Same Ship, Different Trip 

Same Ship, Different Trip

Same Ship, Different Trip
Source: BlackPlanet.com found on migente.com
by Adam Caleb
10.12.05

It's important because we are all brothers and sisters in the same struggle," states the 21-year old Florida resident. "Just because Afro-Latinos speak Spanish doesn't mean that they are a different race from the rest of the Diaspora."

In recent years, more Latinos of African descent are beginning to take a stand and speak out on their impact on Latino culture as well as discuss the hardships of being Spanish-speaking Black people.

Mirabel, who is of Puerto Rican heritage and hails from the same town as another Afro-Puerto Rican, baseball great Roberto Clemente, uses the expression "same ship, different trip" in regards to reason why blacks are in many different parts of the world and not exclusive to the United States and the English and French-speaking Caribbean islands. What many American blacks fail to realize is how closely linked they are with Afro-Latinos or that Afro-Latinos even exist. In fact, the Global Afro Latino and Caribbean Initiative estimates that Afro-Latino Americans total around 150 million with the Portuguese-speaking nation of Brazil having the highest amount of Blacks followed by Colombia.

So, is there a difference between Latinos and Afro-Latinos? It should be understood by all that according to the U.S. Census Bereau, the Latinos/Hispanics are grouped together based solely on the language they speak, mainly Spanish and Portugese. However, Latinos can be of any race including white, Mestizo (AmerIndian/White), black, AmerIndian, Asian, as well as people who have ancestry to more than racial group.

Many people make the common assumption that Latinos are of a darker hue tend to be from the Dominican Republic or that they aren't Latino at all. Mirabal has experienced this many times. While attending Hispanic Heritage Month events in the past he states, "sometimes people will assume that I am African American coming to the festivities. Other times, I have had people say to me 'tu eres Dominicano, verdad?' or 'you're Dominican, right?' as if only Dominicans are dark Spanish-speakers."

The African impact on Latino culture is felt in many forms. For example, Santeria, which is based off many Yoruba religious traditions, is heavily practiced in Cuba and Puerto Rico, while its counterpart Vodun (Voodoo) is practiced the Dominican Republic. In music arena, Salsa incorporates many African instruments and rhythms and is popular in the aforementioned Cuba, Puerto Rico, as well Colombia, Venezuela, and Panama. Another African based musical genre formed in Latin America is Cumbia, which is performed mainly in South America. If Africa made its impact in music then it surely made one in dance, correct? Yes. In fact, the national dance of Argentina, the tango, gets its roots from the Afro-Argentines who are descendants of African slaves brought to the South American nation. An additional kind of music that has African ties to it is the ever-popular Merengue, which was developed in the Dominican Republic.

There are also quite a few Latinos of African descent that are well-received in their native lands as well as abroad. Names that comes to mind are baseball players David Ortiz of the Boston Red Sox and Alfonso Soriano of the Texas Rangers, both from the Dominican Republic; the "Queen of Salsa" Celia Cruz and actress Gina Torres from Cuba; Salsa singer Ismael Rivera and boxer Felix "Tito" Trinidad from Puerto Rico; legendary Salsa group Grupo Niche from Colombia; soccer icon Edson Arantes do Nascimento but better known as "Pele" and senator Benedita de Silva from Brazil; and many others.

Striking similarities can be found between Black History Month and Latino Heritage Month such as origin. Harvard scholar Carter G. Woodson decided to celebrate the contributions of Blacks to American society and created Black History Month, now commonly known as African-American History month. It now observes the history of blacks in the English and French-speaking Caribbean nations as well as the African continent. Originally called Negro History Week, Woodson formed it as a weeklong observance because Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln have birthdays that fall during the second week of February. According to an article featured on MiGente.com, Hispanic Heritage Month started as a weeklong celebration as well. In 1968, Congress announced that Hispanic heritage would be honored in the first week of September. In 1988, former President Ronald Reagan extended it to a month. The festivities begin on September 15 and end on October 15. This is due to the fact five Latin countries (Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua) celebrate their independence from Spain on the start date.

Another point of similarity can be found in the methods of celebration. Both cultures place an empashis on educating the masses on specific minority achievemnts. The time is jam-packed with different forms of celebration such as festivals, seminars, and concerts. Both African Americans and Latinos take great pride in celebrating their respective months, and possess strong feelings about the time and duration of the celebrations. For instance, since the inception of Black History Month, African-Americans have had an issue with the fact that black achievements are acknowledged during the shortest month on the calendar. Latinos, on the other hand have expressed their displeasures on why their month to celebrate takes place during a span of four weeks and not dedicated solely to a single month.

So, should Black Americans be interested in Latino Heritage Month? Ronnie Brown from Inglewood, CA, believes so.

"I think the accomplishments of Afro-Latinos should be incorporated within Black History Month because we are a global people, we are a part of a Diaspora," he states. He also added that, "It's also important that African-Americans and other non-Spanish speaking blacks celebrate Afro-Latino Heritage Month for the same reason, since we are of African descent. Our Africanness is expressed through whatever language we happen to speak. Our very presence Africanizes the culture."

For Mirabal, again, he feels that black Americans should embrace Afro-Latinos and their culture. "Afro-Latinos get thrown into the closet during Hispanic Heritage Month (excluding token blacks like Celia Cruz) and then aren't really recognized during Black History Month. While Black History month is a time to recognize the history of American blacks, I think Afro-Latinos who have made an impact stateside should get some recognition as well."

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At this time I would like to honor Afro-Boricuas:

Pedro Albizu Campos 'El Maestro': Leader and President of the Puerto Rican Nationalist Party. He was an avid advocate of Puerto Rican independence from the United States by what ever means necessary. Campos earned many degrees from Harvard.

Miguel Piñero: Playwright, Poet, Actor, Co-founder of the Nuyorican Poets Cafe. Piñero also produced the first Broadway hit play by a Latino 'Short Eyes' in 1974. The play was nominated for six Tony Awards. It won the New York Critics Circle Award and an Obie Award for the "best play of the year." A Hollywood movie was made titled 'Piñero' in 2001. The movie was about the troubled life of Nuyorican poet and Playwright Miguel Piñero. It was directed and written by Leon Ichaso. Co-Produced by John Leguizamo.

Piri Thomas: Writer, Poet also Co-founder of the Nuyorican Poets Cafe. Author of "Down These Mean Streets."

Pedro Pietri: Poet, Playwright, Co-founder of the Nuyorican Poets Cafe. His most renown poem "Puerto Rican Obituary". The poem which was published in 1973. He was also apart of the Puerto Rican Civil Rights activist group called the Young Lords Party. He is author of "The Masses Are Asses" published in 2003. It was performed in 1974 at Miriam Colon's Puerto Rican Travelling Theatre in Manhattan.

Afro-Cubanos:

Antonio Maceo: Maceo was the second-in-command of the Cuban army of independence. Known as "the Titan of Bronze", Maceo was one of the outstanding guerrilla leaders in nineteenth century Latin America. Maceo fought for Cuban liberation against spain and for the abolition of slavery.

Ibrahim Ferrer: Popular Afro-Cuban Musician in Cuba and world wide. His group 'The Buena Vista Social Club' won a Grammy Award in 1999.