Digital Paper Craft Clipart Used To Make This Print
Hey All!
I know…I know I don’t look Hispanic, but I’m 100% Hispanic. I’m Puerto Rican and Cuban. I was born in the Bronx and raised in NYC! I’m a NewYorCuRican as they say. Some people say oh you’re Latina, but Latina is actually a term for those who are from Latina American countries. Hispanics and Latinos just get lumped into one and the same most of the time. So you can call me Latina, Hispanic, whatever! I don’t care honestly. I’m also what Hispanics and Latinas call a “Gringa Latina” aka white looking Latina. Latinos and Hispanics come in all shapes, sizes and colors. Which is what I wanted to represent in the poster I made above. Watch Telemundo or any Spanish language channel on TV and you’ll especially see plenty of Hispanics and Latinas who look like me. That’s because looking white is celebrated and preferred in Latin and Hispanic Culture. It’s a fact! Don’t try and act like you don’t know this my fellow Hispanics and Latinas! I grew up in the projects in NYC with my Puerto Rican grandma who didn’t speak English primarily taking care of me 90% of the time, while my mom worked. I always had to constantly prove I was Puerto Rican enough or Cuban enough to my friends who also were Latina. I’m not here to talk about me and prove I’m Latina to anyone. I’m here to talk about the work that Latinos and Hispanics have to do to become the ally we need to be for the Black community. I’m just going to call it out. Latinos and Hispanic discriminate against each other and our culture discriminates against people of color. Perfect example is my grandfather was disowned by his own family simply because they didn’t approve of him marrying someone who they considered a black cuban. La Negra (It means the Black Girl in Spanish) is what they called my grandma. He literally never talked to his own parents ever again to marry the woman he loved. No one saw or heard from his family until they decided to come to my grandfather’s funeral and they were thrilled to see me (a grand child with blond hair and blue eyes). They could care less about my darker skinned cousin. It was and still is disgusting! Needless to say there is a whole section of my family I don’t know and do not speak to! That’s just one example and I have many I could share! I digress…
We Latinas and Hispanics need to work on ending this racist way of thinking within the Latin/Hispanic culture, so we can be better ally’s to the black community. We need to practice Latina Allyship and learn to be better. This mentality that being and looking white is better needs to change in our culture. It’s something all Latinas, Latinos, and Hispanics need to come together to address. We’re all humans and the only race we’re a part of is the human race. That’s what I was taught growing up. I credit my grandmother for raising me right. She was a nanny and she took care of ALL the kids in the projects. She didn’t care what race they were or what color their skin was. She loved everyone the same and everyone loved her. That’s what she taught to anyone she helped raise. When she died, hundreds of people came from all races to pay their respects. She was a mom to anyone who needed one. It was beautiful. I try to be like her every day of my life. Again I digress…
During this time I feel like as a Hispanic/Latina it is my responsibility to make sure I speak up about this. I want to do my best to start the conversation of change so that we can practice Latina Allyship for the black community. I want to set a better example for the next generation of Hispanics/Latinas and hold my culture accountable for their actions, even if it’s uncomfortable and not ON BRAND to speak about these things. We all have to do our part to end systemic racism and this is one small part I’m calling out within my culture. All Latina/Latino/Hispanic people share this responsibility to make this change! We have a long road ahead and it won’t be easy, but I’m hopeful change will come. I know I’m going to put in the work and do what ever I can to help make this change come!
With all that said, Today I am sharing this printable poster (which you can DOWNLOAD HERE) as a reminder that we Latinas/Female Hispanics in particular need to practice Latina Allyship to the black community EVERY DAY and I am also sharing some resources that I think can help Latinos/Latinas/Hispanic Americans take action and start conversations within our culture. I also wanted to share my plan for what I will doing going forward to keep the movement going. I hope all of this openness and knowledge will inspire you to look within yourself and our culture and inspire change. We must do this to truly make a change in this country and in the world. We must also do this to demand justice for George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, Sandra Bland, Trevon Martin and every other Black person over the centuries who has been the victim of systemic racism, systemic poverty, and injustice in this country.
Here are some resources I’ve found that could help with making these changes and help support the Black Community in general:
There are a ton more resources out there! You just have to take the initiative to look. This is just a small fraction of info and stuff you can do to help! I figured this can be your starting point and you can build from here on your own.
Join The Great Unlearn:
This course is by Rachel Cargle and is a must FOR Latinas/Hispanics and White folks.
It’s a course that is focused on unlearning racial biases and recognizing historical events from different viewpoints than those in most history books. If you join The Great Unlearn community, you’ll get access to Cargle’s syllabus on becoming part of the revolution.
https://www.patreon.com/thegreatunlearn
Learn about Systemic Racism:
Here is a video that explains systemic racism.
Online resources, like this Google Doc on anti-racism resources and this syllabus on “becoming an active ally to the black community” also point to informative materials to read and watch.
This book on search engines is enlightening Algorithms of Oppression: How Search Engines Reinfornce Racism by Safiya Umoja Noble.
If you’re a Parent and need help talking to your child about racism:
Join The Conscious Kid’s Patreon group. They share tons of information and books on how to talk to your kids about it. They feature amazing authors that are Black and People of Color as well.
How to talk to your Community, family or extended family about Racism (Even if they don’t speak English).
Having sometimes uncomfortable conversations about police violence, racial justice and anti-blackness with your own families and communities—even if English isn’t their first language—needs to happen. Letters for Black Lives have compiled a letter translated into two dozen languages that can be a helpful framework to start that conversation with your own family.
This Instagram post can help you talk to your family about racism. It says it’s for White People but it can apply to any race including Hispanics and Latinos.
What it means when they say “Defund the Police” (It DOES NOT mean get rid of the police all together!):
Watch this segment on Last Week Tonight. This is for adults only and contains profanities, but it explains everything! It’s a must watch for everyone in this country in my opinion.
You can also read this guide to what “defunding” the police means.
Support and Donate:
If you are financially able to support Black Owned Businesses and Donate to help the movement:
- Black Lives Matter – Working to eradicate white supremacy and build local resources to intervene when violence is inflicted on black communities
- Donate to the ACLU– The ACLU has been at the center of nearly every major civil liberties battle in the U.S. for over 100 years. This vital work depends on the support of ACLU members in all 50 states and beyond.
- The National Bail Fund Network lists a number of bail funds by state.
- VICE has a guide on how to find black-owned restaurants by state. New York Magazine has a list of not just food companies but also beauty, clothing and fitness brands among others.
If you can’t afford anything at this moment in time. This Instagram post shares something easy that you can do to support at no literal cost to you!
My Plan Moving Forward:
As I move forward and begin to share our own personal content and sponsored work again, I want to make it a point that going forward I will continue to share here on the blog and on social media every week any info I find that is helpful to continue the movement forward. I will do my part to make sure this movement doesn’t become just another news cycle or social media trend. I will continue to speak out and call out injustices and racisms I see blatantly taking place. I won’t sit on the sidelines. I won’t support or work with brands who don’t actively follow through on the diversity changes they have vowed to make. I won’t support or work brands who still have active racist company heads and who donate to racist campaigns and organizations. And when I say support that means I won’t share those brands on social media or the blog or buy anything from those brands.
I will showcase more Black-owned businesses, voices and artists in our content. I will showcase more people of color and share more about my own culture. I will continue to have conversations about racism and anti-racism in our Hispanic and Latino culture and families, with our friends and within our physical and digital communities.
I’m not one of these big bloggers/brands who makes a profit or has brand deals pouring in. I’m a blogger who frankly makes barely a living on their blog and social media business. I have donated what I could and I will donate what I can afford financially from any sponsored posts I create in the future. I will provide ALL the support I can by volunteering my time online and offline to moving the movement forward.
I know I’m doing the best I can with the resources I have to show my support for the movement. Doing something as simple as speaking out often is being a voice for change. As someone who is immunocompromised and can’t physically be out there protesting, I’m doing all I can from home. I can’t risk catching covid-19 or I could die from it. ‘
Just do the best you can to show your support and work for change regardless of what ever situation in life you may be in. It’s the least we can do.
Thank you all for your support and for allowing me to voice my honest thoughts and opinions on this important topic.
Welcome!
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