Yet, I’m concerned that many of us white or white-presenting people still don’t understand the full extent of what Black and Afro-Latinx people have to endure because our education is whitewashed and the media only occasionally turns its attention to racial inequality. The rest of our white-presenting team was able to step in and deescalate the situation, but I wonder what would have happened had she not been with us.Įvery day, and for centuries, across this country, encounters such as this one devolve into tragic stories that the nation is just now awakening to. My colleague’s face showed a terror I have personally never experienced. As she ran across the street, a police officer immediately yelled at her. One of my teammates a- Black woman – was far enough away from our group that she looked like she was alone. I recall a scavenger hunt with my coworkers a few years back when my team jaywalked across the street to save a few seconds and get ahead of the competition. I’ve witnessed firsthand how a seemingly inocuos encounter can quickly turn tense and traumatic. I do, however, worry about the many black and Afro-Latinx people who live in fear every day. The issue of systemic racism and police brutality is not an issue I will ever have to warn them about for their own safety.
I don’t fear for the life of my children who are also white-presenting Latinos. Yet, even though the people closest to me have faced this, I don’t fear for my life during interactions with police. My parents – also visibly non-white – have.
I have never felt a police officer was going to hurt me or not believe me if I approach them. I have never been thrown on the ground and handcuffed because I “fit a description.” My brothers – who are visibly non-white – have. They may judge me in some ways, asking why my skin is so white, or why I don’t have an accent when I speak English, but I am never treated as a physical threat. I have had countless people tell me that I don’t look Latina. While I have experienced racism and discrimination, I have never feared for my life because of the way I look. I am a Latina - specifically a white-presenting Latina.