Updated June 29th, 2020 at 12:46 IST
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez faces backlash for comments comparing Latino's descent to Blacks
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez faced massive flak over her statements on the Black Lives Matter movement comparing the African American & the Latinx community
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US Congressional Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Sunday faced massive flak over her statements on the Black Lives Matter movement, where she equated African Americans and Latinx based on their descent claiming that 'Latinos are black.'
When asked what the Latinx community should do to stop racism she said, "First thing we should do is talk about racism within our community, how we are impacted by racism and how also exists within us. “A lot of times I’ll hear people say, this is about Black Lives Matter, what about Latinos? and I always say, Latinos are black! We are Afro-Latina, and we run an entire racial spectrum."
“We have to have conversations around colourism and we have to have conversations about the African and indigenous roots from which we come and how that’s reflected in systems of power, wealth inequality, and frankly, our political system," said Cortez in her concluding statements.
While some backed Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez saying that she was talking about the Afro Latina community, a spectrum of people from the Dominican, Cuba, Puerto Rico who are Black by descent, others took offence to her comments especially in the backdrop of the horrific death of African-American man George Floyd and the Black Lives Matter protests that shook the world in the aftermath. Some also reminded Cortex of her 'history' where Latinos had in fact been oppressors and perpetrators of slavery in South America.
.@AOC: “Latinos are black … We have to have conversations around ‘colorism,’ and we have to have conversations around the African and indigenous roots from which we come and how that’s reflected in systems of power.” pic.twitter.com/ki1lDDNhKS
— Tom Elliott (@tomselliott)
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Netizens react
Ahem.... latinos have spanish blood
— Comix Villain (Parler: @ComixVillain) (@ComixVillain)
Doesnt that make them related to colonizers?
Im just gonna say this...the universities have ruined people.
LATINOS ENSLAVED AFRICANS.
— Someone Had to Say It (@MomAgnstSafeSpc)
In fact the slaves sent to South America were treated so badly they had to be constantly replaced because so many died there. She is such an idiot. It's astounding someone so ignorant of history and government is a member of a federal legislating body.
— Adan Salazar (@AdanSalazarWins)
As you can see African slaves went all over the Americas. Few were transported to what is now The United States. The largest number went to Brazil, which is why the have the most ppl of African descent outside of Africa. pic.twitter.com/06OQ8XJYRt
— Millicent Cunningham (@MillicentCunn11)
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Published June 29th, 2020 at 12:46 IST