What does being Afro-Latina an mean to you? 

To me, being Afro-Latina means having the best of both worlds. I love being part of this ethic group because we are very diverse and we are very united. 

What are ways you embrace your Garifuna roots?

I embrace my Garifuna roots by cooking our delicious meals. I have to get credit to my mother and grandmother for introducing the recipes to me when I was younger; there are so many people in my culture who unfortunately they do not know how to cook certain meals, and I am just  thankful to be able to know how.

 

What’s the biggest misconception that you’ve heard as an Garifuna? How did you handle that?

The biggest misconception that I have heard is when people tell me that “I’m not black”. It crazy, because half of the people who says those things, they have no clue about our story. That’s why I love when I get to talk about my culture and share with others our story.

Tell me one thing people may not know about the Garifuna culture.

One thing people may not know about us is that most Garifuna people live along the Caribbean Coast of Honduras, with smaller populations in Belize, Guatemala, Nicaragua. Now, we are spread all around the world.

How was your experience growing up Afro-Latina in America? Did you ever face any challenges?

Growing up as an Afro-Latina, of course I faced so many challenges. I moved to the States when I was 14 years old, and I got bullied, people would laugh at me and make negative comments all because I did not know the English language. It was tough! However, those comments made  stronger and it motivated me to learn the language even faster.

What helped you shape your identity ?

 I always knew where I came from.When I was back home, my grandmother always talked about our identity to all of us in my family. And, to be honest I never had a problem with knowing who I am and where I come from.

What ways do you use your platform to bring  existence to Black Latinos?

I’m glad you asked that question! I have made several videos on my YouTube channel where I try to educate people about being a black latinx/Garifuna. I believe that it is important for people to start getting more familiar with us, because a lot of folks don’t know that we exists and it’s not fair. 

Is it ever a challenge being Afro-Latinx and living in Houston ?

Not necessarily a challenge, but it can be frustrating having to explain to people why I speak Spanish, that I am not from Mexico, and all those ignorant questions. I understand not everybody knows about who we really are, and that is why I try my best to educate people about it.

Have you ever been to Honduras if so what are some of your fondest memories?

 Yes I have! I have been three times since I moved to the States. One of my favorite memories that I will always remember is when my sister got married; she had a really nice wedding in Roatan and my entire family was there. It was so much fun, I’ll never forget that day.

Tell me your favorite thing about being Garifuna.

My favorite thing about being Garifuna is dancing punta. The sound of the drums do something to my soul, and it brings everyone together.I always say, whenever I have my big wedding, I am going to make sure we have live punta played in there.

How do you use your blogging platform to spread awareness about your roots?

 My blog site is pretty much new and, I still have not talked about my roots on there yet. However, I do plan on writing about it to educate my audience, specially those who have no clue about us. I also want to spread awareness by allowing people from my tribe to share their personal stories on my platform because I want to support them as much as I can.

Keep up with Alexa!

Instagram: @alexadarling

Blog: www.alexadolmo.com