A Latina Mom's Perspective: Her Sons & the Trayvon Martin Scandal

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Recently, I was asked by a very dear friend if I worried my sons would face different life experiences because of their complexions. I wanted to say "No".   In fact, I did say "No".  However, after giving it some thought I wonder if I gave the right answer.



After the Trayvon Martin scandal, race has been featured much more prominently in the media. As a Latina, I consider myself a woman of color, even though I have a light complexion. I am after all Puerto Rican, a race which is part Spaniard, part Taino and part African. As a result, you will find a multitude of hues on the isla/island. It's also not uncommon to find that same multitude within ones own family. Maybe because of this, and the fact that I live in a NYC, one of the largest melting pots, that I never gave it much thought and neither have my sons.

Yet, now that my oldest is going off to college, my boys and I can't help but broach this topic. My teen's college advisement group was the first to bring up the issue of race and color. They want to ensure the students are prepared for the college transition. As a result, they have students discuss taboo subjects, those that many do not want to speak of, topics which include race and color.

Hearing about his group discussion reminded me of a conversation I had many years ago with another close friend called Fina. Fina is an Afro-Latina. In college, she noted that she was not accepted by many "lighter" Latinas. She may have shared a language with them, but she believed the color of her skin caused her to be cast out of many Latina cliques. Remembering this conversation saddened me. It also made me re-evaluate a few preconceived notions I had about ethnicity and color.

I am color blind to my sons' hues. Those within my circle are as well. However, this did not guarantee that they would not encounter discrimination. In fact, I know they will. As minority Latino men they WILL encounter biases. It's a given. I accept that and strove to prepare them for that. What I did not broach before this was the discrimination one, or both of my sons, would encounter, not because of their ethnicity, but because of their complexion. Because in the end, my family and I may be color-blind, but most of the world is not, no matter how vehemently they claim they are.

Let's talk! Have you ever been judged by your race or complexion? How did you react? Share in the comments!

Migdalia Rivera, a single mother of two boys, created Latina On a Mission to fill a need within the blogosphere for Latinas who have acclimated to the United States culture, yet still hold onto their Latino heritage. You can also find Migdalia tweeting about her love of coffee, fashion and food as @MsLatina on twitter.

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