Predictors of Afro-Latinx people & ethnic-racial identification
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Wenmi Severino
College:
The College of Health Professions and Human Services
Major:
Psychology
Faculty Research Advisor(s):
Peter Kardos
Abstract:
Afro-Latinx individuals tend to have complex, multi-layered identities shaped by a
combination of identification influenced by their African ancestry and Latin American
cultural contexts (García-Louis & Cortes, 2023). At least in the United States, many
Afro-Latinx people are more likely to identify with their indigenous (mestizo, criolla) or
their European ancestry (Spain) (Flores, 2021), while they are less likely to identify with
their African roots (mulatto). One reason for this is that the Afro-Latino population may
have difficulty recognizing or accepting their African ancestry due to internalized racism,
social pressure, or lack of knowledge about their heritage. We will investigate possible
cultural, demographic, and individual difference predictors of African-American
identification among the Afro-Latinx population. We will also explore the possible
psychological consequences of embracing the African heritage among the Afro-Latinx
people. This work aims to improve our understanding of the Afro-Latinx community’s
complex identification and foster greater awareness of their cultural identity.
References
Flores, T. (2021). Latinidad is canceled: Confronting an anti-black construct. Latin
American and Latinx Visual Culture, 3(3), 58-79.
García-Louis, C., & Cortes, K. (2023). Rejecting black and rejected back: AfroLatinx
college students’ experiences with anti-AfroLatinidad. Journal of Latinos &
Education, 22(1), 182–197.