This post is from a conversation I've had with Lala Lopez (lalalopeznyc.com) In honor of Black History month I figure I'd address an issue that has always pressed heavy on my heart. BLACKTINO's phase. I am not sure if I told you this, but From age 2-about 7 I was partially raised in a Puerto Rican household. My babysitter was Puerto Rican & I stayed w her family mon-fri & my mom on weekends (my mom worked alot, long hours, so it was pretty awsome!). For breakfast I ate the French bread which I dipped in my cafe con leche (which I have continued to do my entire life), I put catchup on my & arroz con pollo, I speak fluent spanglish as well (meaning: I understand Spanish fluently and I speak Spanish and put in an English word with my Spanish accent whenver I don't know the translation for something, btw, this also works in French as well)But for the most part I can function as a Spanish Speaking person.
The interesting thing is I actually thought i was Puerto Rican until i got the news around age 7.
How could this be? Well I had no concept of race, I only knew I heard my babysitter & her family say they were Puerto Rican & since they considered me as family I must be too (whatever that was).
I remember the afternoon I got the news of my heritage.
We were outside on the stoop & I was eating cherry icey.
(oh I must preface this by telling you that I was raised between NYC & Detroit all my life so this during my first NYC phase circa 1974-1979).
Anyhow, we were all outside (us kids on 103rd @ 1st ave aka Spanish Harlem) you know talkin junk about who's better Superman or Spiderman and of course I'm holdin down Wonder Woman cause we all know she beats them all! And somehow the argument shifted to some kid saying " uh uh cause you're Black!" (now I had never heard this before, so naturally I'm like " I'm not Black, I'm Puerto Rican, & it became a turn of fate as we began arguing and I'm defending my position until I see my babysitter coming up the block & assured victory enters my heart & I pump my chest up w my hands on my hips standing firm in my position "uh Anna he's saying I'm Black please tell him I'm Puerto Rican!" & to my shock, horror, & dismay Anna returns with " Nena, you're not Puerto Rican, you're Black" Can you imagine those films where everything starts spinning. I felt deceived and embarrassed not only because the whole block was laughing at me in my face pointing fingers saying "ha ha cocolo!" needless to say it was life altering.
When I told my mom, she moved to Detroit and enrolled me in a very afrocentric school to help me learn identity. It's called Nataki Talibah (http://www.ntsd.com). There I learned about my rich history and developed a strong sense of identity and pride.
Later in intermediate school I moved back to NYC to live with my dad on 84th btwn Amsterdam & Broadway where I lived across the street from Brandeis High School (yikes!) & attended I.S. 44. on 77th @ Columbus (where the famous Open Air Bazaar is held during the summers and also where Taimak Guarriello star of
The Last Dragon also attended, btw that movie came out while I was in 7th grade there & he came to speak at my class & I thought I was going to faint because we had just seen the movie at the theater the week before & he was even cuter in person!)
ok ok ok ok ok, well back then in 1984/85 the upper west side was becoming yuppyized (basically they kicked out all the Dominicans who ended up moving further Uptown which is how Washington Heights became the way it is today.
but back then it was still mixed. So, by default most of my friends were of different heritages. I remember when I first started school there I was put into the "regular" classes with all the Blacks & Latinos. I used to finish my homework quick & be ready to go outside & breakdance. so my dad had me take the test & I got put into the "honors" classes because he felt I wasn't being challenged. It's funny because all the white kids were in the honors classes & only 5 Blacks and 1 Latino were in there as well. Now my closest friendships happened to be with my Latino sisters, mostly because the Black girls were really mean to me honestly. I had no understanding as to why they had beef. I felt like hey these chics are cool, so I hung with the Puerto Ricans. I would roll with them up to the bi-lingual floor (oh, the school separated the kids who didn't know English that well) & we'd hang out, play handball @ lunch, I'd be over their house, their moms would make me lunch or dinner. & I lived in a mostly latino/ dominican neighborhood and so after a while most of my friends were Puerto Rican. I was considered "the Enemy" by the Black kids though because back in the 80's Latino & Black didn't mix so well. so i was constantly being forced 2 choose. I never chose though, I always loved being Black and I have a very strong connection of love and admiration for Puerto Rican , Dominican, Cuban, culture as well as latino cultures all over Central America, South America and the Caribbean.
Yes, we are different, and we are also similar. How do you think I was able to work at the infamous Copacabana as a bartender for 3 years in the Spanish room?!
And I feel there is such a long road ahead when it comes 2 diversity and people understanding differences and respecting each others'cultures. I feel people think Puerto Rican is 1 thing & that thing only & that all Latinos are the same and I would love to expose people 2 Black Latinos and Afro Latino culture, but on a fashion level. I want to educate people & inspire & celebrate.
I'm happy that the understanding is getting better but I hope we begin to WANT to learn about each other.
Evidence of this potential growth is seen with Michelle Obama and Isabel Toledo.
Now, I am celebrating African American History month with this post dedicated to my Afro-Latino peeps (get into it please).
Emanuela de Paula, was born in Cabo de Santo Agostinho, Brazil 1989, in 2005 she signed with Marilyn Agency, in Feb 2005 debuts at New York Fashion Week at the fall crowd favorites Baby Phat and Sweetface shows, in Mar 18, 2005 she was Featured on Models.com as the model of the week Story in Apr 2005 she was Featured on Hintmag.com’s “Model Mania” as a rising star Story, in Jul 2005 she Appears in two Allure editorials, in Dec 2005 Appears in a nine page W editorial incarnating Diana Ross, in Jan 2006 Photographed by Max Cardelli for Italian Marie Claire, in Feb 2006 she Walks the fall Doo.Ri, Ralph Lauren, and Zac Posen shows in New York, Feb 2006 she Closes the fall Lacoste show in New York, 2006 she Appears on the cover of French Revue de Modes, 2006 she Appears in DKNY spring ad campaign, 2006 she Appears in Tommy Hilfiger spring ad campaign, 2006 she's the Face of Alexandre Herchcovitch spring ad campaign, Jul 2006 she's Photographed alongside Caroline Trentini for Brazilian Vogue, 2006 she Appears in Victoria’s Secret catalog, 2006 she Appears in Bloomingdales catalog, Dec 2006 she's Photographed by Regan Cameron for Allure, 2007 she Appears in Victoria’s Secret clothing catalog, 2007 she Appears in H&M fall ad campaign, Oct 2007 she's Photographed by Eric Baker for Marie Claire
"Born in a small port town, Emanuela mapped out her career goals at an early age. "When I was nine I told my father, 'I want to be a model! Take me to the city. I need to see some people.'" She immediately booked a supermarket catalog, and later Jennifer Lopez cast the newcomer in her fall runway show in New York City. "It was crazy," says Emanuela of her first big turn in the spotlight. She admits to some pre-show jitters. But when the lights go up and she hits the ground strutting, it's obvious she's in her element."
Let's hope we do see more of her on the catwalk this season as well as campaigns, & of course big catalogs.
She is considered a "Sexy" girl, meaning: (lingerie & swimsuits). That's a whole issue in itself of the perception of Latino women as sex objects & sexual creatures. In my opinion it is a view of women in general by those who would have you believe a little curvature is anything but feminine & have you running to the gym to be in fashion, lol
But, I am very happy for her. She is considered a Top girl, and rightly so. I am hoping for some more fashion from her though. as you can see, she definitely pulls it off WELL!
I love her smile, her eyes, and her naturalness!
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