Despite debates over which term best describes a population of 62.1 million, embracing their identities on their own terms is empowering and necessary.
Ligia Cushman, who grew up in New York City’s predominantly Dominican neighborhood of Washington Heights, remembers being told “you're not Black, you're Dominican.” She used to identify herself as Hispanic until she moved to the Deep South.“That is where I had to come to terms with the fact that the world, the larger spectrum of the world, doesn't necessarily see me as Hispanic,” Cushman, 46, said.While living in states such as Tennessee, Kentucky and North Carolina, she faced instances in which her Latino identity was questioned. She specifically recalled one instance in which a co-worker told her their team needed to hire a Hispanic woman, even though Cushman had been working for that team for five years. ...
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ⓒNBC