What Does It Mean To Be “Afro Latina?” 5 Latinx Women Discuss Embracing Their Black Identity

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afro latina women

Source: George Malave / Courtesy of Maria Aponte

Maria Aponte

Poet, Founder and President of Latina 50 Plus

Culture. History. Legacy. Language. These are some of the words that come to me when I think of the term Afro-Latina. I grew up in a time where the term Afro-Latina didn’t exist, but over the decades as I got involved with community arts and started out as poet at the Nuyorican Poets Café, identity and culture became my soul. It was what centered me. I am a Brown/Black Puerto Rican woman who had to learn how to navigate racial injustice and stereotypes about Latinas. I will always embrace the term Afro-Latina in honor of our ancestors — those who opened many doors for our younger generations today.

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