So, this is just as tough of a topic to talk about as the racism surround black people in America, but these two groups have suffered in different ways. I will start off by defining Latino, according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, Latino means to be “a native or inhabitant of Latin America or a person of Latin American Origin living in the U.S.” (Merriam-Webster, 2022) Furthermore, based on estimates from 2016 from World Population Review, the Latino population in the worlds was 639,048,639 people. (World Pop Rev, 2022) That is three times the population of the United States. So, as it shows the Latino population is not a small group (sadly) like the indigenous people population. So why are these peoples voice not being heard?
Next, I would like to question who is considered American and who is not, because the people who live in Porte Rico and other American owned territories are not treated like Americans, nor are they treated like the typical white folk. This is where I will begin talking about how Latino populations are racialized in the United States. Sadly, like many other things in the United States, the color of one’s skin determines many outcomes, such as whether you get to decide what happens to the property you own. Although the board was not always there, now that it is, certain people of the government and board creation connected people over the years have become entitled to land that is not theirs. These such people are coming on to the land of indigenous people, families that date back generations and ecosystems. They come to “bargain,” but rather persuade to the point of force for these people to leave, offering little money/nothing near the worth of the land.
They racialize these people, by having the mindset that these people do not understand civilization and that this spot white men want the wall to be built is just a plot of land. For example, Else Hull said, “It boils down to racism…I’m a white person, so obviously that doesn’t apply to me, but my children, they’re half Hispanic.” (Devereaux, 2020) Although her children are of white decent, they are and will be treated differently because of their skin color. Sadly, due to the expansion of the boarder many children like Hull’s will not be able to inherit the family lifeline and heritage.
After the boarder was put up some Hispanic people racialize their own people. There are Mestizos who have legally been give “white privilege”, even though they don’t look white. They were in the United States when the board came to be, so they racialize Porte Ricans, Brazilians and specifically black people. Furthermore, we talked in class about how a lot of black history was erased from Hispanic history. Not only has the representation of the Latinos in the U.S. it has affected the land and overall feel of the land, “For some, it was a moment of awakening that drew people together in new alliances. For others, it was a period of escalating violence against the land, an attack on cherished places and traditions, and yet another a reminder that the legacies of dispossession and racism that shaped the American West have never really left.” (Devereaux, 2020) The physical and emotional damage that the wall has done to Latinos and their representation is pretty much irreversible. The only thing we can do is stop the build and help the people heal. Although, sadly for the environment, animals and indigenous people, the damage to the aquifers will likely never heal.
Lastly, I will be talking about the representation of Latinos in the mainstream media. Well for many of us we do not even hear about the current Latino coverage in the American new, because I think they would rather to turn a blind eye to these issues. For example, there are many Hispanic/Latino asylum-seekers that are thrown in jail and treated terribly. Tying in with the typical racism in America, “Asylum-seekers from Black-majority countries received particularly bad treatment, spending 27 percent more time in jail and facing harsher release requirements than other people held in detention.” (Devereaux, 2022) On the other hand, when you do hear about Latinos in the mainstream media, like black people, I feel like Latinos are always described as drug dealers, thugs or gang members. When this is not always true, the Latino culture and people are much more colorful and beautiful.
So, what can we do to make a positive movement and what can we do to bring light into the darkness. One way that I think is very powerful is music, like we talked about Bad Bunny is a great example. His music stretches all over the world, including the United States. Bad Bunny chooses to not learn English as one way to keep a hold on his Latino side and I think that is extremely important to Latino culture as a whole and Americans to see that these are people with talent and influence too. We need more people like Bad Bunny to bring positivity and connect Hispanic/Latino people to the rest of the world.
Sources:
1. “A Monument to Stupidity, the Trauma of Trump’s Border Wall,” Written by Ryan Devereaux, posted on The Intercept on October 31, 2020.
“Joe Biden Detained Tens of Thousands of Asylum-Seekers in the Last Year,” Written by Ryan Devereaux, posted on The Intercept on April 21, 2022.
“This is America Motherfucker: Witnesses Described Border Patrol Killing of Mexican Migrant,” Written by Ryan Devereaux, posted on The Intercept on May 12, 2022.
4. Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Latino
5. World Population Review, 2022, https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/latino-countries
Regan, I think you are right to point out how Latin music, reggaeton in particular has been a positive force for Latino communities here in the U.S.. Right now, in the music industry we see a plethora of American artists being catapulted to new markets by doing collaborations with Latino artists: The Weeknd, Drake, Justin Bieber, etc. Previously, Spanish artists were expected to do features on English language tracks in English! Today the prevalence of Spanish language music is a huge factor of visibility! But much like you point out, and how we have discussed with Black Media, visibility is not enough. I also like how you pointed out the erasure of Black Culture and History within Hispanic communities. Preferences for…
I really like that you brought to light the situation that never mattered whether one was born in the United States or not, but rather the color of the skin. When one is ‘mestizo’ (Half-blood) it generates confusion when growing up and one begins to believe everything they say and see. And yes, even though Puerto Rico is a territory of the USA, and that Puerto Ricans are American citizens, we do not have the same treatment as Americans. When we talk about the media, exactly, we have always been stereotyped as bad when in reality it's not true. It's like everything there are good people and bad people that you will see everywhere. I'm really glad that Bad Bunny…
Regan, I agree that the history of America as colonizers is a large reason why minority groups are portrayed the way they are. The way that the colonizers made themselves out to be the superior society is why any other society that doesn't mirror Western ideologies is considered "less than" in their eyes. However, these cultures have existed for generations, and only recently have harsh borders been put in place to limit the free movement of cultural ideations.