“Blacks
in Latin America”
Bryanna Rather, Suitland High School, Forestville, MD. USA
10/ 13/13
"For the past two years and some months, I have been
a proud participant of Culture Keepers. I have enjoyed learning about African American
art, and I have gained increased awareness about the settlement of people of
African descent all across the Americas, not just here in the United
States. When attending cultural events
and visiting the different museums, I have grasped a deeper understanding of
African history and a new respect for the influence and accomplishments by
persons of African descent in their ‘new homes’ throughout the Americas".
“Blacks in Latin America” is a four-part documentary
by Professor Henry Louis Gates Jr. that discusses the history of the African
Diaspora in Latin American countries. To perform research, Professor Gates,
traveled to the island of Hispaniola to look into the vast contrast between
Dominicans and Haitians. He also
traveled to Mexico, Peru, Cuba and Brazil in search of Afro Latin Americans so
that he could explore the history of their African ancestors. By doing so he
wished to document history so that his work could educate those who are either
unaware of their African heritage or choose to ignore it".
"Professor Gates pointed out vast comparisons and
shocking contrasts not only between the different Latin American countries but
also between those countries and the United States. His goal was not to
belittle these countries and make them seem as though they were harsh people.
As an African American himself, Gates goal was simply to learn what life would
have been like for him if he was born in one of these other countries. Gates
wanted to see what life was like for people that were of African descent, like
him, in Latin America. He used his own
knowledge and experience as an African American in the United States to guide
his research. He used his understanding
of the history of slavery and Jim Crow laws here in America, to research how laws
in Latin America were used to treat persons of African descent in Latin
America".
"For example, a common derogatory term that the U.S.
used to describe Blacks is “nigga” or “nigger.”
Yet in places like Brazil, there is little public display of racism,
including the public use of words to belittle people. In addition, within Black Latin American culture,
there is little differentiation by complexion.
Basically, all persons of African descent consider themselves to be
black or “morenos.” But I learned that in Latin America, there are other words
used to refer to persons of African descent, including persons of mixed
descent. With many friends and close
family friends, I have heard the terms “morenas” and “mulato,” but I did not
know of words like “negrito” or “indio” which are also used to refer to Black
people".
"What amazes me the most is that out of all the
countries covered in this segment and even the U.S., Peru was the only one to make
a public announcement apologizing to the Africans who were enslaved and
mistreated. Yet, the U.S. was the only country to offer program s to return
African s to their homeland. Nonetheless, slaves working on both tobacco farms and
sugar plantations and for the most part in general where all morally mistreated
and were subjected to harsh abuse and torn apart from their family. Treatment
of the African American race as a whole in the different countries has changed
and progressed over the years. For some countries it has taken longer to see
improvement and for others the history was simply erased and replaced by a
layer of denial as a cover up".
