Episode Details
Back to Episodes
Episode 43: The Fight for Visibility at the Congressional Afro-Latino Roundtable
Description
Are we being counted, or are we being erased?
In this landmark episode of The Garifuna Experience Podcast, we step into the halls of Congress to dissect the inaugural Congressional Afro-Latino Roundtable. Led by Rep. Ritchie Torres and Rep. Adriano Espaillat, this historic convening marked a turning point in federal advocacy for the Black diaspora.
The Garifuna community lives at a complex intersection of Afro-Indigenous identity, migration, and policy neglect. For decades, federal data collection through the U.S. Census has struggled to accurately capture the reality of Afro-Latino lives. This "statistical erasure" isn't just a paperwork error—it’s a barrier to justice that impacts everything from local Bronx school funding to international land rights in Central America.
In this episode, we explore:
- The Hook: Why the "combined" race and ethnicity question in the new Census guidelines could hide anti-Black racism.
- The Power of the Checkbox: Why the 2024 Census revisions to race and ethnicity questions are sparking a heated debate among scholars like Dr. Nancy López and Dr. Tanya Kateri Hernández.
- The Roundtable Highlights: Key takeaways from community leaders, including Guerline Jozef of the Haitian Bridge Alliance and Arnold Ciego of Hijos de Livingston, on why we must be"counted, consulted, and included."
- Expert Analysis: Why Dr. Nancy López and Dr. Tanya Kateri Hernández argue that visibility is not just symbolic—it is a prerequisite for justice.
Join us as we bridge the gap between local New York activism and federal foreign policy. It’s time to move beyond symbolic representation and demand the data transparency required for true equity.
Resources:
- Subscribe on your favorite podcast app
- Apple Podcasts
- Spotify
- HeartRadio
- YouTube
- Amazon Music
- Subscribe to our newsletter
- The Garifuna Experience in NYC | Bronx walking tour
- The Garifuna Experience in NYC
- Garifuna Heritage Walking Tour (Bronx
- Join the Garifuna Complete Count Committee
Books by José Francisco Ávila