Blatino

By Kelton "KC" Castillo

Yo soy Latino.

Yes I speak Spanish, no I’m not Mexican, yes I speak spanglish. And no I’m

not Puerto Rican, nor Dominican. Cause those aren’t the only Latinos that

exist.

I am Hondureño, I am catracho.

Latinos come in different colors, shapes, and sizes. And we’re full of

different and diverse cultures.

Latino to me is punta, bachata, merengue, y salsa.

Latino to me is going out on Friday and not being allowed to go out on

Saturday.

Latino is having a mom who’s a master in the art of chancleta.

Ser Latino es seguir aunque no tengas fuerzas.

Ser Latino es mudarte a otro estado para poder salir adelante.

Ser Latino es que todo el mundo ame tu cultura, pero no te ame a ti.

Ser Latino es ser soñador, is to be a dreamer because that’s something

that can’t never be taken away from us.

But guess what?

I am also black.

No, I wasn’t born in the United states or Africa, yes I can dance, no you

can’t touch my hair. But I’m glad you like it tho.

I am Garifuna, Afro descendant. Stolen from Africa, crash landed in the

Caribbean.

Black to me is beauty, joy, and excellence.

Black is either you in or you out, cause you can’t be letting all the cold air

out the house.

Black is taking the chicken out the freezer for when your mamma get home.

Being black is also having to work ten times harder than those around you.

Being black is also feeling weak but being strong.

Being black is also being ostracized because of the color of our skin.

Being black is having to leave your hood to be able to elevated, it means

celebrating beating teen pregnancy, and not being incarcerated. Especially

since we’re the ones police hunt.

Dos mundos, two times the struggles, dos veces mas cultura, and two

times the hustle.

I am Blatino, Black and Latino.

A fusion full of ritmo, a background of struggles, a generation filled with

dreamers, and hearts full of faith.

Wherever I go, I’ll forever represent both worlds.

By Kelton "KC" Castillo