THE PROBLEM WITH BEING PRO-LATINA

Being Latino is something that young people have become extremely proud of. From pan dulce being accessorized to Selena becoming idolized decades after her death, the very details of our lives have given millennials a sense of identity—one that perhaps older generation weren’t so eager to show off.

However, this revolutionary act of self-love and pride shouldn’t come at the price of others. Latinos shouldn’t have to put anyone else down to show their pride.

Yet, this seems to be the case with fellow Latina celebrity Eva Longoria, which has put down the work of Black organizers in order to uplift the Latino community.

Eva Longoria most recently stated that Latinas in the U.S. were the “real heroines” of the 2020 election resulting in victory for Biden and Harris.

“The women of color showed up in big ways,” Longoria said in an interview with MSNBC. “Of course, you saw in Georgia what Black women have done, but Latina women were the real heroines here, beating men in turnout in every state, and voting for Biden-Harris at an average rate of 3-to1.”

Longoria undermined the hard work that Black women like Stacey Abrams did to organize and mobilize voting in Georgia.

Not only that, but preliminary exit poll data indicated that more than 90 percent of Black women versus 70 percent of Latina women voted for Biden, according to the LA Times.

Longoria later apologized via Instagram after great backlash stating that she should’ve provided more context in her statement while also praising the hard work done by Black women.

This isn’t the first-time other Latina celebrities try to shift the lime light from Black women. Actress Gina Rodriguez is notorious for anti-Black comments. Salma Hayek has also been in the same predicament when it comes to talking about the work Latinas have done all the while silencing Black women.

There is nothing wrong in trying to uplift Latinas and be proud of one’s Latinidad. The issue here is that in order to uplift Latinas, many feel the need to undermine and silence other minorities in the process. This isn’t an ‘‘us versus them’’ issue and this also isn’t about winning; however, credit must be given where it is due, no matter the race or ethnicity.