Hi, you! Welcome to Your Average Afrolatina. I'm sure you're asking yourself, " ... The average afrolatina? Does she even know what she's talking about?"
Just stay with me.
Stop, right now. Think of how you would describe the characteristics of the average afrolatina to a complete stranger.
If you have any idea of the complexity that is Latin America and the African Diaspora, you'll know that there ISN'T an "average" afrolatina. We come in all shapes and sizes. Literally.
For example:
- Some of us were born in the United States, and some of us weren't.
- Some of us have two Latinx parents, and some don't.
- Some of us have a wide nose, and other's don't.
- Some of us speak more than one language, while others don't.
- Some of us are religious, and some aren't.
- Some of us have curves a circle would envy, while others don't.
- Some of us prefer our natural hair, and some don't.
- Some of us grew up dancing to Celia Cruz and watching novelas, while others didn't.
- Some of us have skin like dark chocolate, and some don't.
- Some of us feel connected to our Latin American culture, and some of us don't.
- Some of us grew up embracing our blackness, while others have just begun.
AND THAT'S OKAY.
Latinidad is so diverse and so beautiful, and no one should be able to slap a white-washed version or stereotypical black version label on what it is to be Latina ... nevermind an Afrolatina. If you don't believe me, take the examples I gave above and calculate how many possible combinations you can make. I'll wait, 'cause I definitely don't remember the math needed to do that ... but I assume you get my point.
"The average afrolatina" is an oxymoron.
We can all be the average afrolatina, whether the world likes it or not. We can take everything that makes us unique and show the world that THIS is what an afrolatina can look like, no matter the preconceived notions they might have. You are not an outlier. You are the norm, because there is no norm. So, go forward and redefine what it means to be average, because my average is beautiful ... and so is yours.
Until next time,
YAA