Self Identity

In the Latino USA Podcast “Being Blaxican in L.A”, Walter Thompson-Hernandez born and raised in L.A is a Blaxican meaning his mother is Mexican and his father is Black. At the age of eight he was told that he was Afro-Chicano, however he had no clue as to what that meant. His mother tried pushing him to take a class with a teacher by the name Ms. Sanders because she was black and he would be able to gain some knowledge from her on being black. As he grew older he began to understand that he was biracial. He navigated along with his multiracial experience and decided to create a project that would help others understand both races. His project is Blaxicans of L.A, it is an Instagram page which gives a founding voice and identity and reconciling worlds that were broken. Several biracial individuals have often been looked at when they go out with their parents and they do not have the same appearance. They are asked unnecessary questions that just make them feel uncomfortable. However through this project they are able to accept that they are multiracial and no longer be ashamed. On the contrast, in the article “Why Latinos Won’t Become White” by Gabriel Ana and “The Latino Flight to Whiteness” by William Darity Jr. they bring up a term of “ethnic attrition”. In the article “Why Latinos Won’t Become White” the term ethnic attrition means, “As Latinos intermarry and climb the socioeconomic ladder, the theory goes, they are likely to self identity as Hispanics”. When Latinos gain success they no longer want to be considered a Hispanic because they want to be accepted in society, and rather assimilate and identify as white. They let go of thier own identity in order to fit in within society. Do you believe that is true? Do Latinos not accept their identity after climbing the socioeconomic ladder?

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