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A student of the human mind...a searcher...an advisor...a teacher... loves easily and easy to love. Come share with me...:)

Friday, July 30, 2010

Negro, Blanco y Rojo por todas partes!

So I know it's been awhile but I've been busy with work and all that..to catch you up a bit, I've given up on some of those new years resolutions; not through weakness, but by choice. As for work, yesterday (7-29-10) was my last day. Sad day indeed, I put a lot of hours and energy into that job but...one must move on. Now to the packing, throwing away of items, and preparations for my cross country trip to Texas. (whoo hoo!)

Today's topic is one that's been on the slow burner for a while now. It concerns my immersion into the Latino culture. Many of my BLACK peers have expressed an issue with me embracing the Latino's culture; from my using the language on a day to day basis from my interest in the dance and musical forms. I've been called a traitor, told I was being untrue to myself, that I was "trying to be Spanish", that I'm black and asked if I remember such...trust me as horrible as it seems I've heard many more and much worse.

My question to those peers are such: How am I not being true to myself by embracing a culture that itself has so many subcultures? And if I were indeed going around claiming to be a Latino (of which I actually DO have a connection to biologically) 1) why would that bother you so much and 2) with what culture do you suggest I identify? It's well known that the American "blacks" have a misplaced identity, one of many origins. For us all to identify with a single specific African tribe would be equally criminal as me identifying with a single specific Latino culture if I go around telling people I'm of this tribe when in reality I've no idea. Truth is, the African culture pre-slave trade is one that every HUMAN should know and identify with...Africa is indeed the mother of civilization; however, the connection between blacks in America and their African roots are so far displaced that a simple connection cannot be established. What's important is that we develop a national identity first, then an international identity WHICH INCLUDES those blacks in the Latin American countries as well as around the world!... moreover, it would be a crime for the Latinos to identify with their culture(following this ignorant logic of course) because THEIR ancestors are African as well in large part.

STATEMENT: YOU CANNOT SEPARATE THE LANGUAGE FROM THE CULTURE! In order to understand the language the way it's used you have to experience things the way the people who use it do. English does not directly translate A LOT of Spanish words and somethings won't ever make sense unless you deal with the people. I've taken Spanish from 7th-11th grade and then again for a semester in college and there is a lot I know..but a lot more that I would never know had it not been for the street Spanish or the involvement I've had with the Latino community.

QUESTION: SO WHAT YOU'RE GONNA REVOKE MY "BLACK" CARD?: For starters I am what I am and will always be. Even under drug induced delusion I will always be a man born of two parents on the 15th day of the 5th month in the year 1990. With that being said, if I were to deny my blackness which is preposterous I would still be just that history, skin color and all.

SECOND STATEMENT: THERE ARE BLACK LATINOS MORONS!Do you think if I couldn't pass for one that this confusion would even exist about me "trying to be something I'm not?"

BOTTOM LINE: I'M 20 AND I'VE BETTERED MYSELF BY DECIDING TO LEARN AND STUDY A LANGUAGE OTHER THAN THE ONE I WAS BROUGHT UP SPEAKING. Having a problem with this says more to YOUR insecurities than it does to mine. No matter what I do I'll always be wrong to someone...I can play the "nigga" role and sag my pants, smoke weed, fight, party, sit on the corner and drink and talk about all the girl's I've slept with and I'm savage. I can be the clean cut 5 times a day praying, Ramadan fasting,Arabic using, kufi wearing, prayer rug having Muslim who is too "straight edge" and not fun or "a terrorist". I can be the higher vocabulary, book smart, dictionary reading, non-ebonics using "trying to be white" black man "uncle tom". I can be the bachata/merengue dancing/listening, spanish speaking, eye brow shaping, platano eating "wanna be dominican". or I CAN BE ME! THE PERSON WHO DOES ALL OF THE ABOVE WHEN ITS APPROPRIATE AND BEST FITS THE SITUATION ME! RAHKIM SABREE AND "si no te gusta, FUCK YOU!"