Millennials on Colorism in the Latinx community

"But Latinos are automatically seen as oh if you’re lighter and have more European features which a lot of Latinos do they’ll see themselves as better than black people"

LOS ANGELES, Calif. (KYMA, KECY) - We’re going through the biggest civil rights movement in history and yet there is still a disconnect with the Latinx community and their role in perpetuating anti-blackness. 

I can say this because it's been ingrained in my culture, my upbringing. Colorism is the offspring of racism. 

Colorism is the favoring of lighter skin tones, certain hair texture, and facial features among the same ethnic group. 

During colonial times in Latin America, Spanish colonizers created a racial caste system. 

White spaniards held the power. Thus this aspiration for whiteness began. 

History accommodates itself into the present. While the caste system may not be used physically its impact still exists systematically and socially.

“There were many times when I was growing up I would say yea let me stay out the sun I don’t want to get too dark and it’s confusing and no shade to my Abuela because I know it was deeply instilled in her but she would definitely say improve the race, improve the race and that meant marry white,” said Jeff Wahlberg, Actor.

Latinos and Blacks are much more likely to of course be followed around the store but I think a lot of Latinos and especially white Latinos and people who are lighter skin, I can even say that like a lighter skin I won’t face the same circumstances or outcomes as a darker skin Latino or black person but Latinos are automatically seen as oh if you’re lighter and have more European features which a lot of Latinos do they’ll see themselves as better than black people,” said Kelly Gaines, Production Assistant.

“One day she said in Spanish like there was something on the news about black people doing something and she said something like ugh the worst kind of people in Spanish and I was just like oh everything started to make sense,” said Destiny Hash, Curve Model.

Jeff Wahlberg who is bi-racial and his mother is Afro-Dominican.

“And as you know Dominicans there is a lot of conversation especially with the uprisings in this country and the movements happening there is a lot of talks and a lot of Dominicans will be like I’m not black I’m Dominican but it’s like you’re black, you’re a black person that speaks Spanish and that’s ok. Umm but it's so deeply instilled in Dominican culture like oh we’re not black but it’s like ok you share an island with Haiti you’re not much different.”

“So my mom is Guatemalan and my dad is from Chicago and we don’t really know where he’s really from because of slavery,” said Kelly.

“My mom is an immigrant from El Salvador and my dad is black from the U.S. so I’m both but I was mostly raised with my mom so I mostly identify with my Latina culture,” said Destiny.

For Kelly, many of her Guatemalan family members told her not to identify as black. 

“Growing up I was predominately brought up by my Latin side and they told me not to claim that side of me and not claim that I’m black even though if you just look at me you know that I’m black so it was all these factors that made me feel not accepted for who I was.” 

In Destiny’s household, her grandmother always made her feel left out and it wasn’t until she got older that she understood why

“So yea we were treated way different from my grandma but I never really put two and two together that it was because of our skin until we were older and I realized oh yea it’s not normal to tell us we aren’t allowed to watch shows with black people it’s not normal that me and my brother isn’t allowed on the white couch and they are.” 

I remember growing up I had heard all these things but we didn’t know how to label it we didn’t realize it was internalized racism because we didn’t know what that was. How do you feel about that? Because sometimes when you put a label on something it makes sense. 

“it is internalized for real, Umm yea and it’s weird I’m sure you had that day when you became aware of it and it was never the same thing you were like Woah this is internalized racism, internalized homophobia, internalized transphobia like whatever it is once you become aware of it and realize that's it you’ve been brainwashed to think these things it's like Woah.”

“Even other Salvadorans weren’t nice to me at school as if my blood was tainted,” said Destiny. 

I love myself. The quietest. Simplest. Most powerful revolution. -Nayirah Waheed.

“Embracing more of who I was that includes my hair. Like even for all of Middle School I had straight hair I would straighten it I would get it permed, you know I would erase that part of my identity and that’s really something so powerful that people don’t realize in the black community that like your hair is something to identify with and that's one of the few things we have left to identify with.” 

“Recently I did a shoot with Forever 21 they did a collaboration with Loteria the card game and they had a full Latin cast umm for the campaign and I was the only Afro-Latina umm so that was huge for me because it was something I wanted to do through work I knew I could land the role but I just felt so completely seen.”

“Black lives matter and black trans lives matter and you know all black lives matter and that's a quote to live by for sure,” said Wahlberg.