CORPUS CHRISTI, Tx — Some may say "Afro-Latino" is a newly recognized term, but the history began with Christopher Columbus' colonization in 1492 with a mix of African slaves, indigenous peoples, and Spaniards in Latin America.
Many Latinos of African descent represent this heritage out loud, like salsa superstar Celia Cruz with her hit "La Negra Tiene Tumbao." These songs sing praises of African identity and struggle in Latin America.
I took the time to find others in the Coastal Bend who also identify as Afro-Latino.
That's when I got a call from Wuelkin Martinez, who was born and raised in Honduras. He says he never thought he was any different until he moved to Texas.
"Like when I speak Spanish they get surprised like, oh my God I didn't know you speak Spanish," Wuelkin Martinez, Afro Latino, said.
Wuelkin says people often discredit his identity.
"They misunderstand me and think just because I'm Black, I'm Black American. Which I'm not," Martinez said.
Including others in the Latino community.
"Then I start feeling like I wasn't a part of it," Martinez said.
But he wants people to know he's just as Latino as anyone else.
"It's not just because I'm Black, it means I don't speak Spanish," Martinez said.
I also met Armon Alex, who identifies as Afro Mexican.
"To me it means being resilient," Armon Alex, Afro Latino, said.
Like Wuelkin, Armon says he's tired of labels.
"I'm not Mexican enough here, or maybe I'm not Black enough here," Alex said.
For him, he says being Afro Latino is about being connected to his ancestors.
"When you dive into the history of Latino people of Black descendants. You cannot help but to see the struggle of what it has taken for us to be here," Alex said.
I opened up to him about my heritage. My mother was born and raised in the Dominican Republic, making me the first girl in the family born in the U.S.
I grew up learning to keep our culture alive, and sometimes the pain of being misunderstood.
But for Afro-Latinos like Armon, he's sharing an important message for others like him.
"Find a community of Afro Latinos. We are very much out there," Alex said.
"This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy."
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