The Study of Racialism

werta · New User Joined: 09 Nov 2005 {Posts: 29 }

I am a dark skinned woman. I am look black.I spent the last 4 years living in Europe and now I am back in my country.What makes me curious is that light skinned Latinos just keep approaching me instead of other people who are of my same coloring or even lighter.

Let me explain, one time in Europe, I was waiting for the bus and this Latino looking lady approached me asking me someting in the language of the European country I was living in, I gave her the information she had asked.We got on the bus.When we arrived at the busstation she walked to me and asked me the same thing again, but this time in Spanish! She even didn't ask me if I understood Spanish.Maybe this lady was from Spain, I don't know.Another time two Spanish/Latina looking ladies were just staring at me and talking in Spanish.Believe I wasn't the only black person at that place, But I was the only one that got stared at.

In my country I am being approached by the Latin tourists, who keep asking me things in Spanish, not that I have anything against this, but they there are maybe ten people before me who they can ask things yet they ask me.Recently I was sitting in the park with my nieces and a tourist came with her little daughter to say hi to my nieces.The problem was my nieces don't understand a word of Spanish as they were born in Europe.Other times they took pictures of them yet there were other kids who are lighter or even white.

One time I went to Bogota for medical reasons, other people of my country went there too.Yet the doctors and nurses were more interested in me than in them.They faced discrimination while I didn't.A nurse described my race as negra.

Maybe someone can explain this to me as it puzzles me.

MisterLawyer · Posted: Wed 02 Jan 2008 15:50 Post subject:

There may be somthing about your appearance that makes caribbean hispanics assume you are one of them. Or maybe you just look extraorinarily friendly. American tourist are notorious for asking people things in English and expecting them to understand. Maybe Latin Americans have picked up on this practice. Or maybe it could just be a coincindence. Have you ever posted a picture of yourself?

G-Man · Moderator Joined: 27 Nov 2004 {Posts: 2590 }

You are from Curacao? If yes, Spanish is spoken by many people on the island and your creole language, Papiamento, is Romance language based. In your own country, assuming you are from Curacao, Latin Americans may approach you speaking Spanish because they assume everyone on the island speaks Spanish. They may make this assumption because most people they encounter there speak the language to some degree.

In Europe, depending on where you were, the people who approached you may have thought you were from some Spanish-speaking country or maybe Curacao.