Tego says skin color's still a major issue for Latinos.

['X']

Tego says skin color's still a major issue for Latinos.

February 15, 2007 -- Just this morning, I was listening to radio host Luisito Vigeroux talking about a movie project that I am working on which co-stars Mayra Santos Febres and he was saying, "Her? She's starring in it?"

Questioning her Black beauty.

I remember, too, when Celia Cruz died, a newscaster, thinking she was being smart, said Celia Cruz wasn't black, she was Cuban. She was pretty even though she's black.

As if there is something wrong with being black, like the two things can't exist simultaneously and be a majestic thing. There is ignorance and stupidity in Puerto Rico and Latin America when it comes to blackness.

In Puerto Rico, Spike Lee's "Malcolm X" was only shown in one theater and unlike all the other movies shown here, there were no subtitles. It's as if they don't want the masses to learn.

But it's not just here - in Puerto Rico - where I experience racism. When I lived in Miami, I was often treated like a second class Boricua. I felt like I was in the middle - Latino kids did not embrace me and African American kids were confused because here I was a black boy who spoke Spanish. But after a while, I felt more embraced by black Americans - as a brother who happens to speak Spanish - than other Latino kids did.

Because I am well known, sometimes I forget the racist ways of the world. But then I travel to places where no one knows Tego Calderón I am reminded.

For instance, when I travel first class, the stewardess will say, "Sir, this is first class," and ask to see ticket. I take my time, put my bags in the overhead, sit, and gingerly give them my ticket, smiling at them. I try not to get stressed anymore, let them stress themselves.

And the thing is that many white Puerto Ricans and Latinos don't get it. They are immune to the subtle ways in which we are demeaned, disrespected. They have white privilege. And I've heard it said that we are on the defensive about race.

Those things happen and it's not because of color, Tego, but because of how you look, how you walk, what you wear, what credit card you have. Then, they spend a couple of days with me, sort of walk in my shoes, and say "Damn negro, you are right."

When I check into hotels and use my American Express they call the credit card company in front of me saying the machine is broken. This happens a lot in U.S. cities but it's not because there is more racism there, it's because they don't know me. When I'm in Latin America, I am known, so it's different. That is not to say that there is less racism. The reality for blacks in Latin America is severe, in Colombia, Venezuela, Peru, Honduras ...

Puerto Rican (and Latin American) blacks are confused because we grow up side by side with non-blacks and we are lulled into believing that things are the same. But we are treated differently.

My parents always celebrated our history. My dad always pointed things out to me. He even left the PIP (Pro-Independence Party) because he always said that los negros and our struggle was never acknowledged.

Maelo (Ismael Rivera) and Tite Curet did their part in educating and calling out the issues. Today, I do my part but I attack the subject of racism directly.

It makes me so happy to see Don Omar call himself el negro and La Sister celebrate her blackness. Now it's in fashion to be black and to be from Loiza. And that is awesome, it makes me so happy. Even if they don't give me credit for starting the pride movement, I know what I did to get it out there.

Young black Latinos have to learn their story. We also need to start our own media, and forums and universities. We are treated like second class citizens. They tell blacks in Latin America that we are better off than U.S. blacks or Africans and that we have it better here, but it's a false sense of being. Because here, it's worse.

We are definitely treated like second class citizens and we are not part of the government or institutions. Take for instance, Jamaica - whites control a Black country.

They have raised us to be ashamed of our blackness. It's in the language too. Take the word denigrate - denigrar - which is to be less than a negro.

In Puerto Rico you get used it and don't see it everyday. It takes a visitor to point out that all the dark skin sisters and brothers are in the service industry.

It's hard in Puerto Rico. There was this Spaniard woman in the elevator of the building where I lived who asked me if I lived there. And poor thing - not only is there one black brother living in the penthouse, but also in the other, lives Tito Trinidad. It gets interesting when we both have our tribes over.

Black Latinos are not respected in Latin America and we will have to get it by defending our rights, much like African Americans struggled in the U.S.

It's hard to find information about our people and history but just like kids research the newest Nintendo game or CD they have to take interest in their story. Be hungry for it.

We need to educate people close to us. I do it one person at a time when language is used and I am offended by it. Sometimes you educate with tenderness, as in the case of my wife, who is not black.

She's learned a lot and is offended when she sees injustices. She gets it. Our children are mixed, but they understand that they are black and what that means. My wife has taught her parents, and siblings, and they, in turn, educate the nephews and nieces. That is how everyone learns.

This is not about rejecting whiteness rather; it's about learning to love our blackness - to love ourselves. We have to say basta ya, it's enough, and find a way to love our blackness. They have confused us - and taught us to hate each other - to self-hate and create divisions on shades and features.

Remember that during slavery, they took the light blacks to work the home, and left the dark ones to work the fields. There is a lot residue of self-hatred.

And each of us has to put a grain in the sand to make it into a movement where we get respect, where we can celebrate our blackness without shame.

It will be difficult but not impossible.

[MiChuhSuh]

I just found out this black girl I know was from Brazil. But she always just said "African American" because everyone sees her as just black.

[A Ghost]

I just found out this black girl I know was from Brazil. But she always just said "African American" because everyone sees her as just black.

Ive heard of times where someone will come to the US from Grenada or Jamaica or some other foriegn country and when you call them "black" or "African-American" they get all pissed like its a bad thing

[rocstar]

I just found out this black girl I know was from Brazil. But she always just said "African American" because everyone sees her as just black.

Ive heard of times where someone will come to the US from Grenada or Jamaica or some other foriegn country and when you call them "black" or "African-American" they get all pissed like its a bad thing

They not African American so that should bother them, but all the Black Latinos and others who think you can only be Black if you live in the U.S or Africa is ridiculous. Black is Black, regardless of your dialect.

[A Ghost]

I just found out this black girl I know was from Brazil. But she always just said "African American" because everyone sees her as just black.

Ive heard of times where someone will come to the US from Grenada or Jamaica or some other foriegn country and when you call them "black" or "African-American" they get all pissed like its a bad thing

They not African American so that should bother them, but all the Black Latinos and others who think you can only be Black if you live in the U.S or Africa is ridiculous. Black is Black, regardless of your dialect.

I think thats what I meant. They hate being called "black"

[johnnnny]

This is a HUGE article, black people from all places are like white people from all places in my opinion. Theres alot of information about latin america goin around on here and yea sounds like the latin/spanish/meztizo/mulatto.... need to straighten out things cause it sounds like just everywhere else in the world...

And I've heard it said that we are on the defensive about race.

No ones on the defensive its just that no one

race

as a whole is evil

It's hard to find information about our people and history but just like kids research the newest Nintendo game or CD they have to take interest in their story. Be hungry for it.

I know of adults with that problem.....

We need to educate people close to us. I do it one person at a time

thats how its done!!!


Can anyone expand on whites controlling jamaica? Could it be compared to south africa?

[carltouss619]

I just found out this black girl I know was from Brazil. But she always just said "African American" because everyone sees her as just black.

Ive heard of times where someone will come to the US from Grenada or Jamaica or some other foriegn country and when you call them "black" or "African-American" they get all pissed like its a bad thing

They not African American so that should bother them, but all the Black Latinos and others who think you can only be Black if you live in the U.S or Africa is ridiculous. Black is Black, regardless of your dialect.

I think thats what I meant. They hate being called "black"

So true, but I dont care me faimlys from Haiti so that would make me Haitian- American but what ever I let people know that Im Black and ethnicity is Haitian. Im proud!

[carltouss619]

and where is the link to this article??

[carltouss619]

and where is the link to this article??

never mind

[rocstar]

So true, but I dont care me faimlys from Haiti so that would make me Haitian- American but what ever I let people know that Im Black and ethnicity is Haitian. Im proud!

Exactly, you're Haitian but you're Black. A Black man from Brazil is Brazilian and a Latino but he is still a Black man. Same as Dominicans, Cubans etc.

[black]

Black is Black, regardless of your dialect.

trill shit.

good post X.

[WIP]

I just found out this black girl I know was from Brazil. But she always just said "African American" because everyone sees her as just black.

I relate totally to this. I dont care for the label african american so I say Im just black.

[se11]

I just found out this black girl I know was from Brazil. But she always just said "African American" because everyone sees her as just black.

why would she say she is "African american" if she is from brazil?

[NICKELS]

I LIKE TEGO CALDERON , REAL DUDE , KNOWS WHERE HES FROM AS A AFRO - LATINO AND KNOWS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN HIM AND OTHER PEOPLE OF HIS COUNTRY (PUERTO RICO ) THAT THERE ARE DIFFERENT RACES THAT LIVED THERE .HES NOT CONFUSED LIKE WHEN YOU SEE A WHITE P.R. SAYING THEY ARE BLACK AND A BLACK - LATINO SAYING THERE NOT BLACK BUT SPANISH .......THE MOST TWISTED PEOPLE EVER. HES A COOL DUDE

[NICKELS]

BLACK LATINOS HAVE THERE OWN CULTURE AND HISTORY FROM THERE ISLANDS AND COUNTRY , WAY DIFFERENT FROM BLACK AMERICANS THEY SHOULD APPRECIATE THAT , CELIA CRUZ - ROBERTO CLEMENTE - TEGO - TITO TRINIDAD - AND STUDY WHAT BLACK - LATINOS DID FOR THEM IN THERE COUNTRY ....JUST LIKE WHITES AND INDIANS LATINO /HISPANICS SHOULD.

[NICKELS]

MOST JUST SAY THEY ARE MIXED WITH ALL 3 RACES AND DONT SEPERATE THERESELVES IN THE STORY OF THERE HISTORY OF PUERTORICO AND SOME OTHER LATIN COUNTRIES , OR POINT OUT THERE RACE IN THE HISTORY LIKE BLACKS DO IN AMERICAN HISTORY , I GOT NO DISILUSION ABOUT ME COMING FROM THE AFRICAN SLAVES , IM PROUD , VERY PROUD ......EVEN THOUGH YOU GOT SOME BLACKS SAYING I GOT INDIAN IN MY FAMILY , IM PART INDIAN ,..... AND THEY LOOK LIKE " WHOOPI GOLDBERG " WITH A PERMED OUT WEAVE ...... I TELL THEM STR8 UP , WHAT INDIAN TRIBE ARE YOUR FROM , " PERM A HO " ......THEY SOUND STUPID AND LOOK STUPID TOO ....LOL

[alexalonso]

Tego is talking about what goes on in the US and other Latin American countries. Although he tried to put Puert Rico in this category, he is exaggerating the conditions of racism there. There is a small black town in Puerto Rico called Loiza, where most people there are negro or black, bot the overwhelming majority of the island are mixed race people of Spanish, black and indian.

Why would a Puerto Rican of mixed race with their own distinct culture say that they are black in the same way that an American black would state? It is very much different. The discrimination on the island is not that pervasive as it is in the US.

[NICKELS]

TEGO LOOK AS MUCH BLACK AS ANY AMERICAN BLACK , BUT I UNDERSTAND YOU WHEN YOU SAY A MIXED PERSON FROM PUERTO RICO , BUT I HAVE MET BLACK PUERTORICANS FROM LOIZA AND THEY ARE PROUD TO SAY THERE FROM THE BLACK PART OF P.R. AND IF ANYBODY WATCHES SPANISH TV CHANNELS YOU CAN PICK UP ON SOME RACISICIM. BUT BLACK - LATINOS IN LATIN COUNTRIES DONT MAKE ENUFF OR ANY NOISE ABOUT IT , LIKE BLACKS IN AMERICA DO. WE ARE MORE OPEN HERE ABOUT IT .

[JelisLust]

Why would a Puerto Rican of mixed race with their own distinct culture say that they are black in the same way that an American black would state? It is very much different. The discrimination on the island is not that pervasive as it is in the US.

Its what they do to fit in and to act feel they have more of a "right" to "act black."

Can't they just say they are a black Hispanic? Bleh...

[Redrag52]

a mixed puertorican or any mixed latino shoudnt insult his self claimin black he has dual ancestry of different races , only a afro - latino should be proud and say it like tego or any other black hispanic ,

[Y.G.]

So true, but I dont care me faimlys from Haiti so that would make me Haitian- American but what ever I let people know that Im Black and ethnicity is Haitian. Im proud!

Exactly, you're Haitian but you're Black. A Black man from Brazil is Brazilian and a Latino but he is still a Black man. Same as Dominicans, Cubans etc.

I THOUGHT BRAZILIAN WEREN'T CONSIDERED LATINOS SINCE THEY ARE PORTUGUESE? BRAZIL HAS OVER 80 MILLION BLACKS IN THE COUNTRY MAJORITY OF THE SLAVESHIPS WERE GOING TO BRAZIL FROM AFRICA.

[NICKELS]

yes there latino , portugese is of the latin peoples of europe , latino / hispanic is anything of or controlled or culturally dominated from latin peoples of europe even language. ( spain - portugese - french - italian - etc. ) spain and portugal started the african slave trade first , brazil has the highest population of blacks outside of africa

[Sentenza]

yes there latino , portugese is of the latin peoples of europe , latino / hispanic is anything of or controlled or culturally dominated from latin peoples of europe even language. ( spain - portugese - french - italian - etc. ) spain and portugal started the african slave trade first , brazil has the highest population of blacks outside of africa

Not to go off topic, but that reminds me of this:

When talking with Brazilian president Fernando Henrique Cardoso, 71, Bush surprisingly asked: "Do you have Blacks too?" Ms. Rice noticed how stunned and surprised Cardoso looked and quickly told Bush that Brazil likely has more blacks than the US and that outside of Africa it was the place with the highest number of blacks. The Brazilian president remarked later that Bush was "still in a learning-phase" when it came to South America."

http://www.seeingblack.com/x071202/wego ... 1202.shtml

[Y.G.]

yes there latino , portugese is of the latin peoples of europe , latino / hispanic is anything of or controlled or culturally dominated from latin peoples of europe even language. ( spain - portugese - french - italian - etc. ) spain and portugal started the african slave trade first , brazil has the highest population of blacks outside of africa

MY NEIGHBOR IS FROM BRAZIL AND HE SAID THAT THEY AREN'T LATINO AND PORTUGUESE DON'T CONSIDER THEMSELVES LATINO THEY DON'T SPEAK SPANISH.

[alexalonso]

TEGO LOOK AS MUCH BLACK AS ANY AMERICAN BLACK , BUT I UNDERSTAND YOU WHEN YOU SAY A MIXED PERSON FROM PUERTO RICO , BUT I HAVE MET BLACK PUERTORICANS FROM LOIZA AND THEY ARE PROUD TO SAY THERE FROM THE BLACK PART OF P.R. AND IF ANYBODY WATCHES SPANISH TV CHANNELS YOU CAN PICK UP ON SOME RACISICIM. BUT BLACK - LATINOS IN LATIN COUNTRIES DONT MAKE ENUFF OR ANY NOISE ABOUT IT , LIKE BLACKS IN AMERICA DO. WE ARE MORE OPEN HERE ABOUT IT .

Tego does not look like a Black American to me. I can look into his face with out hearing him speak and know he is not an American. Also he is not from Loiza. I would say his skin color is lighter than mine but he does have a serious fro. <p>


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[Redrag52]

that dude look like a black man to me !! maybe not from america but hes defintely a blackman , mosdef got the same features , not all black people look alike , wesley snipes dont look like chris brown , master p dont look like bernie mac , morris chestnut dont look like lorenz tate , i can go on and on , i dont know how your trying to put it but look at huey p. newton and compare him to tupac , or stokely carmichael there all black men , how we suppose to look in america black is black no matter where were at in the world

[Redrag52]

man tego look like a skinny ed lover with a afro , that dude is black he can pass for american blood ! they say that about my pops he got weird features and str8 from virginia down south , karl kani is panamainian , he look american black , atonio vargas looks american black hes cuban , fabolous looks american black hes black dominican , i understand tego what hes saying and feeling , and he loves being black and proud

[Redrag52]

man i can look at an african , maybe either a jamiacan and tell there not american

[TheReal]

TEGO LOOK AS MUCH BLACK AS ANY AMERICAN BLACK , BUT I UNDERSTAND YOU WHEN YOU SAY A MIXED PERSON FROM PUERTO RICO , BUT I HAVE MET BLACK PUERTORICANS FROM LOIZA AND THEY ARE PROUD TO SAY THERE FROM THE BLACK PART OF P.R. AND IF ANYBODY WATCHES SPANISH TV CHANNELS YOU CAN PICK UP ON SOME RACISICIM. BUT BLACK - LATINOS IN LATIN COUNTRIES DONT MAKE ENUFF OR ANY NOISE ABOUT IT , LIKE BLACKS IN AMERICA DO. WE ARE MORE OPEN HERE ABOUT IT .

Tego does not look like a Black American to me. I can look into his face with out hearing him speak and know he is not an American. Also he is not from Loiza. I would say his skin color is lighter than mine but he does have a serious fro. <p>


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If Tego isn't black, neither is Michael Eric Dyson, Adam Clayton Powell, Bob Marley, Thurgood Marshall, or Beyonce...

This man looks like a relative on my mother's side of the family, and that's REAL!

From where I'm sitting, this negro's black.

[Redrag52]

he look even more black standing next to fatjoe whos got sandy blond hair , i seen him in the bronx , hes not balding , he hides that sandy blond hair and thins his goatee so the blond hair aint obvious , and he got green eyes. man tego is black as i am , not flavor flav black , but just like you alonso

[TheReal]

he look even more black standing next to fatjoe whos got sandy blond hair , i seen him in the bronx , hes not balding , he hides that sandy blond hair and thins his goatee so the blond hair aint obvious , and he got green eyes. man tego is black as i am , not flavor flav black , but just like you alonso

Me, I am Alonso's color, have a pointed noise, high cheekbones, and straight wavy hair, but I am to believe that this Tego cat, Felix Trinidad, Roberto Clemente, Sammy Sosa, and other black puerto ricans and Latinos ain't black like me, or are less black than me simply because of-I AM AN AFRICAN AMERICAN?

Naw man, you're right, not every black person looks like Flavor Flav, or Wesley, or Whoopi for that matter.

[NICKELS]

somebody asked was puertoricans and dominicans are half black ? check this post i put in another section this should cover the new honorary black people thing , what happens to you if your half white , or got a drop of white blood , am i honorary white ? blacks are the dumping ground for people who they dont care to categorize or choose not too except them in the white race to keepthere selves pure or close too full blooded ......

NOPE you got black dominicans and black puerto ricans and you got , white puerto ricans and and a very few white dominicans , just because you have black people in your country does not make the whole country black that goes for any latin or arab country etc. around the world

who started this honorary black people thing ?????

to be black is to be african , - but now a days its , you too can be black for 19.99 $ in this now limited offer you get a cd on learning the latest slang / ebonics and talk just like black people !!! , and a free dvd on how to braid cornrows and grow dreads , even tips on a perfect square harline . if you act now , we will throw in a free book on how to do the latest black handshakes and learn how to crip walk , the latest dance thats sweeping the nation. * diamond studs and rap music sold seperately * peace out my new brothas welcome to the black race !! LOL LOL what a f--kin joke these days.
l
these are the so - called honorary black people list i guess started in the 1980's cause before that nobody was saying this new dumb sh-t. heres the list of the lost african tribes :

italians
sicilians
puertoricans
arabs
greeks
jews
philipinos
etc.

and al pacino must be black too cause he played carlitos way and scarface two movies base on latinos and hes italian , john gotti looks black to me oh thats right ! hes sicilian so that makes perfect sense people wake up LOL