One thought on “Are hyphenated national identities such as Afro-Puerto Rican or Ibero-Boricua necessary?”
It depends on one’s political agenda
These definitional categories are only necessary to fulfill some social or political agenda. Some of us feel invisible within our own community and so this is an attempt to bring forth who we are as someone distinct from the group.
On the other hand, if you subscribe to the idea that we are mixed, Taino, Spanish, African, albeit, some of us are more or less of the three, then these “hyphenated nationalities” might seem superfluous.
In the cultural sphere, there is perhaps the desire to acknowledge the roots or influences of a culture or cultures that have been denied their proper recognition for racial, economic and historical reasons.
But apparently, however much we may discuss or debate this, the fact is the “hypens” are being used and they reflect some need I think partly identified above.
It depends on one’s political agenda
These definitional categories are only necessary to fulfill some social or political agenda. Some of us feel invisible within our own community and so this is an attempt to bring forth who we are as someone distinct from the group.
On the other hand, if you subscribe to the idea that we are mixed, Taino, Spanish, African, albeit, some of us are more or less of the three, then these “hyphenated nationalities” might seem superfluous.
In the cultural sphere, there is perhaps the desire to acknowledge the roots or influences of a culture or cultures that have been denied their proper recognition for racial, economic and historical reasons.
But apparently, however much we may discuss or debate this, the fact is the “hypens” are being used and they reflect some need I think partly identified above.