Blog 3- Define Yourself

What is black? What does it mean to be black enough or act black? These two questions were raised by roommate and brought up in class. As I read the article from Roberto Santiago, Black and Latino, it got me thinking how in today’s society we categorize things by race. The first question, what is black, was asked by roommate. The answer is there is no black and white. I said to her that it depends on the context in which the word is used. One could be referring to color or ethnic background. So I guess my question to you is how do you define black? American culture has learned to classify race by the color of people’s skin. If you even have a hint of a black look to you then you’re black, no matter your cultural background. Roberto talks about as a child people would say you can’t be both. His response to this was, “I don’t feel I have to choose one or the other. To do so would be to deny a part of myself" (Santiago 1). He then explains that whether people agree or disagree there is still African blood that runs through the Caribbean. I personally enjoyed this part of his essay the most because not only is he claiming his cultural background of being African but he understands his historical roots. One topic brought up in class was what it means to be black enough or act black. My response to this would have to go back to the previously asked question of what is black. The thing is these names that we use to define ourselves were given to people of color by Europeans. Before these names we were just people so why attach a color to it? How I define is by my name, I’m an individual. What about you?