Thirteenth International Conference on Interdisciplinary Social Sciences

Abstract

Navigation of the social, racial, and class strata of the Estados Unidos requires a studied practice of cultural proficiency on the part of its citizens, especially those who are black or brown. The historical failure of Latinos and African Americans to forge a sustainable, cooperative political bond in the struggle for democratic equality in the United States appears to be grounded in the signifying cultural difference between “racism” and “racismo.” The significance of this distinction and its impact on the mixed-race Latina-African female situates within the construct of identify formation, against a backdrop of color coding and culture clash, and the social construction of race. Within an ethnographic narrative frame, this discussion illustrates direct correlations of lived experiences to the broader community and cultural accounts that shape aspects of a mixed-race identity. The work connects a community’s background, environment, and residents in a dialogue that includes the larger arenas of critical race theory, interracial marriage, and history that inform the characteristics implicated in the evolution of a Blaxicana identity.