Under the Guise of the LatinX Monolith: How Monoracial Approaches Work to Erase AfroLatinXs
摘要
This chapter challenges dominant narratives that frame LatinX identity as a singular, unified experience, highlighting instead the fluid and contested nature of belonging across diasporic communities. US racial frameworks, rooted in colonial domination and a Black-white binary, force LatinXs into narrow racial categories that obscure their multiplicity. The widespread use of mestizaje as an ethnic marker further complicates identity, masking colorism, anti-Blackness, and Indigenous erasure within the diaspora. We critique data practices in education that treat LatinX as a monolithic category, erasing nuanced experiences and reinforcing racial hierarchies. To illustrate these complexities, we provide examples of AfroLatinX students navigating HBCU-HSIs, where intersectional racial identities are both contested and reshaped. This chapter advocates for decolonial approaches that de-center Eurocentric ideologies, challenge homogenizing frameworks, and acknowledge the material consequences of racialization for LatinX communities in the United States.