Afro Latinx Perspectives: Reframing the Conversation Around Pelo Malo
A Talk by Claudia Cruz , JD, MA and Dr. Kimberly Eison Simmons , MA
About this Talk
Anti-Blackness has been ingrained in most Latin American cultures that have a history of European colonization. The Afro-Latinx community has faced erasure in both the U.S. and other countries, and many Latinas don’t acknowledge their Afro roots. This panel presents a critical examination of the relationship among race, notions of Afrolatina beauty, cultural relevance, and hair texture. The process of attaining the hegemonic ideology of pelo bueno—a European and Asian texture and style of hair—is a violent journey. And as it is, perceptions of Blackness within the Latinx community are often fraught and complicated. This panel discussion revolves around the myriad ways in which Latinas are rooted in racialized and racializing notions of beauty.
