Afro-Latinx members observe Juneteenth

CALEXICO, Calif. (KYMA, KECY) - Juneteenth is a federal holiday that observes the end of slavery in the U.S. for African Americans. Including Afro-Latinx.   

It is also known as “Emancipation Day” or “Freedom Day."     

Aside from the slavery that happened in the U.S., the ancestors of Afro-Latinos also suffered slavery including in Latin America.  

Many of the enslaved people were brought from the Caribbean and South America to the United States. 

According to the Pew Research Center, one-quarter of Latinos identify as Afro-Latinx.  

Loretta Lee Moore is a member of the Imperial Valley Social Justice Committee, who identifies herself as Afro-Latinx.

“I think it’s very important coming from Cubans, Brazilians, and everybody who is of African descent in different countries. We all have ancestry in common and I believe it's very important for them to know about our history," expressed Moore.

Although the Black community was once perceived as just one racial group, there was no distinction between African Americans and Afro-Latinos back then.  

Loretta comes from a biracial family, her mother is Mexican and her father is African American.  

Her father was in high school during the segregation era.

“With somebody like him always teaching me, there’s always going to be struggling to face. There are going to be extremely hard moments. For any of those negative times, you have to be that better person and continue to educate and be positive," stated Moore.

Two years ago, President Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act making it a national federal holiday.