Black Latinos seem to be caught within two ethnicities and are not fully accepted by ether blacks or Latinos, notes an article in Monday’s Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. This becomes especially difficult in the case of dark-skinned immigrants from countries such as Puerto Rico or the Dominican Republic as one dark-skinned Boricua says "(In the U.S.) everybody is trying to put you in a box. There is no space to be you." Meanwhile, a separate article from NorthJersey.com highlights the growth of Muslim-worshipping Hispanics in the U.S. and the efforts made by mosques to accept them. Most Muslim-worshipping Hispanics converted from Christianity, and this has lead to problems for some of them.
immigration race religion identity islam christianity
interesting post. actually, most of my blog deals with these kinds of issues (i.e. connections between Islam, Latinos and Black folks)
ReplyDelete"(In the U.S.) everybody is trying to put you in a box. There is no space to be you."
ReplyDeleteThis is an excellent comment and it shows the importance of having organizations within the Islamic community that function as a means to introduce and regulate "convert" or new Muslim-relations within that community. Organizations, that have a deep and profound understanding of what a new Muslim may experience through the initial stages of their practice.
This is important not only for the new Muslim but equally important for the Muslim community whom otherwise my assume that a shahaada and 3 takbirs will wisk automatically resolve various issues in ones life. On contrary, it is just the beginning - although the best of beginnings - it is in fact just the beginning.