“Of the estimated 11 million enslaved Africans brought to the New World from the late 1400s to the 1860s, most were taken to Latin America and the Caribbean, with only some 645,000 landing in the United States. “So when you’re talking about blackness, you’re really talking about Latin America…- (Miriam Jimenez Roman, who edited The AfroLatin@ Reader: History and Culture in the United States, a collection of essays by Afro-Latino writers)

Afro-Cuban

Afro-Latino is a term coined to identify people from Latin America who have traceable African ancestry. To many, the term is oxymoronic and often problematic in the United States, where the need for racial and social classification needs to be refined to; Black, White, Hispanic, Native-American, Asian. “Afro- as a prefix for something Latin is usually associated with sociological elements such as Afro-Brazilian, Afro-Cuban All Stars, or Afro-Latin studies, but what does it really mean to be Afro-Latino? Outside of cultural concepts and sociological studies, Afro-Latino is a term not often used for self-identification. There is often a strong identification with the rich dominant Latin culture, so many encompass their Spanish identity first. For those with obvious African physical characteristics, many are often referred to as “black- (negro, moreno, prieto, preto, indio). Yet, among the “blacks- and the diverse Latin populace, there is a strong sub-culture and racial identification that is nothing less Afro-Latino and their cultural contributions have shaped politics, music, art, food, language, religion and culture as we know it.

Only 5% of the population in Latin America (encompassing North/Central/South America, and the Caribbean) claim African ancestry, according to census records. With historical facts of the Middle Passage and obvious physical characteristics and cultural influences in culture, African ancesty is often the elephant in the room. Of the estimated 11 million enslaved Africans brought to the New World from the late 1400s to the 1860s, most were taken to Latin America and the Caribbean, with only some 645,000 landing in the United States. “So when you’re talking about blackness, you’re really talking about Latin America,- states Miriam Jimenez Roman, who edited The AfroLatin@ Reader: History and Culture in the United States, a collection of essays by Afro-Latino writers that recently won the American Book Award. The old saying and poem, “Y Tu Abuela,  ¿Dónde Está?- (And your grandmother, where is she?). Or in other words, you may look Spanish, but many have a black grandmother tucked away in the house. So, obviously, African ancestry receives different receptions from Latin America’s heterogeneous population. To keep it real, colorism is just as prevalent in Latin America as it is in the United States. Colorism, where obvious physical characteristics play a part in your social position that transcends the racial category you claim. President Barack Obama’s position as the “first black president- will transcend his biracial background. According to Shankar Vedantam, lighter-skinned Latinos make $5,000 more than darker-skinned Latinos and the educational gap is even wider, mirroring the gap between whites and blacks. So, it’s no surprise that many don’t claim their African roots.

“I can’t help but think of an acquaintance with whom I was recently sharing the story of my grandmother being Mexican. He happens to be Puerto Rican. He was genuinely happy and readily welcomed me as his “Latino sister.- However, when I proceeded to talk about what I learned to date about Black Latinos and the Latin American connection to Africa, he immediately explained that he was not of African descent, but of European descent. He went on and on-¦blah, blah, blah. He told me of relatives he had that were Black, but denied that he was. I said nothing as I stared at his dark olive skin, but me thinks he doth protest too much! It was clear that he wanted to “claim- me and “not claim- me at the same time.- (Raquel, http:/latinegra.wordpress.com/)

“When Marshall talks about race issues with African American coworkers, they often tell her she has no idea what it’s really like to be black. Yet a few years ago, when Marshall dated a lighter-skinned black Latino, his parents persuaded him to break it off because of her dark skin. “They told him to find a white girl so he could adelantar la raza,- Marshall says, using a phrase that roughly means to -˜push the race forward’ by marrying a light-skinned person and producing children lighter than yourself.- (Negra & Beautiful: The Unique Challenges Faced By Afro-Latinas, Ocana)

Yet, although there is a long way to go to completely conceptualize and embrace the beauty of African ancestry and its prominent influences in Latin America, there are many who proudly embrace their African and Latin roots, and many are some of the hottest stars in urban culture.

Watch Black in Latin America on PBS. See more from Black in Latin America.

DINGA AND MANDINGA by Fernando Fortunato Vizcarrondo

And your grandma, where is she?

Yesterday you called me Negro,-¨And today I will respond to thee:-¨My mom sits in the living room,-¨And your grandma, where is she?

My hair is kinky,-¨Yours is like silk,-¨Your father’s hair is straight,-¨And your grandma, where is she?

Your color came out white,-¨And your cheeks are pink;-¨Your lips are thin,-¨And your grandma, where is she?

You say that my lips are big-¨And they’re always red?-¨But tell me, in the name of the Virgin,-¨And your grandma, where is she?

Since your girl is white,-¨You take her out a lot-¦-¨And I feel like yelling to you:-¨And your grandma, where is she?

You like Foxtrot,-¨And I like -˜Bruca Manigua’,-¨You display yourself as white-¨And your grandma, where is she?

You are white on the outside-¨and got into High Society-¨Fearing that someone may get to know-¨The mother of your own mami.

Here, who does not have Dinga has Mandinga ha ha ha haaa!-¨So again, I ask you,-¨And your grandma, where is she?

Yesterday you called me Negro,-¨Wanting to embarrass me.-¨My grandma steps out to the living room,-¨And yours hidden from everybody.

The poor woman is dying-¨Seeing herself so abused.-¨Even your dog barks at her-¨If she ever steps out to the living room.

And I know her very well!-¨Her name is Mrs. Tata-¨You hide her in the kitchen,-¨Because Negro is really-¦ she.

DINGA Y MANDINGA by Fernando Fortunato Vizcarrondo

 ¿Y tu agüela, aonde ejtá?

Ayé me dijite negro-¨Y hoy te boy a contejtá:-¨Mi mai se sienta en la sala.-¨ ¿Y tu agüela, aonde ejtá?

Yo tengo el pelo’e caíyo:-¨El tuyo ej seda namá;-¨Tu pai lo tiene bien lasio,-¨ ¿Y tu agüela, aonde ejtá?

Tu coló te salió blanco-¨Y la mejiya rosá;-¨Loj lábioj loj tiénej finoj . . .-¨ ¿Y tu agüela, aonde ejtá?

 ¿Disej que mi bemba ej grande-¨Y mi pasa colorá?-¨Pero dijme, por la binge,-¨ ¿Y tu agüela, aonde ejtá?

Como tu nena ej blanquita-¨La sacaj mucho a pasiá . . .-¨Y yo con ganae gritate-¨ ¿Y tu agüela, aonde ejtá?

A ti te gujta el fojtrote,-¨Y a mi brujca maniguá.-¨Tú te laj tiraj de blanco-¨ ¿Y tu agüela, aonde ejtá?

Erej blanquito enchapao-¨Que dentraj en sosiedá,-¨Temiendo que se conojca-¨La mamá de tu mamá.

Aquí el que no tiene dinga-¨Tiene mandinga . .  ¡ja, ja!-¨Por eso yo te pregunto-¨ ¿Y tu agüela, aonde ejtá?

Ayé me dijite negro-¨Queriéndome abochoná.-¨Mi agüela sale a la sala,-¨Y la tuya oculta ajtá.

La pobre se ejtá muriendo-¨Al belse tan maltratá.-¨Que hajta tu perro le ladra-¨Si acaso a la sala bá.

 ¡Y bien que yo la conojco!-¨Se ñama siña Tatá . . .-¨Tu la ejconde en la cosina,-¨Po’que ej prieta de a beldá.