Afro-Latinx
or Afro-Latin [ af-roh-luh-tee-neks] or [af-roh-lat-n ]
What does Afro-Latin mean?
Afro-Latin refers to people from Latin American countries with African ancestry.
In both Latin America and the United States, this population is usually coded as being Black.
Where does Afro-Latinx come from?
Afro-Latin, and other identifiers like the Spanish afrodescendientes (those of African descent), have long been used by governments and academics for Latin American people with African roots. Due to slavery and colonization, there are large populations of Afro-Latin people in Latin America, including Mexico, the Caribbean, Colombia, and Brazil.
In English, Afro-Latin is recorded in the early 1900s and by the 1950s, was frequently referring to
Afro-Latin music, especially jazz.
Interest in the term Afro-Latin grew in the United States throughout the early 2000s. Organizations like NACLA (North American Congress on Latin America), the Pew Research Center, and various universities began publishing articles about demographic.
As racial discourse expanded in the 2010s, so did the use of Afro-Latin. Entertainers like Christina Milian, Gina Torres, and Laz Alonso spoke out about the complexities of their particularAfro-Latin identity. Milian notably said on the issue in 2015: “As far as Afro-Cuban [goes], I’m finding more and more that there’s people opening their eyes to seeing that. Latinos come in all colors, all shades.”
Examples of Afro-Latinx
I think ‘Pose’ on FX may be the most AfroLatin centered programming out right now. I don’t think I’ve ever seen that many main characters that are AfroLatina in one show.
This is significant when you consider that Spanish-language media continues to overlook Afro-Latinos for roles. Univision only recently promoted Ilia Calderón to prime-time anchor, making her the first Afro-Latina to hold the role. It’s not just that the media continues to erase this population, but it’s that it also perpetuates stereotypes.
Who uses Afro-Latinx?
Afro-Latin identities are complex and multifaceted. Afro-Latin is often specified by one’s particular Latin American origin or heritage, e.g., Afro-Dominican or Afro-Mexican.
Afro-Latinx and Afro-Latin@ is commonly used by as a more inclusive, nonbinary term than Afro-Latino or Afro-Latina in Spanish.
AfroLatin@s recount to me horrible,hateful things their own FAMILY members say to them:"too dark" "bad hair" "but LatAm is "tolerant" right?
— Dash (@DiasporaDash) July 14, 2014
Afro-Latin frequently comes up in popular media in discussions about the racism and colorism such persons face—but also by Afro-Latin people very proud of their identity and heritage.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BCGHPG-HLhm/
NOTE
This is not meant to be a formal definition of Afro-Latinx like most terms we define on Dictionary.com, but is rather an informal word summary that hopefully touches upon the key aspects of the meaning and usage of Afro-Latinx that will help our users expand their word mastery.
