Afrolatino: The Untaught Story

Monday, 26 April 2010 19:36

Alicia Santos was born and raised in Brooklyn. Both of her parents are proud Dominicans and the mix of cultures led Santos to become confused about who she was and where she fit in.

“I grew up in a very Dominican household,” Santos said. “It was very clear that outside of the walls of my home you could be whoever you want, but within those walls it’s the Dominican Republic. We never spoke English in the house and we ate Latin food every night.”

Santos never had an issue with her culture or fitting in until she started going to school.

“I didn’t see myself as different until I went to elementary school and saw other kids. I was too dark to be white, and too light to be black. There was no ‘Latino, Latina’ back then. So when I was asked, I just said I was black,” Santos said.

The confusion about race, culture and skin color even carried into her home life.

Darker skin is sometimes looked down upon in many different cultures, Santos explained.

“I was always told that I had to marry someone lighter than me to refine the race,” Santos said.

During all of her confusion about race and skin color, Santos married a white man.

“I married a white man to be accepted in the white world, and in order to be accepted in the white world, I had to give up all things Latina,” said Santos.

While married, Santos and her husband had a daughter, Courtney, and divorced when Courtney was two years old.

“I just realized I was trying to be something I’m not,” Santos said as she talked about what prompted the divorce.“I was watching an awards show one day and saw Marc Anthony give his speech. He just kept talking about how grateful he is and how proud of his Puerto Rican roots he is. It changed my life.” 

"I know who I am now,” Santos added.

Now, Santos is very comfortable with who she is and where she fits in.

“I’ve raised my daughter, who is now 18, in a very Dominican household as well. She is light skinned with straight hair, but she knows where she comes from, we have our flags around the house. The only difference is that I’ve raised her to speak her mind and ask questions. In most Latino households, the children are taught to be seen, not heard.”

Now, Santos is completing her documentary, “Afro Latino: The Untaught Story,” hoping to sell it to PBS. Once finished with her documentary, Santos plans to move to Latin America to fight in the feminism movement and start literacy groups for women.

“I want women to come to Latin America and train the women there how to fight for their voices like we did here in the U.S.”

Below, Alicia Santos talks about the project Afro Latino.

Written by Laurann Julia Faye Robinson You are reading Afrolatino: The Untaught Story articles