Latinos and Privilege
I am Latina. I am the youngest daughter of Cuban refugees.
I am also Caucasian, college educated and an American citizen.
In this country, that makes me privileged af.
I used to hate that term, privilege. Particularly as I often saw it coming from angry white people shaming others.
Part of it is that I didn’t realize my own privilege. Once I realized how fortunate I am on multiple different levels, is when I finally understood the term and accepted it. I do receive positive perceptions, insinuations and treatment solely based on my skin color.
Privilege isn’t just for white, Anglo Saxon Americans.
Privilege applies in the Latino/Hispanic community as well. We’re not all homogeneous.
I remember the first time this hit me was when I attended a Key Club state conference in Orlando. My all-girl private high school along with two other primarily Hispanic private schools from Miami combined raised far more charitable donations than the entire rest of the hundred or so schools represented from across the state. I met a student from Southwest Florida about 100 miles away, who couldn’t believe we were Hispanic. His perception of “Latinos” were the poor, uneducated Mexican migrant workers who worked the farms outside of his city. We were like unicorns to him.
Race
Latino/Hispanic is an ethnicity, not a race. We’re comprised of all races and mixes: white, black, indigenous, Asian, etc. It’s part of our history in the New World.
Yet, race is an unspoken way Latinos “size up” each other.
“Alexandra, you’re Cuban, why are you so white?” I get asked frequently.
I’m so damn white in fact that most of my life I’ve been made fun of for being so white, especially growing up next to the beach (Although in Miami I’m not referred to as “white” because that means “gringo/a” — a non-immigrant, Caucasian American).
But white Latinos undoubtedly are privileged.
Last year, I got pulled over for an expired tag driving through a low-income black neighborhood. Clearly a fish out of water, but I didn’t fear for my life from the black cop. Even though I also had an issue with my license that may have warranted a large penalty, he let me go with a warning. Since then, with all the incidents of abuse by cops, I wonder how a simple traffic stop could have turned out if I had been brown or black.
I am fortunate.
Privilege exists on many levels that some of us Latinos don’t even think about. Apart from race, things like class, citizenship/immigration status, language, education, country of origin, all affect privilege. I realize my experience is much different from that of the majority of Latinos in this country.
Class: Race for Latinos is often correlated with wealth and class status. I grew up in an upper middle class neighborhood and attended private schools. Most black and brown Latinos I saw in my neighborhood were criadas and jardineros (maids and gardeners).
In most Latin American countries, the majority of the wealth and power resides in a fraction of the population made up of the Caucasian Spanish-descended upper class. In some countries 90% or more of the population is poor and not surprisingly either indigenous or black. Partially because of this stigma, I’ve met some wealthy light and dark Latinos who are racist, classist, elitist and disassociate themselves from “esos negros/indios.”
Citizenship/Residency Status: As Cuban refugees, my parents were granted residency and then citizenship relatively quickly, while other Latin American groups rarely if ever get that opportunity. Stressing about renewing a visa or deportation has never crossed my mind nor that of anyone in my family.
Education: Both my parents graduated from university and it was never really an option of whether I would go to college. I received a Florida-residency based merit scholarship that paid for my 4 years of tuition, while my parents paid for my living expenses. I never had to struggle to get admitted into college, earn a degree or pay off a student loan. Plus a degree has opened up career options and many other opportunities most Latinos only dream of.
Language: I not only speak English perfectly, I also have no accent that could “give away” that I’m Hispanic (although I do have a “Miami accent”). There are still some generations of Hispanics that don’t speak English at all.
Gender: Even gender is a challenge in the Latino/Hispanic community, as poorer, uneducated Latinas tend to get married younger, have more children, and have fewer life choices at the hands of sometimes abusive and machista husbands or fathers.
There are other things I take for granted, like the fact that I have traveled overseas for weeks or months at a time every year since I was 17. Or that I had the choice to quit my well-paying banking job to become an entrepreneur, even though it hasn’t been easy. These are things many Latinas are simply unable to do.
I’m truly grateful for my fellow Amigas of Color who have voiced their struggles and that of others. I have learned so much from them on this topic: my Dominican-American girlfriend who pointed out that she is in fact part black and how important that is to her culture and identity, since I never before saw her “blackness”; my Mexican-American girlfriend who is quick to call out discrimination of Latinos and other people of color, even within the Hispanic community; even my white Jewish girlfriend who is a bit angry at times in pointing out other people’s white privilege but who has opened my eyes to this issue.
Understanding my own privilege has made me more empathetic and aware of what others go through on all sides. This opens us up for healing conversations so we can change and transform.
I can honestly say I never knew there was a problem before because I’ve never experienced it (nor have I heard stories from any of my friends/family), so be mindful of this before throwing around the “privilege” term to others. It’s okay to make people aware and use yourself as an example, but shaming and blaming only keeps people closed and defensive.
I also now find it part of my responsibility, as a privileged person aware of their privilege, to pinpoint my own biases and discriminatory patterns, call out discrimination and biases when I see them, and speak out and defend those who don’t have a voice to defend themselves.
That’s part of the reason that I created Latina Founders, because I saw there was a huge gap in access to funding, resources and opportunities for Latinas. Only 0.02% of VC funding goes to Latinas, and I’m betting most of that goes to the ones that attend top tier universities and generally already have more access to funds, resources and support. I’m working to remove these biases and barriers so that we can begin to level the playing field for Latinas and other minorities in life and business.
That’s my compromiso (commitment) to Latinas and to you.
What has your experience been? I’d love to hear your story.
About Alexandra Figueredo:
Alexandra’s mission is to inspire, empower and support you to #BeTheMission you wish to see in the world! She is Founder & Executive Director of Latina Founders, a network and community for Latinas, women and minority-owned businesses to help level the playing field in business. She is Founder & CEO of Mission Based Branding Institute, a communications agency for impact- and mission-driven businesses. This reformed banker turned “Missionpreneur” is also a speaker, author, writer, performer, traveler (5 continents and counting!) and citizen of the world! Follow her musings at @OnAMissionAlex.
