Black in Latin America! Film 3.

Retrieved from: https://www.amazon.com/Black-in-Latin-America/dp/B00DKRZEN8 

Black in Latin America

By Henry Louis Gates, Jr.

In each of the countries, Dominican Republic/Haiti, Cuba, Brazil, Mexico/Peru visited by Henry Louis Gates, Jr. to compare what the country says about race vs the history and daily living of black people specifically.

1.- How was Gender/ Race/ Class represented in the film?

Race was the issue studied in this documentary. Based on historical findings on each country, interviews from diverse historians or key people. The visiting of the place to feel their daily lives. The visiting included places of interest in the history of the black slaves brought during colonial times. He also visited cities or small towns where the black resides to keep its culture, capital cities, downtowns, hotels, churches, places where their music and dance was displayed, restaurants, plantations remains, historical sites, statues depicting their heroes from independency, libraries, important black people with history to share, etc.

It was represented as an societal issue that the government and people on those countries either embrace it and paid the consequences or they denied it until it was none taken anymore by the population, or hidden to some extend, out of side out of mind type of scenario.

Photo retrieved from: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/what-it-means-to-be-afro-latino_n_6690032 

2.- Where these concepts encountered as issues and how were they addressed? Where this issues resolved by the end of the film?

The issue of race was the one investigated on these 4 part documentary: 

• In Haiti the country fully embrace their african roots, through Vodou they combine their diverse african background and cultures into one. They fought for freedom of slavery and independance from French. Sadly, they never get to advance as a country. The opportunity seems to be denied and cut not just from outside, because of racism, but also from inside by despotic leaders. From the outsiders racism never got resolved, Haiti still is one of the poorer countries. Still waiting for the aid money promised to help after the earthquake. Haiti “doom” was even used as an example to any nation that want it to get freedom and slavery abolition by black.

• In Dominican Republic the country respect their colonials and are proud of their mixed race, for them, they have many shades of brown and black skin color. Their music, merengue, represents a mixed of Spain with the guitar, Africa with the tambour, and the Dominican republic instrument; all coming together giving birth to merengue. In Dominican Republic their dark skin is called indio, maybe a way to deny the fact they are black or have some black in their blood. They claim as their mother land Spain in contrast with Haiti their other half of the island occupancy whom claim Africa as their mother land. The issue of racism was never resolved, the africans concentrated mainly in one place to preserve the culture which they called Brotherhood. Struggle for independence might created this denial, because they first proclaim independence is from Haiti, the other side of the island not from Spain. This might lead to deny anything that will attach them to the black, who were their main oppressors.

• Cuba another country colonized by Spain who also brought a mass population of slaves, about a million, to work the sugar plantations after the “fall of Haiti”. A multirace country in which Castro on his beginnings claimed to put an end to racism. Black people in the country claim that prejudices never left. In Cuba part of their culture and embraced of African roots are through “Santeria” and the Son music, a mixed that speaks about their African and European roots. Historically in 1868 the first man of color in Cuba is a General that will fight to help on their independence “a Cuba for Cubans.” There was no difference from white or black to make independence possible; but the settlement of the US induce diverse changes among them. The separation of “white” and “black” in the army per se. When Castro takes power he promised to eliminate racism, but it was not spoken openly was just lived, in many ways the split in race led by local elite racist and the US stick around and still is a distinct differentiation, salary is lower, the cheaper currency is the one used to pay them, the work places for the darker skinned is limited. As we see it was not resolved at the end of the documentary. Cuban is just a complex multicolored country.

• Brazil called the rainbow nation did not denied their african roots, since Portugal believe that wealth was shown by the quantity of slaves, just to Brazil they imported 5 million to work on the plantations. The africans in Brazil kept and enhance their culture by creating Capoeira a mixed of African music, martial art, and Samba, with this dance they will practice self defense, keep themselves in shape, and will hold to their roots. As in the other countries who were colonized and independent later there was a process at-rooting the African culture, but also at the end is presented as part of the freedom but even thought there was a racial democracy, institutions added the quota between 20% and 40%, still a big gap in reality when the wage still lower, the career path is limited, the opportunity for climbing the ladder is limited, and the workplace limited, too. The author, suggested that the institutionalization of the affirmative action could be a better pathway. On their mind there is hope but the road is long.

• 

  Retrieved from: http://cmforagile.blogspot.com 

  Mexico seems to not have any African roots, but colonial times said otherwise in this country their motherland decided to whitening the country by importing thousands of white Europeans to the point that many had no idea that “grandma was black”, when the pictures were taken and any of their grandparents were not there, one might guess the reason but they said “grandma was in the closet” because of her color. The racial categorization was erased officially. It disappear from birth, death, and marriage certificates. According to history and those interviewed they all still waiting for recognition, not even in the census African race in any way is part of the options. At the end racial categorizing vanished but not racism.

• Peru, the Inca civilization. Historically had Lima named the black city town. African slave trading was done in Lima and it increased as the wealth of the country was exploited by their colonizers. Peruvians claim that their treatment to the African slaves was not as it was in other countries but there was different if work on the plantations or ranching, on ranching they seem equal as their master in clothing, using horses, work around the ranch and the “freedom” to mixed themselves, have children with their slaves or intermarriage. Something unique happen in Peru recently, it became the first country in Central and South America where the government made a public apology to all African descendants for their treatment since colonial times. Claiming to be a free country. But, racism is visible everywhere, even in the media through cartoons and the lack of educational advancement of those of color. The issue is not resolved but many feel hopeful because now they feel visible, their invisibility ended, now they battled for integration and connection in a multiracial heritage.

3.- How has this cinematic depiction strengthened or weakened your definitions and understanding of these constructs?

First, it brought sadness for the way things were the same, even in these countries were any visitor feel their warmth, happy, and pleasant ways. How in order to keep its roots they have to segregate to some towns and be “separated” from the rest of those who fought with them for liberty. 

Secondly, It reaffirmed in me how music and food talks about heritage louder than we can imagine. It amazed me how this Cuban woman by visiting another country, find herself questioning her heritage. Asking to self if her great or grandparents might have been black, Africans, just by the food she ate and, remember eat it before at grandmas’. I loved that part. Now I have the curiosity to find out how it was in my country, because the pattern seem very similar. This documentary brought a lot of sad memories but also a pain in my heart that I could not explain. 

I long more and more for that day when I can see you with loving eyes and a heart full of joy as I see my siblings, when tears of joy for seeing you again will flow. When we can sit at the same table and I will not try to hide or protect “my things” from you, where we could talk and have fun without jokes that will hurt you, when seeing you will be like seeing Jesus. When my biases are overthrown by love. I long for that day my brother, my sister. I long for that day! Do you?