Cultura y noticias hispanas del Valle del Hudson
Gabriela Portas
Cultural Uprooting and Latino Stereotypes
Por Elizabeth Liotta
September 2024 "At 23 years old, while I was with my white American friends, I overheard an unknown man speak disparagingly about Latinos. He insinuated that one of my friends and I should have children to counter the number of children that, according to him, Hispanic immigrants were having! My anger was immediate and deep, so much so that I had to walk away. The anger was felt in my blood and bones. That’s when I think my identification with Latinidad was quite primal,” said Gabriela Portas, a multicultural Venezuelan psychologist, recalling a negative racial comment she heard firsthand.
Although the Latino community encompasses a wide racial diversity, the physical stereotypes that many Americans associate with Hispanic people tend to be very specific. To highlight our rich phenotypic variety, here we present the bicultural perspective of Gabriela along with those of sociologists Frank Montalvo and Edward Codina, as well as examples from the novel "Passing" by Nella Larsen, which was adapted into a film by Rebecca Hall.
Stereotypes are usually associated with various categories, but since the United States is one of the main destinations for Hispanic immigrants, it’s important to understand how we are perceived in this country. Many Americans have a “typical” image of Latinos, perhaps someone with brown skin and dark hair, but this perception is partly due to the lack of diversity in the representation of Latinos in media and film, which perpetuates these stereotypes.
While the largest Latino group in the United States is Mexican, the Latino population from other countries continues to grow every day. Not all Hispanics look like Mexicans; in fact, in the 33 countries of Latin America and the Caribbean, there is a vast multiplicity of traditions, customs, languages, and ethnicities. Hispanics come in all colors and with so many different countries, we can’t all look the same, much less have the same history.
Sociologists Frank Montalvo and Edward Codina explain in the academic journal "Ethnicities" that many Latinos understand "race" as equivalent to their nationality, culture, family socialization, place of birth, skin color, ethnicity, or a combination of these factors. However, these broad definitions differ from those in the United States, which primarily divides the racial spectrum into the two physical extremes of white and black (or non-white), which obviously has little to do with the ambiguity and racial diversity that exists in Latin America.
The sociologists explain that our racial heterogeneity has its roots in colonial times when the "caste" system in Mexico allowed white Spanish men to have children with native and African women, giving rise to mestizo children (a mix of white and indigenous) and mulattoes (a mix of white and African). According to Montalvo and Codina, these children represented a threat to the social order imposed by Europeans, which led to the emergence of racial stereotypes towards mestizos. The upper classes were no longer exclusively reserved for white people, but arbitrarily, regardless of physical appearance, it could be decided who was considered Spanish or native.
The complexity of the racial mixtures of our ancestors leads us to question today: what happens when Latino people have more than one racial identity? For example, Gabriela Portas, whose mother was born in Holland and her father in Venezuela, shares her experience growing up in a multicultural family. “Personally, I’ve had a mixed process, but mostly marked by immigration and the subsequent internal displacement of my identity. First in Venezuela, I identified more as a white person (without using the term "white" because I didn’t yet have the context for this word). Then upon emigrating, as Latina. This was complemented by an initial attempt to 'pass' (be accepted) in the dominant culture. Not fitting in well despite my skin color (differentiated by culture, language, customs, values, desires, longings), little by little I began to return to my Latinidad, until in adolescence (coinciding with returns to Venezuela every summer) I took my Latin identity as a strength, something to be proud of. It wasn’t really a racial identity, but rather a cultural one,” she explained.
Gabriela’s assimilation process in the United States was especially complicated due to her mixed cultural identity, but even more so because of the time she had spent away from Venezuela. This phenomenon is called “cultural uprooting,” and refers to the loss or separation of a person from their culture of origin. This term can apply to individuals or communities who, for various reasons, are forced to abandon their practices, values, traditions, language, and way of life. The causes of cultural uprooting can include migration, forced displacement due to conflicts or natural disasters, colonization, globalization, and assimilation policies imposed by governments or other authorities.
The consequences of cultural uprooting can be profound and varied, including feelings of alienation, loss of identity, and difficulties in adapting to new cultures. It can also lead to the disappearance of ancestral languages and traditions, affecting the cultural heritage of entire communities. When Gabriela recognized her disconnection from her primary culture, she decided to reclaim her Venezuelan cultural identity and return to her country whenever possible. In this way, she was able to reconnect with her Spanish language, her Caracas accent, the typical food of Venezuela, and countless valuable customs that help her stay close to her roots even while being far from home.
Another example of cultural uprooting is found in the novel "Passing" by Nella Larsen, adapted into a film by Rebecca Hall. The story tells the life of two New York friends, Irene and Clare, both of black descent but with features that allow them to pass as white. Clare decides to live as white and adopt a completely different racial identity, while Irene chooses to honor her African-American heritage. Clare seems to enjoy passing as white and taking advantage of all the benefits that come with it. However, after long conversations, Irene realizes that Clare misses her childhood in Harlem, New York, where she grew up immersed in African-American customs, language, and food. Irene becomes aware of the deep cultural uprooting that Clare experiences for having married a racist white man who calls her "Nig" as a nickname. This realization leads Irene to reflect on the high cost Clare has had to pay for her identity.
While the novel illustrates an example of cultural uprooting by choice, the phenomenon that Gabriela experienced happened due to her experiences in a bicultural immigrant family. The assimilation process was much more complex for her as she had to “deconstruct and understand white identity as another important process of internal development, and recognize the privilege of appearing this way and the ways in which I haven’t recognized it.” Clare, on the other hand, lives with the consequences of having turned her back on her black identity, which manifests as constant longing for the environment she once called home. These are some of the results of cultural uprooting: the feeling of being in a place where one doesn’t belong, and after spending so much time away from home, returning and feeling that one has changed or no longer belongs to either place. This intermediate quality, like a sort of "limbo," is what makes cultural uprooting so difficult to face.
Perhaps it was already said by Facundo Cabral in his songs: I’m not from here nor am I from there…
*The novel "Passing" by Nella Larsen is available at the Poughkeepsie Public Library System libraries tinyurl.com/yw4vut54
*The article "Skin Color and Latinos in the United States" from the academic journal “Ethnicities” is available in the JTORE digital library at doi.org/10.1177/146879680100100303 COPYRIGHT 2024
La Voz, Cultura y noticias hispanas del Valle de Hudson
Stereotypes are usually associated with various categories, but since the United States is one of the main destinations for Hispanic immigrants, it’s important to understand how we are perceived in this country. Many Americans have a “typical” image of Latinos, perhaps someone with brown skin and dark hair, but this perception is partly due to the lack of diversity in the representation of Latinos in media and film, which perpetuates these stereotypes.
While the largest Latino group in the United States is Mexican, the Latino population from other countries continues to grow every day. Not all Hispanics look like Mexicans; in fact, in the 33 countries of Latin America and the Caribbean, there is a vast multiplicity of traditions, customs, languages, and ethnicities. Hispanics come in all colors and with so many different countries, we can’t all look the same, much less have the same history.
Sociologists Frank Montalvo and Edward Codina explain in the academic journal "Ethnicities" that many Latinos understand "race" as equivalent to their nationality, culture, family socialization, place of birth, skin color, ethnicity, or a combination of these factors. However, these broad definitions differ from those in the United States, which primarily divides the racial spectrum into the two physical extremes of white and black (or non-white), which obviously has little to do with the ambiguity and racial diversity that exists in Latin America.
The sociologists explain that our racial heterogeneity has its roots in colonial times when the "caste" system in Mexico allowed white Spanish men to have children with native and African women, giving rise to mestizo children (a mix of white and indigenous) and mulattoes (a mix of white and African). According to Montalvo and Codina, these children represented a threat to the social order imposed by Europeans, which led to the emergence of racial stereotypes towards mestizos. The upper classes were no longer exclusively reserved for white people, but arbitrarily, regardless of physical appearance, it could be decided who was considered Spanish or native.
The complexity of the racial mixtures of our ancestors leads us to question today: what happens when Latino people have more than one racial identity? For example, Gabriela Portas, whose mother was born in Holland and her father in Venezuela, shares her experience growing up in a multicultural family. “Personally, I’ve had a mixed process, but mostly marked by immigration and the subsequent internal displacement of my identity. First in Venezuela, I identified more as a white person (without using the term "white" because I didn’t yet have the context for this word). Then upon emigrating, as Latina. This was complemented by an initial attempt to 'pass' (be accepted) in the dominant culture. Not fitting in well despite my skin color (differentiated by culture, language, customs, values, desires, longings), little by little I began to return to my Latinidad, until in adolescence (coinciding with returns to Venezuela every summer) I took my Latin identity as a strength, something to be proud of. It wasn’t really a racial identity, but rather a cultural one,” she explained.
Gabriela’s assimilation process in the United States was especially complicated due to her mixed cultural identity, but even more so because of the time she had spent away from Venezuela. This phenomenon is called “cultural uprooting,” and refers to the loss or separation of a person from their culture of origin. This term can apply to individuals or communities who, for various reasons, are forced to abandon their practices, values, traditions, language, and way of life. The causes of cultural uprooting can include migration, forced displacement due to conflicts or natural disasters, colonization, globalization, and assimilation policies imposed by governments or other authorities.
The consequences of cultural uprooting can be profound and varied, including feelings of alienation, loss of identity, and difficulties in adapting to new cultures. It can also lead to the disappearance of ancestral languages and traditions, affecting the cultural heritage of entire communities. When Gabriela recognized her disconnection from her primary culture, she decided to reclaim her Venezuelan cultural identity and return to her country whenever possible. In this way, she was able to reconnect with her Spanish language, her Caracas accent, the typical food of Venezuela, and countless valuable customs that help her stay close to her roots even while being far from home.
Another example of cultural uprooting is found in the novel "Passing" by Nella Larsen, adapted into a film by Rebecca Hall. The story tells the life of two New York friends, Irene and Clare, both of black descent but with features that allow them to pass as white. Clare decides to live as white and adopt a completely different racial identity, while Irene chooses to honor her African-American heritage. Clare seems to enjoy passing as white and taking advantage of all the benefits that come with it. However, after long conversations, Irene realizes that Clare misses her childhood in Harlem, New York, where she grew up immersed in African-American customs, language, and food. Irene becomes aware of the deep cultural uprooting that Clare experiences for having married a racist white man who calls her "Nig" as a nickname. This realization leads Irene to reflect on the high cost Clare has had to pay for her identity.
While the novel illustrates an example of cultural uprooting by choice, the phenomenon that Gabriela experienced happened due to her experiences in a bicultural immigrant family. The assimilation process was much more complex for her as she had to “deconstruct and understand white identity as another important process of internal development, and recognize the privilege of appearing this way and the ways in which I haven’t recognized it.” Clare, on the other hand, lives with the consequences of having turned her back on her black identity, which manifests as constant longing for the environment she once called home. These are some of the results of cultural uprooting: the feeling of being in a place where one doesn’t belong, and after spending so much time away from home, returning and feeling that one has changed or no longer belongs to either place. This intermediate quality, like a sort of "limbo," is what makes cultural uprooting so difficult to face.
Perhaps it was already said by Facundo Cabral in his songs: I’m not from here nor am I from there…
*The novel "Passing" by Nella Larsen is available at the Poughkeepsie Public Library System libraries tinyurl.com/yw4vut54
*The article "Skin Color and Latinos in the United States" from the academic journal “Ethnicities” is available in the JTORE digital library at doi.org/10.1177/146879680100100303 COPYRIGHT 2024
La Voz, Cultura y noticias hispanas del Valle de Hudson
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