Identity Crisis

[lil_caine]

Ok, lemme start out. My momz is dominican and my pops is blond hair-blue eyes dutch. My moms looks like a mulatta, mocha skin, kinky course hair that gets super curly when its wet.

All my siblings have really lite skin, not white skin, but theyr really lite skinned. They all have course curly/kinky hair though, and they got kind of a mix of black and white features. One of em could pass for white or maybe italian, one looks just like nelly but white skinned. Me on the other hand, my skin didnt mix so its just like my moms, almost a lil darker it seems. I have completely straigt hair that gets curly on the sides but thats about it. But my features are pretty much like any other mulatto. Standard fat lips, big nose, etc.

So whenever my hair is long, i look pretty much like a regular south american. But if i ever wear a hat, shave my head, get my hair in cornrows, etc., i look black. I like to call myself black instead of latin, because I know im closer to a african american than a mexican who are mostly native american, and when most people hear latin they think mexican instantly. People accept me as black because i always wear corn rows. But my mom tells me I'm crazy for "pretending" to be black, and totally denies shes black at all even though its clear. "Pura espanola" is what she claims, her excuse for dark skin bein that some spaniards are have tan skin (but theyre the gitanos who arent even from spain).

So here's my question. Am I wrong in calling myself black instead of latin?

[Funnyyale26]

Nothin' rong wit da, guuurl.

[Baracutay]

Originally Posted by lil_caine

Ok, lemme start out. My momz is dominican and my pops is blond hair-blue eyes dutch. My moms looks like a mulatta, mocha skin, kinky course hair that gets super curly when its wet.

All my siblings have really lite skin, not white skin, but theyr really lite skinned. They all have course curly/kinky hair though, and they got kind of a mix of black and white features. One of em could pass for white or maybe italian, one looks just like nelly but white skinned. Me on the other hand, my skin didnt mix so its just like my moms, almost a lil darker it seems. I have completely straigt hair that gets curly on the sides but thats about it. But my features are pretty much like any other mulatto. Standard fat lips, big nose, etc.

So whenever my hair is long, i look pretty much like a regular south american. But if i ever wear a hat, shave my head, get my hair in cornrows, etc., i look black. I like to call myself black instead of latin, because I know im closer to a african american than a mexican who are mostly native american, and when most people hear latin they think mexican instantly. People accept me as black because i always wear corn rows. But my mom tells me I'm crazy for "pretending" to be black, and totally denies shes black at all even though its clear. "Pura espanola" is what she claims, her excuse for dark skin bein that some spaniards are have tan skin (but theyre the gitanos who arent even from spain).

So here's my question. Am I wrong in calling myself black instead of latin?

Dear Lil_caine,
There is absolutley nothing with you identifying as black. The fact that we in the DR are a tripartite people, African,Native American, and Spanish gives us the right to identify with one, two or all three of our heritages.
At my place of business I met a couple once who were brother and sister. The young man looked white but had dred locks, while his sister looked black and had a typical brooklyn Italian accent. When they got around to explaining their unique mix, I was informed that their father was African-American while their mother was Italian. However the young man had grown up with his father (after a divorce) in Georgia, while the young girl grew up with her mother in brooklyn.
The young man identified with his African roots, while his sister identified with her Italian roots. In essence, two identities in one family. While this may seem odd to some, it is actually very natural for us to choose one over the other and it is not neccessarily racist nor denial of one over the other. It is simply a matter of prediliction.
So by all means be proud of all that is in you, but be as African as you feel, for this is truly a blood line that flows through you.
All the best
Baracutei

[whirleybird]

Originally Posted by lil_caine

Ok, lemme start out. My momz is dominican and my pops is blond hair-blue eyes dutch. My moms looks like a mulatta, mocha skin, kinky course hair that gets super curly when its wet.

All my siblings have really lite skin, not white skin, but theyr really lite skinned. They all have course curly/kinky hair though, and they got kind of a mix of black and white features. One of em could pass for white or maybe italian, one looks just like nelly but white skinned. Me on the other hand, my skin didnt mix so its just like my moms, almost a lil darker it seems. I have completely straigt hair that gets curly on the sides but thats about it. But my features are pretty much like any other mulatto. Standard fat lips, big nose, etc.

So whenever my hair is long, i look pretty much like a regular south american. But if i ever wear a hat, shave my head, get my hair in cornrows, etc., i look black. I like to call myself black instead of latin, because I know im closer to a african american than a mexican who are mostly native american, and when most people hear latin they think mexican instantly. People accept me as black because i always wear corn rows. But my mom tells me I'm crazy for "pretending" to be black, and totally denies shes black at all even though its clear. "Pura espanola" is what she claims, her excuse for dark skin bein that some spaniards are have tan skin (but theyre the gitanos who arent even from spain).

So here's my question. Am I wrong in calling myself black instead of latin?

Be who and what you want to be and be happy and comfortable with it, good luck x

[naturelover]

errrr are we bovvered what you call yourself...im white with a bit of pink and hint of blue

[Chip]

As a gringo with a mulatto wife and two mulatto daughters, I will give you one bit of advice for a happy life - don't worry so much about "lables", black, white, latin etc because honestly there are a lot of "in betweens" which are to difficult to explain.

The fact is these terms used as such are more divisie than anything(in the US anyway). Don't deny your heritage at all of course, but just remember being focused on your "racial(physical) classification isn't near as important as you individual character as a person.

And if people can't accept that or want to exclude you because of your unwillingness to focus on "racial" classification, I'd say find a better class of person to "hang" with. In other words, don't be afraid to be different or break the mold.

[whirleybird]

Originally Posted by Chip

As a gringo with a mulatto wife and two mulatto daughters, I will give you one bit of advice for a happy life - don't worry so much about "lables", black, white, latin etc because honestly there are a lot of "in betweens" which are to difficult to explain.

The fact is these terms used as such are more divisie than anything(in the US anyway). Don't deny your heritage at all of course, but just remember being focused on your "racial(physical) classification isn't near as important as you individual character as a person.

And if people can't accept that or want to exclude you because of your unwillingness to focus on "racial" classification, I'd say find a better class of person to "hang" with. In other words, don't be afraid to be different or break the mold.

Isn't that what I said?

[Chip]

Originally Posted by whirleybird

Isn't that what I said?

Apparently so but different packaging at a better price.

[George Holmes]

Are you in the DR, the US, Spain or where? This makes all the difference - the categories used in the US census make no sense to Dominicans or in Spain or vice versa. Racial categories are defined by the history of the peoples they involve - hence people of Dominican descent in the US are sometimes classed as Afro-American, which makes no sense to them.

[Hillbilly]

It seems to be a moot point. If you are educated, prepared for the "Real Life", you can be successful being anything you want.
The key issue, at least to my way of thinking, is your education. From your post you seem to be a teenager with poor to maybe average education. Ghetto-speak will maybe get you a job at Mickey D, but not much more. Therefore, pick your models carefully.
Fact of life: Your speech and dress can put a label on you faster than your color.

So, be what you want to be. Do not sweat the small stuff. You Mother was brought up in a very different culture, so she thinks about color in a different manner.

Good luck in whatever you decide to do.

HB