Authors:
Nathalie Garcia, Volunteer, Hispanic Section, Latin American, Caribbean, and European Division, through the University of Notre Dame's Cross Cultural Leadership Program
Editors:
Maria Daniela (Dani) Thurber, Reference Librarian, Hispanic Section, Latin American, Caribbean, and European Division
Created: June 2021
Last Updated: July 2021
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Welcome to the Afro-Latinx bibliography! This research guide highlights some of the remarkable individuals who live in the often overlooked intersection of Blackness and Latinidad. Afro-Latinx folks are those who identify their ethnicity as Latino and their race as black, as there are millions of descendants of the African diaspora who make up our Latin American and Latinx communities. This guide highlights folks who excel in their endeavors specifically through Activism, Poetry and Literature, Art and Performance, and Sports.
What does it mean to be Afro-Latinx? The term Afro-Latinx (or Afro-Latino, -Latina, or -Latine) refers to individuals of Latin America or of Latin American descent who are also of African ancestry. For Afro-Latinx folks in the United States, the added identity of living as an American further complicates their sense of identity, creating the sense that their distinct racial, ethnic, and national identities struggle to coexist. As The Afro-Latin@ Reader paraphrased from The Souls of Black Folks:
"One feels his three-ness, -- a Latin@, a Negro, an American; three souls, three thoughts, three unreconciled strivings; three warring ideals in one dark body, whose dogged strength alone keeps it from being torn asuder."
Why Identify as Afro-Latinx? The term Afro-Latinx brings visibility to Latinos who are Black, as descendants of the African diaspora. Many people believe that the two identities are mutually exclsuive, when in reality Latinx is an ethnic identity while Black is a racial identity. This term more accurately captures this identity by embracing both simultaneously. The individuals who fall under this identity are as diverse as Latin America itself, represented by a wide variety of cultures, skin tones, hair textures, and traditions.
View the bibliography below for more information and internal resources on Reference Works, Activism, Artists and Performers, Literature and Poetry, Sports, and Younger Readers pertaining to Afro-Latinx culture and figures.
The following bibliography provides an introduction to Afro-Latinx Studies, containing selected works from the Library's collections. Most of the books below link to fuller bibliographic information in the Library of Congress Online Catalog and can help you learn more about relevant topics and serve as a jumping-off point for further research.
This bibliography provides an overview of Afro-Latinx issues and identity, ranging from racial socialization and cultural expression to economic impact and decolonization.
Where there is civil unrest and turmoil, there is activism and leadership. The works below highlight outspoken individuals in their bold advocacy, as well as numerous stories of the struggle for Black liberation across Latin America, from the mainlands to the Caribbean.
Afro-Latinx culture has produced a richness of rhythm and expression. This bibliography focuses on the diverse forms of visual and musical arts produced by Afro diasporic creators.
This bibliography gives visibility to Afro-Latinx expressions by showcasing Black Latino voices in a range of disciplines. Featured below are works by and about Afro-Latinx folks in variety of forms, including research, poetic verse, magical realism, realistic fiction, and fantasy adventure.
This bibliography provides insight on the Afro-Latinx community's role in sports, from baseball stardom to Olympic feats.
The following bibliography of Children’s, Middle Grade, and Young Adult works display the myriad and complexities of the Afro-Latinx experience for younger readers.
To learn more about the Library's programs for younger readers, Visit the Young Reader's Center website.