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Tuesday, February 28, 2012

LOVE YOU ALL!

This is the Movement’s fourth year and I must say I never thought there would be as much support out there as we’ve had. This support comes not just from our hometown in NYC but other States and even abroad. The unity within our community is truly touching.

There still are times that we see division but the amount of those that show so much love and support for the cause surely outweighs the naysayers. In the past 4 years we have hired over 100s of people of Color from Directors and Producers to cast members and crew. We have released theatre and film projects that are both entertaining and touching for many people. Staying true to our entertainment background while embracing a social premise has been challenging from time to time but with the constant support of you all we know we can’t stop.

You all definitely fuel us especially during those moments when we feel we want to hit the snooze button. We know there are those out there that rely on our position in this industry to create the long awaited changes of more women (and men) of color in the entertainment field.

So as long as you all continue to let us know we are going down the right path with your thoughts, concerns, comments and/or questions, and just have our backs we will continue to have yours.

Thank you for pushing and paying forward with The Black Latina Movement!

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Friday, February 17, 2012

Power

So I have heard people say many times “you can’t put a person of color in power because they don't know how to use it, they abuse it, and forget where they came from”.

Is this really true or just yet another stereotype imposed on us?

I can understand the frustration and maybe grasp how this sentiment came about but let’s look a little deeper into the claim. In what instance did they not know how to use their power or authority? Was it because they didn’t help out their people?

The problem with that is while we would like to think "our own kind is suppose to help us", they really have no obligation to us. As humans although we are herd-like animals, we are not biologically wired to HAVE to help one another; that is more of a sociological trait. We are trained to stick together and be there for each other. So when the time comes for individual advancement there are those that will take others with them and others who will look out for themselves.  But again, is the backlash they receive just? Once in authority their ability to maintain power without abusing authority falls under question, but is that really a racial thing? The same could be said when one alleges that all business relationships between men and women are egotistical/sexually bias power structures. Personally I am left to say it is a human issue; that under certain circumstances some humans have felt the need to selfishly abuse their power for their own personal motives.

So this brings us to the last statement that people of Color in power “forget where they come from”. How so? I feel like this is where the terminology "acting white” came from. The NAACP exists because people of color needed help advancing from their oppression. So if we get an education, advance in a career, and get out of “the hood", we are wrong? Forgetting where we come from is not an option but moving on in our lives most certainly is. To claim a person of Color has “forgotten their roots” simply because they’ve reached a level of success in their lives locks us into complacent, narrow-minded boxes and labels that continue to bring us down.

Yes, there are people of Color who don't help out their fellow brothers and sisters, abuse their power, and have attempted to forget their foundation, but the same conflicts occur whether one is Black, White, Asian, Latino, etc.

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Wednesday, February 1, 2012

My Language

Ever since I can remember I have been in love with the Spanish language. Culturally I have not always been around it as I would have liked growing up as my parents separated when I was really young age. Growing up culture was everywhere and nowhere. Living in NYC it’s hard to miss but being immersed in it and learning it is a different story. I remember as a kid the only words I needed to know were plugged into a conversation that went something like this:

Me: Hola wela

Abuela: Hola mi Niña, Como estas?

Me: bien

Abuela: Quiere comer?

Me: no gracias wela.

…..later on

Me: bye wela

Abuela: ok mi Niña cuidense

….and that pretty much made up my Spanish vocabulary growing up.

Of course there were the required courses I had taken in my predominantly Hispanic populated school where about 1% of the students did not come from Spanish speaking home. Those test results always came back with several red correction marks on them. I just couldn’t catch a break. Maybe my lack of learning the language at an early age gave me this burning desire to perfect it. At some point I just started picking it up, listening to people speak it at the hair salon (I know typical) at the corner store, or even in a cab. I would talk back to people in Spanish as if I knew what I was saying and try to carry on a conversation.

In college I did take Spanish as my language elective; although I really did want to take Japanese I could not convince myself that I would use it ever. So there I was this Black Latina with an insatiable appetite to know every aspect of this foreign language that should not be strange to someone with a last name like Lopez.

I immersed myself in every aspect of it that I could. I found myself fascinated with speaking to people in both English and Spanish and working my way around the words I did not know. I would often say things like “como” to try to get my point across and “como se dice” to get help in expressing myself. I started downloading learning and translation aids as well as reading books to help me learn more and to “get around” my getting around speaking perfectly.

Today I feel like the little things have gotten me far. I can somewhat hold a conversation with a person who only speaks Spanish and I use what I know to continue to listen and learn the bits and pieces I do not know. Rosetta Stone would really make money off of a Black Latina like me but I do not see the point of having to go to such extreme measures when the language is in my blood. For those of us that are Hispanic or have some trace of Hispanic blood running through their veins, Spanish may have been your first language. Studies have shown it is so much easier to learn a second language at an early stage in life. But for those Black Latinas like me it is definitely one of the challenges of being on both sides of the spectrum.

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