After watching the video "Black In Latin America", I read some of the comments posted by other viewers. Some expressed anger towards the host saying that he was politically incorrect, others thought he went about the documentary the wrong way, and the rest congratulated him on bringing this issue to light. But all of these responders had one thing in common: they spoke of their pride towards being black, or part black, or accepting and valuing their background. I agree that it is wrong to reject your heritage because it means you are also denying other parts of you. Whether you are tri-racial, biracial, or mixed, you should be proud of your upbringings and ancestors.
Unfortunately appearance is the first thing you see, and appearance is judged in our world. This is why society makes us want to hide "the black grandma in the closet", because society has always looked down upon darker skinned people. Even in India and China, the majority of the population wears long clothing to conceal their skin so they do not get darker because of the sun. The issue of racism is so controversial. In the United States, people flock outside in the summer to tan as much as possible, yet we then judge and look down upon those with dark skin. Even complexion and hair type are reckoned when dealing with the definition of race.
I enjoyed your thoughtful comment!
ReplyDeleteI agree that one's appearance plays a significant role in determining everything from social standing to perhaps even economic status. The tricky question to me is can we, as a nation, preserve the richness of our cultural diversity while at the same avoid the prejudices that have haunted us in the past?