutality and injustice, I am simply AMAZED. Talk about strength, courage, resillience, among other things. Talk about making a way, out of no way….AND it didn’t stop with just surviving…
I am proud of the positive, colorful, indelible imprint that a people coming from such a tremendous struggle have had on the U.S. and the world.
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Tell it child. Make you wanna holla throw up both your hands. Ain’t it something to think about.
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La La has a sever case of deny your blackitis. Her nationality is Puerto Rican, but her race or ethnic group is black…whether she wants to face or not. And she is not Puerto Ricans her parents are! This girl is dealing with self-hate.
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I’m so sick of these black people claiming they have ‘indian’ blood and why is it always Cherokee!?!? Is that the only Native American tribe…blacks say this to remove themselves from their black selves, how pathetic.
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Henry Louis Gates wrote an article recently featured in the Root noting that based on DNA evidence and historical data that a significant number of U.S. blacks have some European ancestry–from the “highest yella” to the “bluest black”. Something many of us have known or suspected all along. It is unfortunate that a good deal of that ancestry is a by-product of some things that went on during the days of slavery & jim crow….
What was interesting is that he also noted that though many of us claim a Native American ancestor, many of us in actuality do not have one or are not direct line descendants. He noted that such an ancestry did exist for some blacks, but it was much rarer than the claim to a European ancestor.
It was funny when he noted that the long black hair and high cheekbones many blacks carried on about when depicting a relative, more than likely came somewhere down the line from an Irish or Englishmen
Have to say, my family like many U.S, blacks has also suggested Native American ancestry and I have wondered if its true or not.
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I am removing myself from nothing. I am Black American. My grandfather was cherokee, that is a fact. I don’t have to claim anything. Why the particular tribe is chosen, I assure you I don’t know. I have never claimed to be anything except Black American but I do not deny that, if asked. My grandmother’s side is Black American, slave decendents and all. If you have a problem with that then, that’s just it…..your problem. I don’t particularly care what Henry Louis Gates says because I didn’t have to depend on his words and findings to trace my family that close in my heritage. He wants everyone to think that they are more white than they think and I hear enough of that stuff from people on this site. Who cares anyway. I was in conversation with Elizabeth. As far as I am concerned, having a grandfather that was Cherokee didn’t get me anymore that the rest of the Black Americans in this country. Don’t get it twisted….I am proud to be Black American. Having native American ancestry just makes one twice enslaved.
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That is great for you Krish that you don’t have to rely on hearsay about your heritage. Unfortunately, that is lost to many other black/African Americans including myself. I at the moment can only trace my ancestry with certainty so far. My mother has told me she believes there is Native American, I just don’t know and don’t believe she does with certainty.
I assume you are addressing more so Chris who I was not siding with, nor was I addressing you directly about your Cherokee ancestry as she/he appeared to do. If someone does indeed have Native American ancestry why deny it and why not be proud of it. I also stand by my original position regarding Lala’s essay.
I am very comfortable with my blackness, and could care less to force others to assign themselves to it if they chose not to or demand that others not celebrate other parts of who they are in some sort of forced pseudo solidarity of blackness.
I only added another touchpoint, take or leave it about the fact that MANY blacks DO claim Native American ancestry and I wonder if they know for a fact or just making assumptions. That is another thing I despise about the slave trade and what it did to a group of people. Breaking up families, forcing situations, people losing knowledge of their heritage and ancestry so they have to make assumptions about it, founded or not.
And as far as referencing Mr. Gates, he posits himself a genealogist of sorts, I am sure you are familiar with his works and he has the academic background to back up some of his findings. Just found some of his observations interesting, they are not a bible to me and just like with anything else, some fault can be found and everybody has an angle in how they present things as I am sure he does.
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@GSTA, I wasn’t addressing you in my bit of rant. It was the person who was flip in the comment about my heritage as if I was making something up. You are right, I am rather fortunate to know that part of my heritage by the relative being as close as my grandfather and his relatives being Cherokee,because I grew up knowing and spending time with my great aunts and uncles on his side as well. Given all that; when you add in my grandmother her relatives and my father and his relatives it makes me Black American. If you got a whole and you take away 1/4 then what matters is the 3/4. And I certainly haven’t heard any calls from other Native Americans to look us up. LOL I feel like you said in your comment above especially when I talked to my grandmother who used to tell me what her mother who had been the child of a slave had told her. They were strong people to respected and to emmulate. Because they went through all that stuff and still made it over. I did hear Gates and did watch his show and I was rather skeptical of what he said. He has the propensity towards his “white” DNA as you will see in his autobiography and I felt in his findings that he thought it would make Black people “happier” as it were, to find that they had more of that leaning in their DNA…I don’t happen to share his affinity to what he seems to feel an asset. But then that’s me. It doesn’t, however, mean that I am correct about what he meant, It’s just in past speeches and readings, I understand him that way. I’m just a bit skeptical.
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Hey Khrish, Henry Louis Gates found out that the amount of White blood that he had in him wasn’t worth much when that White policemen arrested him because he thought Gates was breaking into HIS own house!
Gates looked just like an indignant irate brother who had just been served the shock of a lifetime!
Another brutal reality check for brother professor Gates! He’s not so smart after all!
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Lala knew about her Black part when that White woman at one of her “fiance’s” basketball games called her the “N” word and Lala was ready to fight a few months ago. Guess that was a taste of brutal Black reality.
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If you’re not Black, being called the “N” word should not affect you, especially to the point of wanting to throw down.
Seems like Lala should have responded by shrugging off the White fan’s slurs and said, “Que?” “She (blanca senorita) no talking to meee! I no Negra!” “I jeez look Negra”. “No habela?!”
Instead, Lala chose to be a horrible role model by any culture’s standards, by cussing and acting out violently in front of el bambino, to the point of having to be thrown out by security.
Some senorita!
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Hey Pisces! How are you, hon? I was hoping you would way in on this topic. You are too funny
Actually, Kiyan was taken out before all the hoopla happened. I think she went off when they attacked Kiyan, and she got Mother Bear on em! You can say whatcha want about me, butcha bet not mess with my baby.
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TERI..Hi! How are you doing? I’ve been reading what you have been going through trying to express your feelings about spanking. You are ALWAYS respectful and kind when commenting, yet for some odd reason sometimes people still jump all over you!
I don’t like when they do that to you AT ALL! I am so glad to see that you still make statements about issues that you care about regardless. Believe me your remarks always shine through. I’ll bet you are one of BCK’s favorite comments because you stimulate exchange of thoughts.
Take care, Teri..I can tell you are a sweet and beautiful lady.
I’ll be writing and peeping always for your comments. Glad you got a chuckle here. GTSA is a crack-up, too. (big smile).
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Hi Pisces! Hey sweetie, I’m doing fine. I hope you’re doing well too
Girl, as far as people jumping all over me, I don’t care. I love to debate, and sometimes we just don’t see eye to eye. It’s okay, hun. Thank you for your concern. You are such a sweetie!
I love to get conversations going, and enjoy getting thoughtful feedback. BCK really is my favorite blog because people don’t get too crazy on here because BCK doesn’t allow foolishness like some other blogs. People just exchange ideas, and it’s fun to debate different point of views. I always try to be respectful of others (sometimes it’s really hard, Pisces!)
You take care too, Pisces, and thank you for your sweet comments. I appreciate that. You really keep me do laughing!
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“If you’re not Black, being called the “N” word should not affect you, especially to the point of wanting to throw down.”
That’s not true. The bottom line is, she knows the “N” word is meant as a derogatory terms. & in the US its one of the lowest terms you can use. I think that’s enough cause for a beat down.
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That’s true. Glad you pointed it out, Rae!
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You’d be surprised Rae. About 150 years ago when I was a middle school child, we got into an argument with some white kids in the south and I couldn’t think of anything else to say so I called this girl “An ole black dog” and she broke down in tears. I mean it tore her apart. Now this girl was in no way black nor a dog…..but I really hit a nerve. In later years, as I became an adult, I used to wonder what she had heard about being “black” or being a “dog” that hurt her to the core. So it can bother you to be called certain things that you may not be. LOL The power of words is something else. So that ole sticks and stones thing doesn’t always work if you haven’t reached that place yet.
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LOL, Khrish! Funny and true. I would imagine it being even more cutting for Lala who is struggling to have her Puerto Rican part recognized more.
She’s working so hard not to be an “N” word and, a nobody White lady calls her one anyway. And to add injury to insult, the fan was not the person escorted away or viewed as having done something wrong, it was the woman of color, Lala.
In that incident she was wronged twice, first the racial slurs then security escorting her out.
But you crack me up. You knew how to stick it to people effectively even 150 years ago, as you say. Luv it!
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@PISCES what caused this ruckus at a game. What exactly happened. I knew nothing of this; which should not surprise you, as I really don’t know this LaLa person or whatever her name.
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@Pisces and by the way, when the girl reacted in such a fashion I knew I had hit on to something so every time one made me angry……you got it……that’s what I called them and I got the same reaction every time.LOL
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Speak, Pisces!!!!LOLLLLL!!!!!!
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That fight between Lala and the White fan happened in May last year. Interesting to me is that “Black” Lala, entertainer and betrothed to an athelete, at the very game she was attending, was the person forcibly removed from the stadium by security, yet the White lady verbally abusing her by shouting racial slurs at her was not. Typical.
If this incident didn’t convince her that she’s just another Black woman living in America, then I don’t know what else could persuade her. Lots of Blacks can speak more than one language.
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I believe their is a Spanish term of endearment to describe Miss Lala and it is Negrita. To Spanish speakers, doesn’t that translate roughly to “cute Black girl”?
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lol – “negrita” means bold… and (in case you mean) “negra” is a really dark skinned woman
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Thanks, Patta! I love the Spanish language. Thanks for providing the correct term.
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and in Italian, it means a black female girl.
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Our census forms will have her check two boxes. We keep dogging on this woman but the American Census forms bring all this stuff to bear. She will have to check Latina and Black. They are part of the problem. They must divide to maintain Majority in this country.
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Hi Khrish, you’re right, leave it to me to bring up that past fight Lala had, sorry…I just had to. Of course on a practical level, you are absolutely right about the census and all.
I think Lala is cute and wish her the best, really. But I think she maybe a little schizo, not her fault at all. It is as you say the little boxes we are forced to pick that are to blame.
Holy Mamacita!
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This sounds so sick… why don’t people protest this whole census crap? The US is the only country I know so far with forced racial census forms (I mean, people are forced to check a “race” box)! I guess to maintain the status quo…
I would protest and rebel if someone forces me to check a “race” box or similiar sh**! That would be a scandal here in Europe, because it’s discrimination. How can anyone be proud of a concept that leads to a systematic division and oppression between people? I don’t believe in races, humans are humans. I don’t put anyone in a box and call black, white or anything else. Nobody should do that! Our skin colour is not what makes us different humans, our character does!
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Protest! It’s a little better than it used to be. Some may not remember but they used to have Octoroon, quadroon and all that kind of crap up there. Now they have gone to AA, [word omitted], Colored and it keeps getting worse because you have mixed heritage people now who want to add more boxes for discriptions so that they can recognize all of their heritage. Which is stupid because if you check all those different boxes that they want added, they will immediately know that you are Black because whites never check another box unless they immigrated from another country. LOL I tell you, the more things change, the more they stay the same.
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It won’t be surprising if sometime in the future Lala ends up doing what Sammy Sosa has done to his skin.
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I saw a recent pic of Mr. Sosa and his skin appeared several shades lighter than usual. He said he had a “rejuvenation” process done to help halt the clock. I don’t know about halting the clock, but if he was going for bleached and blotchy–he succeeded–lol.
Let’s hope Lala stops at the yaki-weaves
–the bleach will only age or ruin that lovely brown skin of hers.
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GTSA..you said “yaki-weaves”. Sooo funny. She had me fooled because I really thought that was all her natural Puerto Rican hair. I used to know a Puerto Rican woman with long straigt hair who was about the same complexion as Lala. Lala is pretty, though maybe a little nutty.
Being called an “N” by yhe White lady really set of the American Black sister in her. How dare her call me an “N”! Why, I jeez look like an “N”…I’m not really! She must carry her birth certificate around wherever she goes.
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Actually, I think that might just be MOST, if not all of Lalas own hair. I didn’t mean to take that away from the girl, just making a point.
I didn’t think her essay was about denying her blackness, but it was interesting to see both sides on how people took it.
I certainly hope for her sake she doesn’t have a complex because that incident at the game you noted will only be just one of many rude awakenings.
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I hope the article wasn’t about her denial of being Black because…REALITY CHECK! All she has to do is look in the mirror to know wassup.
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Why has he done that to himself? I keep seeing a lot about it but I haven’t read anything. Too busy being really upset with the administration. Does he have some kind of skin problem?
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i wonder if half the people here can read. the wman never said she wasn’t black but some people seemed to be convinced that she did.are we reading the same essay?
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I don’t think the question is whether half can read, but a question of reading comprhension or interpretation.
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Lala Vazquez, the soon-to-be wife of NBA player Carmelo Anthony. Hell they have been engaged forever. I don’t think Carmelo is going to marry her. You know there are a lot of people from Puerto Rico, Dominican, etc. who are black, have african ancestry. Puerto Rican is a nationality. Black, White is a race. In Puerto Rico there are white puerto ricans, black puerto ricans, etc. Yes, LaLa your parents are from Puerto Rico, but they are black puerto ricans. If they had been born here, they would be black americans. Don’t get it twisted.
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I don’t understand why some Afro Latinos are ashamed of their African heritage. If it wasn’t for that African ancestor, you wouldn’t be here today. I agree with others, Latino is a culture and NOT a race. If you strip away culture, you are black. I am so sick and tired of reading about self-hatred. I am happy that she is proud of her culture, but she is a black woman.
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You guys that misunderstood the article might need to re-read it. Lala is not saying anything about being ashamed of being black. She is just saying that people think that latinos/latinas have a certain look. And that being latino and black are not mutually exclusive things. She is saying that she is both and she hasn’t expressed anything but pride in who she is. I think some people just skimmed the article and jumped to conclusions.
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This is an excellent article, members of my own family have this same problem. Rude people are always asking “what they are” as if they were from Mars just because they don’t exactly fit into that little box marked race, but belong in more than one box or boxes.
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Accept it sweetie; no excuses!!!
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Really like your name, You’re Black, LaLa. But Lala says..”No. Me no comprende why you say I Negra”. “You no mean me when you say that, mi amiga!” Buenos Noches.
p.s. Pass me my arroz con gandules and pasteles and salsa music and get those collard greens and fried chicken away from me! Aye, yi, yi, carumba! Also, por favor, turn off that R&B and Rap music that made me a noted VJ on television and put my salsa music on!
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LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Pisces, you are too funny!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Man, that girl needs counseling stat!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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I totally understand where she is coming from. I am puerto rican, dominican and Italian. i also recently did a family history with my LDS church and found a lot of my ancestors. They were Scottish and Ireland. But i am darker skinned like most dominican and took after my dominican father the most.
Lots of people assume im black but i identify myself as Hispanic. Don’t get me wrong i am proud of my italian roots and and my ancestors but it’s hard in when i tell people this when they ask and they dont believe you.
I now have a daughter who is german, irish, polish, native american, penn. dutch and swedish from her dad. I want her to grow up knowing everything about her roots. We plan on telling her everything because when i was younger i didnt have anyone to tell me all this, i learned it when i got a little older. i never understood why my greandmother was pale and i was darker.
This is what our world does to children. i will not let my daughter grow up confused.
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Iam not Puerto Rican but I fully understand how LaLa feels. Iam half balck and asian but came out really light because my father has some white in him and my mother is extremly white. (I basicaly look like Kimora Lee Simmons) Everyone is so shocked to find out that I have black in me, like balck people can only be dark. Some people who full African American are light too. I hate having to explain myself also. But you know what at the end of the day when I look in the mirror I can see my Afican American features and Iam proud of them and could care less if other people can see them are not. People have to realize that there are light and dark people in every race.
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MizMe,
At the end of the day, people aren’t going to look deeper than what they see! So, if you don’t look black, people won’t perceive you as black; you’ll always be in the “other” category. My best guess is that asians’ go through the same process when they see you as well. It is what it is! Kimora says she’s part black, but when I look at her all I see is asian. Therefore, I can’t really identify with her as a black woman. Sorry, but black women don’t look asian! LOL!
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Clueless is as clueless does. Wow. I wasted my time replying your other posts as I have just fully realized what I was dealing with.
You are about as superficial as astro turf. Suggest you look deeper, look beyond surface to get yourself a real clue. Where do the boundaries end and begin on what looks black, white, other. I didn’t know it was something as definitive and concrete as 2+2= 4. People post endlessly debating the race or racial makeup of MJs kids based on looks and have yet to arrived a consensus.
Uninformed (euphenism applied) posts like yours are reasons why some biracials do not embrace their blackness-they have to go through some sort of paper bag test to gain an official black membership card from the likes of you and others like you. Give me a freakin’ break.
Being black is more than what you look like. Ms. “down with the people”.
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I agree gtsa, your observations are on point!
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I think since Lala is not proud of her blackness or associated to being considered African American, then let only Latinos support her. I bet she will have a fierce wake up call then because Latinos are only support blanco latinos on TV so she will not be a celebrity of any sort in their world.
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O_O
Wow. Did Tiger Woods kick off this big of a crud-storm when he came out and said he was ‘Cablasian’?
If she doesn’t want to come out and just call herself Black like a lot of people want, that’s her deal. Either way, it doesn’t affect me. I know what I am, and that’s all that matters to me.
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I thought she was black because she went to Howard. Not saying that only blacks attend HBCU’s. I would see her around campus and in classes. Her essay was well written. Go chica!!
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People vanish, people die. People laugh and people cry. Some give up, some will try. Some say hi, while some say bye. Others may forget, but never never forget. “BLACK” is Class
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