XVII Congress of the Brazilian Studies Association

Black Latinidad and the Identity Challenges of being an Afro-Brazilian Woman in the US

• In Event: Land of opportunities? The lives and fates of Brazilian migrants to the US

Abstract

Resumo:
"Anti-blackness worldwide has manifested its political agenda through various facets over the centuries. While colonization in Latin America aimed to eliminate African ancestry from its social composition through racial miscegenation as an attempt to eradicate the black lineage from its population, Jim Crow in North America sought to segregate and deny African descendants any human rights necessary for a fully decent human experience.

However, what unfolds when these two distinct, yet familiar and cruel colonial cultures collide? This is the exploration I am undertaking as my black Brazilian identity assumes new forms and designations during multiracial interactions in the United States.

Thus far, "Latina" is the most frequently assigned identity by U.S. citizens during my eight years of residence, despite my Afro-diasporic identity not aligning with the most prominently represented Latin cultures in the United States. Latin American racism is also evident, as the Latinx cultures in the U.S. do not readily embrace me as part of that segment. "Afro-Latina" is a term I employ for pedagogical purposes, aiming to counter the erasure of black Latinidad, fostering an understanding that blackness is a fundamental pillar of Latin cultures. Conversely, in Brazil, Latinidad itself is not at all part of the patriotic and identitarian hegemonic discourse.

This paper delves into the challenges that shape a foreign black identity and explores how racial perceptions in different cultures lead to new self-identifications as a mechanism of social adaptation and access to opportunities."

Author

• Luisa Mattos da Costa, Vanderbilt University