Not coming from America but having a slightly better than rudimentary knowledge of geography (I dropped it after my first year at university), I’ve always considered the word “latino” to be a noun ascribed to all things relating to South and Central America. I’ve since found out that it also includes the Carribean islands of Cuba and the island that is comprised of the nations of Haiti and The Dominican Republic.

So it was with some surprise that I discovered that some people don’t think you can be both Black and Latino, but see it as an either/or situation… I’ve met people who hail from the Dominican Republic who were quite obviously black and describe themselves as such, and I remember one of my favourite TV programmes as a teenager in Nigeria was a Brazilian magazine show featuring people of all hues who all happened to be Brazilians. It therefore stands to reason, to me, anyway, that any country/continent with a history of trans-Atlantic slavery from Africa would have a Black/African population.

My surprise was sparked a few months ago in a post on this site about the rise of  Zoe Saldana, in the comments section of which the issue of whether Saldana was Black or Latino became a talking point. I don’t know much about Ms Saldana or her background – I’d seen her in Pete Chatmon‘s debut feature, Premium, in 2006 and didn’t really know much about her before then, and it’s only thanks to the high profile projects she’s been in since, mainly Star Trek and the upcoming Avatar, that she remains near the forefront of my mind. But Saldana aside, as far as I was aware, you could be both Black and Latino… It would be like someone telling me I couldn’t be both Black and British. Granted, my family doesn’t come from a long line of slaves who were brought to Britain centuries ago, but I was born and mostly raised on British soil. If you can believe there are Afro-Europeans and African-Americans, then what stretch of the imagination does it take to imagine that there are Afro-Latinos?

Seeming to recognise the fact that some would like to, or perhaps unwittingly, negate the presence and influence of African culture and heritage in Latin America, Creador Pictures, a television production company that aims to increase awareness and promote Latin culture through broadcast, print, radio and internet media outlets, has produced Afro-Latinos: The Untaught Story, a documantary series that tells the reality of the African diaspora in Latin America.

According to the English Language version of the Afro-Latinos website:

slaves came to Central and South America to identity issues that still exist in the Hispanic community today. There are an estimated 200 million Afro-descendants in Latin America but the majority of them do not have political or economic power. This documentary takes you on a journey to meet Afrolatinos throughout Spanish and Portuguese speaking nations and an exploration and appreciation of their culture. It will also teach the uninformed and hopefully initiate social change throughout Latin America.

The documentary series will begin with the slave trade in the early 1500’s and touch on the Cimarron (Palenque) communities, as well as cover the controversial theory of the African presence in ancient America. The programs quest is to better understand the religious connections and distinctions between the Catholic Church and religious practices such as Yoruba and Voodoo. We learn about these religious and sacred ceremonies through dance and music. The drum is a very significant instrument used in Latin music today but do many people know its history? The documentary will have a segment on Afro-Latin gastronomy, which will show the many dishes with African influence as seen in Latino every day life.

Today, there still exists communities where African dialects were mixed with Spanish language found in places like San Basilio de Palenque and we’ve discovered a dictionary of Spanish words of African origin. Identity will be a special segment that affects millions of black Latinos worldwide. Of all the issues that are affecting their way of life the main issue is the exclusion of a community of people based on the color of their skin. We interview people from the U.S to Argentina about issues such as image (this idea of good hair, bad hair), interracial marriages, racism, oppression, exploitation and Afrolatinos consciousness plus much more.

One of the most important chapters in the documentary is the social issues segment as it is directly affecting ALL Afrolatinos communities. Our producers not only document the problems but also live and experience it firsthand. Consistent in most of the countries visited was the lack of local government support; from corruption to discrimination Afrolatinos endear many tribulations. We hope this documentary will empower its Afro brothers and sisters and encourage people to help one family at a time, give voice to the invisible, create awareness, start a dialogue and promote change.

Sadly, there are no details as to where or when the series might air, but here’s a trailer.