CLORE's next event will address solidarity work between Latina and Asian women workers, namely factory and sweat shop workers.
What issues do you think go unaddressed in feminist labor movements? How have you seen women of color act at the forefront of demanding living wage jobs, sanitary and healthy work conditions and health care?
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Latinos' Racial Identity and the Census
I found this interesting take on how to capture Latinos' mixed race and mixed-ethnicity heritage in the Census this year.
The 2010 US Census is Here and It Wants to Know: What in the world are you?
By Desi Sánchez (February 13, 2010)
There's been a lot of buzz about the latest Census and how it categorizes Latinos, and there's nothing like well-informed advice from expert sources to help us out when those government packets hit our mailboxes. I recently read an interesting article from the NiLP Network that provided just that, entitled How Can Taino Be Counted in the US Census?, which really sparked my interest and my own not-so-expert opinions on the subject.
The article, and especially its preface note, inspired several concerns about the latest incarnation of the Census and how we as Latinos can classify ourselves in terms of race in the US. One, there is no "mixed race" option, only the option to select more than one race, which is a problem for those of us who do not know our exact racial admixture.
Also, one of the options available, "Black/African American/Negro," may not be a historically or geographically accurate description of many Latinos' African ancestry. And finally, the issue that disturbed me most, was the implication that many Latinos might indeed select only one race, whether it be "white" or "black" or "American Indian," when the reality is that since many of us are racially mixed over several generations, few of us can truly be considered "pure" anything, thus highlighting once more the necessity of a "mixed race" option.
As a Latina whose mixed-race is a big part of my personal identity and family history, I am surprised that there is no mixed-race option for those of us who do not know our exact racial admixture. As a group, Latinos are Mestizo, Mulato, Criollo, or Cuarteado. Some of us have Asian blood or German roots; there could've been direct lines from Spain, or convoluted family histories winding throughout the globe, picking up snippets of DNA along the way as they meandered their way back to Latin America. Yet there is still one thing that unites us racially as Latinos, which ought to be acknowledged on the Census. And that one thing is not racial homogeny, but quite conversely, our general mixed heritage, especially the Spanish/African/Native American mixture which is so very common. And it is such an intrinsic part of our genetic makeup, evidenced by the sheer variety of racial markers, often even between family members, that it seems petty and inaccurate to try and separate and check off each race individually. After so many generations of miscegenation, is "mixed" not a race unto itself?
Adding to the confusion are the cultural connotations behind race, and the conflation of cultural identity with racial background. According to the article's preface, the Afro-Latino Forum at NYU is advocating that Afro-Latinos mark "Black" on the Census. However, do the terms "Black," "African American," or "Negro" accurately describe our African lineage as Latinos? In the US, "Black" and "Negro" do not only imply race or literal skin color, they also imply "African American," African American culture, and the African American community, specifically. And that is not a heritage/culture/history that all African-descended people can necessary relate to.
I fear that Afro-Latinos marking "Black" on the Census may divide and dilute our Latino communities, which have our own history, lineage, and often, ancestry from very specific parts of Africa, that are separate from that of our African American brothers and sisters (as proud, admirable and parallel in many ways as their culture is to ours). And although I am aware that in other parts of the world, "Black" and "Negro" do not have a cultural meaning and are not interchangeable with "African American," this is still, after all, a US Census, not a global Census, so perhaps we should not use terms that have double meanings in our country. Yes, for ease's sake, we can take the Afro-Latino Forum's advice this time around, but I think we should push for a clearer term next Census - perhaps "African" or "African-descended"? Ah, the frustrations of semantics!
And what about those of us Latinos who think we can check off only one option under race (with "mixed" not being one of them) and be done with it? Really? I understand that the Census is based on "self-identifying," but if some of us are picking only "white," and others are picking only "black," and another contingent are picking only "American Indian," that implies a racial purity among individual Latinos that I do not believe is the truly accurate "snapshot" that the Census is trying to achieve. I know you cannot strong-arm people and tell them who or what they are, but somehow, I think we need to establish, if not as Latinos in general, then at least among our smaller subgroups that share a common general racial heritage (Caribbean Latinos, Central Americans, or even more specific populations, like country-by-country, or if necessary, community-by-community) how we are going to represent ourselves as a group.
We need a way to unify ourselves, not just culturally, but racially, so that when two "white" Latino parents have a "black" Latino child (because of mixing generations back), they are not marking off different races for different members of the same family; and so that genetically similar, yet unrelated, mixed individuals are not checking off random and different races from each other, just because of how they "feel." Which brings me back to the "mixed race" option - it may be the only way to unify such a diverse people while remaining accurate.
With the Latino population growing exponentially, and the need for our collective community to be better recognized in government proceedings, programs and legislation, I am happy that the Census Bureau is seemingly more aware of the differences between our people, with separate places to mark off race and Hispanic origin. But perhaps in recognizing our differences, the Census may also be losing sight of our similarities, and even inadvertently lumping some of us in with other ethnic groups.
Thus, I look forward to more accurate terms for the various races, as well as to more inclusive terms for those of us of mixed race. And I would encourage all Latinos to embrace their history, embrace their diversity, and in the absence of a "mixed" race option, to check off as many race options as are applicable, and especially not to assume that what they personally see in the mirror is all there is to their individual heritage. Because after all, "Y tu abuela, ¿donde esta?"
Desi Sanchez is an artist, musician, TV host & native New Yorker, born to Cuban and Dominican parents. Every week, Desi celebrates her fellow Latinos on the nationally syndicated TV show LatiNation, and enjoys imitating silly Monty Python clips and eating mail-order sugar-free chocolate in her free time. She can be contacted at desimanagement@gmail.com and her website is www.DesiSanchez.com.
http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs057/1101040629095/archive/1103039027393.html
The 2010 US Census is Here and It Wants to Know: What in the world are you?
By Desi Sánchez (February 13, 2010)
There's been a lot of buzz about the latest Census and how it categorizes Latinos, and there's nothing like well-informed advice from expert sources to help us out when those government packets hit our mailboxes. I recently read an interesting article from the NiLP Network that provided just that, entitled How Can Taino Be Counted in the US Census?, which really sparked my interest and my own not-so-expert opinions on the subject.
The article, and especially its preface note, inspired several concerns about the latest incarnation of the Census and how we as Latinos can classify ourselves in terms of race in the US. One, there is no "mixed race" option, only the option to select more than one race, which is a problem for those of us who do not know our exact racial admixture.
Also, one of the options available, "Black/African American/Negro," may not be a historically or geographically accurate description of many Latinos' African ancestry. And finally, the issue that disturbed me most, was the implication that many Latinos might indeed select only one race, whether it be "white" or "black" or "American Indian," when the reality is that since many of us are racially mixed over several generations, few of us can truly be considered "pure" anything, thus highlighting once more the necessity of a "mixed race" option.
As a Latina whose mixed-race is a big part of my personal identity and family history, I am surprised that there is no mixed-race option for those of us who do not know our exact racial admixture. As a group, Latinos are Mestizo, Mulato, Criollo, or Cuarteado. Some of us have Asian blood or German roots; there could've been direct lines from Spain, or convoluted family histories winding throughout the globe, picking up snippets of DNA along the way as they meandered their way back to Latin America. Yet there is still one thing that unites us racially as Latinos, which ought to be acknowledged on the Census. And that one thing is not racial homogeny, but quite conversely, our general mixed heritage, especially the Spanish/African/Native American mixture which is so very common. And it is such an intrinsic part of our genetic makeup, evidenced by the sheer variety of racial markers, often even between family members, that it seems petty and inaccurate to try and separate and check off each race individually. After so many generations of miscegenation, is "mixed" not a race unto itself?
Adding to the confusion are the cultural connotations behind race, and the conflation of cultural identity with racial background. According to the article's preface, the Afro-Latino Forum at NYU is advocating that Afro-Latinos mark "Black" on the Census. However, do the terms "Black," "African American," or "Negro" accurately describe our African lineage as Latinos? In the US, "Black" and "Negro" do not only imply race or literal skin color, they also imply "African American," African American culture, and the African American community, specifically. And that is not a heritage/culture/history that all African-descended people can necessary relate to.
I fear that Afro-Latinos marking "Black" on the Census may divide and dilute our Latino communities, which have our own history, lineage, and often, ancestry from very specific parts of Africa, that are separate from that of our African American brothers and sisters (as proud, admirable and parallel in many ways as their culture is to ours). And although I am aware that in other parts of the world, "Black" and "Negro" do not have a cultural meaning and are not interchangeable with "African American," this is still, after all, a US Census, not a global Census, so perhaps we should not use terms that have double meanings in our country. Yes, for ease's sake, we can take the Afro-Latino Forum's advice this time around, but I think we should push for a clearer term next Census - perhaps "African" or "African-descended"? Ah, the frustrations of semantics!
And what about those of us Latinos who think we can check off only one option under race (with "mixed" not being one of them) and be done with it? Really? I understand that the Census is based on "self-identifying," but if some of us are picking only "white," and others are picking only "black," and another contingent are picking only "American Indian," that implies a racial purity among individual Latinos that I do not believe is the truly accurate "snapshot" that the Census is trying to achieve. I know you cannot strong-arm people and tell them who or what they are, but somehow, I think we need to establish, if not as Latinos in general, then at least among our smaller subgroups that share a common general racial heritage (Caribbean Latinos, Central Americans, or even more specific populations, like country-by-country, or if necessary, community-by-community) how we are going to represent ourselves as a group.
We need a way to unify ourselves, not just culturally, but racially, so that when two "white" Latino parents have a "black" Latino child (because of mixing generations back), they are not marking off different races for different members of the same family; and so that genetically similar, yet unrelated, mixed individuals are not checking off random and different races from each other, just because of how they "feel." Which brings me back to the "mixed race" option - it may be the only way to unify such a diverse people while remaining accurate.
With the Latino population growing exponentially, and the need for our collective community to be better recognized in government proceedings, programs and legislation, I am happy that the Census Bureau is seemingly more aware of the differences between our people, with separate places to mark off race and Hispanic origin. But perhaps in recognizing our differences, the Census may also be losing sight of our similarities, and even inadvertently lumping some of us in with other ethnic groups.
Thus, I look forward to more accurate terms for the various races, as well as to more inclusive terms for those of us of mixed race. And I would encourage all Latinos to embrace their history, embrace their diversity, and in the absence of a "mixed" race option, to check off as many race options as are applicable, and especially not to assume that what they personally see in the mirror is all there is to their individual heritage. Because after all, "Y tu abuela, ¿donde esta?"
Desi Sanchez is an artist, musician, TV host & native New Yorker, born to Cuban and Dominican parents. Every week, Desi celebrates her fellow Latinos on the nationally syndicated TV show LatiNation, and enjoys imitating silly Monty Python clips and eating mail-order sugar-free chocolate in her free time. She can be contacted at desimanagement@gmail.com and her website is www.DesiSanchez.com.
http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs057/1101040629095/archive/1103039027393.html
Monday, February 8, 2010
Latinos farmers trying to sue USDA
NPR reports on an important story of discrimination that has not gotten much press: "In Texas and across the Southwest, Hispanic farmers have been fighting the Agriculture Department for close to a decade. The farmers say the department's Farm Services Agency discriminated against them — denying or delaying loans, and refusing to investigate when they cried foul. The government settled a similar complaint brought by African-American farmers for $1 billion. And while the claims of discrimination and other factors are almost identical, the Hispanic farmers have gotten nothing." (emphasis added).
For civil procedure buffs, the story is especially interesting because an important part of the Department of Agriculture's refusal to settle with the Hispanic farmers as a group turns on the denial of class certification of the Hispanic farmers. see Garcia v. Johanns, 444 F.3d 625 (D.C. Cir. 2006), a decision of which they are seeking review in the U.S. Supreme Court; Black farmers had obtained certification of a class and the discrimination claims were resolved on a class-wide basis. Given the court decision not to certify the class, the U.S. government has taken the position that it will settle the claims individually but not as a whole.
TrackBack URL for this entry: http://www.typepad.com/services/trackback/6a00d8341bfae553ef0120a5e883fc970b
MENENDEZ ON USDA DISCRIMINATION AGAINST HISPANIC FARMERS: NEED FOR LAWSUIT SETTLEMENT IS A MATTER OF FAIRNESS AND COMMON SENSE
Video of Menendez’s floor statement in the Senate: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y7q055renrI
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ) yesterday stood on the Senate floor to urge the Administration to provide a settlement in the USDA discrimination lawsuit brought by Hispanic Farmers. Senator Michael Bennet (D-CO) stood in support of the farmers:
“Decades of indifference and discrimination in lending practices at the United States Department of Agriculture have made it difficult for minority farmers – specifically Hispanic farmers -- to make a living at what they love to do – leaving many no choice but to leave the farms and ranches they have tended all their lives.”
“These hard-working farmers, Hispanic families -- who bought a piece of land – built a family farm -- their small piece of the American dream – were wrongly denied loans and other benefits in violation of the Equal Opportunity Act by county committees that review Farm Service Administration credit and loan applications for approval..”
“Consequently, these farmers filed suit in the hope that it would change the discriminatory practices at the USDA – how it treated America’s minority farmers -- but under the Bush Administration nothing changed…”
Earlier this year $1.25 billion was allocated in the Fiscal Year 2010 budget to settle similar outstanding lawsuits by African American farmers in the Pigford v Glickman suit. Earlier this year, in letter to the president (http://menendez.senate.gov/pdf/06202009USDAHispanicFarmersLetter.pdf , eight Senators reminded President Obama that the Food, Conservation and Energy Act of 2008 calls on the administration to resolve outstanding discrimination lawsuits against the USDA brought by Hispanic and other farmers in an expeditious and just manner.
The video of Senator Menendez’s remarks on the Senate floor are available here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y7q055renrI
For civil procedure buffs, the story is especially interesting because an important part of the Department of Agriculture's refusal to settle with the Hispanic farmers as a group turns on the denial of class certification of the Hispanic farmers. see Garcia v. Johanns, 444 F.3d 625 (D.C. Cir. 2006), a decision of which they are seeking review in the U.S. Supreme Court; Black farmers had obtained certification of a class and the discrimination claims were resolved on a class-wide basis. Given the court decision not to certify the class, the U.S. government has taken the position that it will settle the claims individually but not as a whole.
TrackBack URL for this entry: http://www.typepad.com/services/trackback/6a00d8341bfae553ef0120a5e883fc970b
MENENDEZ ON USDA DISCRIMINATION AGAINST HISPANIC FARMERS: NEED FOR LAWSUIT SETTLEMENT IS A MATTER OF FAIRNESS AND COMMON SENSE
Video of Menendez’s floor statement in the Senate: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y7q055renrI
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ) yesterday stood on the Senate floor to urge the Administration to provide a settlement in the USDA discrimination lawsuit brought by Hispanic Farmers. Senator Michael Bennet (D-CO) stood in support of the farmers:
“Decades of indifference and discrimination in lending practices at the United States Department of Agriculture have made it difficult for minority farmers – specifically Hispanic farmers -- to make a living at what they love to do – leaving many no choice but to leave the farms and ranches they have tended all their lives.”
“These hard-working farmers, Hispanic families -- who bought a piece of land – built a family farm -- their small piece of the American dream – were wrongly denied loans and other benefits in violation of the Equal Opportunity Act by county committees that review Farm Service Administration credit and loan applications for approval..”
“Consequently, these farmers filed suit in the hope that it would change the discriminatory practices at the USDA – how it treated America’s minority farmers -- but under the Bush Administration nothing changed…”
Earlier this year $1.25 billion was allocated in the Fiscal Year 2010 budget to settle similar outstanding lawsuits by African American farmers in the Pigford v Glickman suit. Earlier this year, in letter to the president (http://menendez.senate.gov/pdf/06202009USDAHispanicFarmersLetter.pdf , eight Senators reminded President Obama that the Food, Conservation and Energy Act of 2008 calls on the administration to resolve outstanding discrimination lawsuits against the USDA brought by Hispanic and other farmers in an expeditious and just manner.
The video of Senator Menendez’s remarks on the Senate floor are available here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y7q055renrI
Monday, February 1, 2010
No Vote, No Voice: Impact of Disenfranchisement on Communities of Color
Voting is one of the most fundamental rights we enjoy as citizens. The importance implores us all to consider: How could I lose that right? Who has lost that right? Why?
Latino and African-American communities experience these effects due to felony disenfranchisement and obstacles for immigrants (such as waiting lists to become a citizen, and ineligibility to vote while a permanent resident), to name a few. Most states do not allow individuals to vote while incarcerated and many states continue this ban after release, either during probation, parole and/or their entire lifetime. Because a disproportionate number of people of color are subjected to our criminal justice system, communities of color can be left without a meaningful voice when voting. This problem can be compounded where the Census calculates the populations of an area including those incarcerated. This can mean that rural districts with a large state prison can gain influence over the region, while the communities from where the inmates have come are left with fewer constituents. For example, in New York there are five counties with a district that derives more 20% of their population from prisoners. (http://www.prisonersofthecensus.org/nycounties/) Even more alarming is that many people are not advised that they can regain their voting rights upon completion of probation or parole.
Check out this link to see a state-by-state picture of felony disenfranchisement: http://www.sentencingproject.org/map/map.cfm
I am thrilled to have the opportunity to engage in a discussion with Juan Cartagena and Angelo Falcon, exploring disenfranchisement and political empowerment on a local and national level. See the following link for more information about the program: http://www.law.cuny.edu/clinics/JusticeInitiatives/clore/events-upcoming/NoVoteNoVoice.pdf
Welcome to our blog!
Welcome to the official launch of the CLORE blog! We'll be posting reactions, commentary, analysis and discussions of both CLORE-sponsored events and current issues affecting the Latino community.
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