What is upsetting about this is that outsiders feel as if they have a say on how Dominicans choose to identify... What does it mean to be black? How is black measured? Is each Dominican supposed to get a DNA test to find out which race is more predominant in their genes? Are people supposed to identify according to their predominant features as perceived by others? How about you have 80 percent Caucasian heritage and yet because of the 20% your features look more Negroid, are you supposed to identify as white or black? What is to be done after you begin identifying as black? Is anything supposed to change? And if nothing is supposed to change, just the label, why change it? Identities are personal and they are only to be questioned by their owner, why would anyone feel the need to tell others how they should identify? If Dominicans want to call themselves indios then they have every right to do so. You can speculate about the reasons for this particular label, but it is important that we understand all have different reasons for the choices made in life. If a Dominican were to not appreciate being called black, why does it have to be an insult to the negroid race? Why is it wrong that a person chooses to identify as something different than what your eyes meet. Perhaps the label indio refers more to the fact that they are mix and they wish not deny that history. Maybe the label is just another way to establish their identity as criollo or perhaps a hybrid. There is a possibility the label is used to honor Tainos, so that they are not forgotten. It is also possible indio means you do not concern yourself with choosing between black and white, youre something else. And maybe, just maybe, there are Dominicans who were molded into thinking being black is a bad thing. The problem is the label may be born from different reasons on different people, it could also be a combination of factors, and some individuals may have all together completely different reasons to identify like this. If you think, and I say this because among certain circles I have perceived an atmosphere that holds this ideology, if you think Dominicans are identifying as indio because the negroid race has been given a bad name. If you think this is a product of systematic oppression and people do not wish to identify with a race that has been deemed faulty, then why not write instead about the different tribes that arrived to Hispaniola? Why not speak of their customs and traditions? Why not talk about their involvement in the formation of the country so that people can understand there is no shame in African descent? Wouldnt that be more productive than calling people out on the personal choice that is self-identification?
Posted on: Fri, 28 Mar 2014 01:21:38 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015