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I learned to be anti-racist at a young age.
When I was 4, we moved from South Texas to South Carolina. That's where my brother Fernando was born, Myrtle Beach. He's "half-Black," "half-Chicano."
Afrolatino. Afromexicano.
Black folks in the Lowcountry were lovely to us.
1/
When I was 4, we moved from South Texas to South Carolina. That's where my brother Fernando was born, Myrtle Beach. He's "half-Black," "half-Chicano."
Afrolatino. Afromexicano.
Black folks in the Lowcountry were lovely to us.
1/
They treated our little familia latina with such love & acceptance. That's where we lived for several years, in majority Black neighborhoods on St. Helena Island.
When we moved to White neighborhoods, something different happened.
My middle brother Matt & I present White.
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When we moved to White neighborhoods, something different happened.
My middle brother Matt & I present White.
2/
We have a White parent. Fernando presents Black.
Right off, he got treated like shit by many White kids & their parents. Matt and I got called "n—-lovers" because we had a Afrolatino brother.
Matt & I got into a lot of fights. I used my mouth.
Matt beat racists' asses.
3/
Right off, he got treated like shit by many White kids & their parents. Matt and I got called "n—-lovers" because we had a Afrolatino brother.
Matt & I got into a lot of fights. I used my mouth.
Matt beat racists' asses.
3/
When we moved back to South Texas, to the Río Grande Valley, to our almost entirely Mexican American community ...
... that shit continued.
It didn't matter that Fernando was half-Chicano.
"Pinche n—o," he got called. "¡Chapop*te!"
Once again, the 3 of us had to fight.
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... that shit continued.
It didn't matter that Fernando was half-Chicano.
"Pinche n—o," he got called. "¡Chapop*te!"
Once again, the 3 of us had to fight.
4/
At first, I tried to be patient with folks. Not many Black people in the Valley in the 80s. Lots of ignorance about the rest of the world.
But eventually, I was like, "No, a la chingada. Fuck them & their racist bullshit."
The privilege of being güero was then a gift:
5/
But eventually, I was like, "No, a la chingada. Fuck them & their racist bullshit."
The privilege of being güero was then a gift:
5/
I'd get treated well, then Fernando like shit (at the movies, wherever we were hanging out), & I'd go off.
"Ah, no, cabrón. That's my brother you're talking to. Se le respeta o habrá chingazos."
(I wasn't the one handing out the beatings, but I could threaten with them!)
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"Ah, no, cabrón. That's my brother you're talking to. Se le respeta o habrá chingazos."
(I wasn't the one handing out the beatings, but I could threaten with them!)
6/
Conozco a mi gente. I KNOW my people. Some of the most vile, racist garbage I've ever heard has come out of the mouth of raza.
Why? Shit, we know why. Hundreds of years of colonial subjugation imbedded into our culture a deference to lo blanco & an abhorrence of lo moreno.
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Why? Shit, we know why. Hundreds of years of colonial subjugation imbedded into our culture a deference to lo blanco & an abhorrence of lo moreno.
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So I will say this as clearly as I can, para que no haya malentendidos:
Chicanos, you MUST stand up for Black lives, in our community & throughout the country.
Las vidas afrolatinas, las vidas negras IMPORTAN.
Stop being racist. Stop being passive.
Be anti-racist.
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Chicanos, you MUST stand up for Black lives, in our community & throughout the country.
Las vidas afrolatinas, las vidas negras IMPORTAN.
Stop being racist. Stop being passive.
Be anti-racist.
8/
Speak up. Get in the faces of los cabrones that hurt Black folks, physically & spiritually.
Fight, if needs be. With words, like me.
With your fists if you can & it's needed.
Racism MUST be obliterated. It can't be tolerated in ANY FORM. We must CELEBRATE our Black kin.
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Fight, if needs be. With words, like me.
With your fists if you can & it's needed.
Racism MUST be obliterated. It can't be tolerated in ANY FORM. We must CELEBRATE our Black kin.
9/
I set this thread so only folks I follow can reply.
Because this ain't a fucking conversation.
It's an ultimatum.
You're an active part of the solution, or you're part of the problem.
Decide de una pinche vez. Ármate de valor. Lucha por la justicia.
10/10
Because this ain't a fucking conversation.
It's an ultimatum.
You're an active part of the solution, or you're part of the problem.
Decide de una pinche vez. Ármate de valor. Lucha por la justicia.
10/10
