Decolonizing Latinidad

*this was originally written on 10/20/2020, and has been updated for clarity.

As we continue this work on decolonizing, this is a good time to focus on Latinidad and what that might mean for you. The term Latino/a/e and Hispanic are used interchangeably, but they have very different definitions right now I want to focus on Latine identity as it encompasses over 30 countries with different cultures.

First I think it’s important that we are able to self identify and stand in our own truth. Latino is such a general term and encompasses so many countries that it doesn’t make sense. Also, it’s an American term to basically “other” us and count those of us from colonized countries as a separate group of people. When we all have our own rich cultures and history and can’t possibly be lumped into one homogenized group.

Previously, I’ve written about the difference between nationality, ethnicity and race (because Latino is not a race) and will be also updating that post. Once that post is published, I will link back here.

But I do think that nationality, ethnicity as well as race count towards how you identify. Because at the end of the day, we identify by how we are seen in society and how we experience the world around us. And we don’t need to be lumped into “other” with the general term of  Latinidad. You can stand in your truth, being authentically you, while also understanding that it’s fluid, because as you grow and learn, that may change. And that’s ok. And it can even change based on group of people you are around, I do tend to use Latina more in a corporate setting because my Scorpio placements (Venus and Mercury) just hate telling other people my business! Or having to explain myself.

I understand how the media plays a big part on the white washing of Latinidad and make it seem like we only come in the colors of JLo, Rosalia and Camila. And a bit about Rosalia, she’s from Spain and technically not Latina in the true definition of the word, seeing as being Latina means being from Latin America, and/or a country that was colonized in the Americas, but Spain were the colonizers. She is European. But she doesn’t have an issue with singing Reggaeton (an Afro-Carribean genre), laying down her edges and wearing grills. But I’m not even going to go there right now. I did like her remix of Relacion, but still have an issue with her presentation. It’s complex and she’s not the only one who does it. Also look at artists like J. Balvin who has repeatedly spoken badly (aka racist-ly) against Black women, and had that music video where Tokisha, an Afro-Dominican woman, was represented as a dog with.a leash.

The more I see others having the audacity of appropriating Afro Carribean or Afro American cultures, the more I realize that we need to stand in our own truth and claim what’s ours by birthright. Being bold enough to be authentically ourselves when so many around us are being inauthentic.

Being raised in an incredibly multiracial family, for me personally, to claim one race over the other would offend my lineage and I work heavily with my ancestors. I say I am the sum of all parts. I swear I’m going to make a shirt that says this one day! It’s important that we take the time to understand our family history and the history of the countries our ancestors come from. As Latine people, we are the product of both the colonizer and colonized, and that’s a specific life long trauma that we need to work through in order to strengthen our lineages.

Learning and understanding history is only a part of it. Understanding how you came to be and where your lineage is from. Chances are you are also American either born here or an immigrant. And there is definitely a difference in culture being born and/or raised in the US compared to being born and/or raised in Europe or the UK. Being Dominican-American is loving a good mangu just as much as I love a good burger. Loving R&B and Hip hop just as much as I love Merengue Bachata and Reggaeton. 

It’s not just family history and lineage that shapes our identity, but how and where we live that also shapes the way we see culture. It’s nationality, ethnicity and race that truly shape our identity. We don’t have to fall into the “other” box of Latinidad. During this Hispanic Heritage Month season, take the time to understand your lineage and what you feel you should be identifying as. This is essential for healing. Also understanding that this can change as you learn about your ancestral ties and form relationships with them.

Some Books I recommend:

My Grandmother’s Hands: Racialized Trauma and the Pathway to Mending our Hearts and Bodies.

For Taino people: Tainos, Colonizers and Yoruba Slaves. A book in Spanish: El Secreto Taino

For immigrants or first gen: The Undocumented Americans

Also, the Connect to the Ancestors reading is great for reconnecting and reclaiming your ancestral practices. To book a reading, click here!