Somewhere In Between

This week, in listening to the poem, "Nigger-Reecan Blues" by Willie Perdomo, I was shocked by his perception of how Anglo American, African American, and Puerto Ricans see him. He talked about how people always ask him "What are you?" How people assume he is black, or arab, or mixed, but never Puerto Rican. I found that interesting because when I first saw him, I too assumed he was just a lighter skinned black person. I didn't believe he was Puerto Rican until he started speaking Spanish. Perdomo also discussed how people don't even accept his heritage and only acknowledge him as a black man. A lot of African Americans go by the "one drop" rule, where basically, as long as you have one drop of African American blood in you, you are seen as a black   person.

One thing I didn't realize was how people for are Afro-Latino aren't accepted by either ethnic group. In all honesty, African Americans accept Puerto Ricans until they start to speak Spanish. The difference in language separates the two. Initially, African Americans and Puerto Ricans have their struggles in common. The idea of both being a part of the working class and having to deal with racism unites them. Once language comes into play, African Americans disconnect from Latinos because at the end of the day, Latinos can embrace their Hispanic heritage. They can also embrace the fact that they are foreigners, which is something African Americans can not do.

 
Willie Perdomo talked about how women hold their purses tightly when he stand next to them, and how cab drivers avoid servicing him. It goes back to what Roberto Santiago said in his essay, "Black and Latino" when he is told that even if he isn't accepted by the black community or the Hispanic community, he will always be treated like he is a black man. Although African Americans don't always accept Afro Latinos, their African heritage will still be acknowledged through racism and prejudice.

Works Cited

Paposwiggity. Perdermo, Willie. "Nigger-Reecan Blues". Youtube. 2010.

"One-Drop Rule." BlackHistory.com - Celebrating Black History Month - Every Month!. <http://blackhistory.com/content/63228/one-drop-rule>.

Santiago, Roberto. "Black and Latino". Revelations: An Anthology of Expository Essays By and About Blacks. Pearson Custom Publishing. 2010.