“In Puerto Rico, much like in the rest of Latin America, anti-Black racism is embedded in the very denial of its existence by the state and society.”

—Hilda Lloréns

“why and why and why / should i call a white man brother?”

—Lucille Clifton, “jasper texas 1998”

Fuck a nation that never wanted me, anyway.
Don’t try to convince me that it did.
I’ve seen how an island whitens itself,
takes to cédulas and reglas del sacar
as if they’re cleansing waters.
I’ve been told to keep my American
notions of race out of latinidad.
Been told to keep my American
-ness out of latinidad. After all,
we’re all mixed. We’re all
in this together, una raza latina—
we’re always mejorando la raza.
Preach mestizaje and latinidad, but I know:
Si la abolición llegó, el negro no la gozó.

* The final line of this poem is borrowed from “La abolicion,” performed by Pete “El Conde” Rodriguez.