This week I read an article called “Too Latina to Be Black, Too Black To Be Latina” on Huffington Post by Aleichia Williams. The feelings she expressed are similar to the ones I feel when I go to certain places. I sometimes feel like I do fit in, but then other times I feel out of place simply because of the way I grew up. My parents are both Dominican and the city I grew up in - Union City, NJ - is home to many Latinos. It wasn’t until I got to high school and college that people have questioned my identity when I tell them. These are some of the things I’ve been told and asked:
1. "Are you fully Dominican?"
This question is quite amusing, simply because people are letting me know that I do not look like a Dominican, and that there must be more to me. Could Dominicans be any color just like about any other country? I’ve always known that you can be from a certain country and there doesn’t need to be a necessary color attached to the group of people.
2. "Do you speak Spanish?"
This is a valid question, but I’ve gotten people tell me that I should help them with their homework, when I tell them yes. That has happened more in college than it did in high school because most people assumed I didn’t speak Spanish. I’ve had one occasion where a group of guys were talking about me in Spanish and I turned around and told them, “Yo hablo Espanol.”
3. "I’ve never seen a Dominican with hairs like yours."
I don’t know what to say to this one simply because, at this point, I’m over the fact that I told them I was Dominican, so then they want to tell me everything that they know about Dominicans.
4. "I thought you were just black."
Well, I am black; I am black and Dominican. It’s possible. This week I took to Twitter, to sort of point out that Dominicans can sometimes be anti-black. I joked about it, to only realize that it's not something to joke about and that I am not doing anything productive by pointing it out. I proceeded to tweet that educating your family members and attempting to have that conversation is your best bet.
5. "You’re not loud."
Yep. I know, I’m more on the quiet side.
6. "How come you never told me?"
It’s not that I am not proud to be Dominican, I am. It’s just since people are going to label me what they want, I am not as vocal about it. I also think that sometimes people will assign you more value because you are not just “black.” It’s like you seem more exotic to them, or at least that’s the way I’ve seen it.
One of the things I’ve learned is to let people ask without really letting it bother you. As long as you’re willing to educate them. I am still questioning my identity and finding out more about the Dominican Republic. While I was born in the US, I still feel a strong connection with my roots and I know that they stem further than the Dominican Republic.
