Tuesday, April 19, 2005

Latinos Are Like Skittles We Come In All Colors!

My mothers side of the family is a mixture of Spaniard and Taino Indian the indigenous people of Borinquen (Puerto Rico). My father’s family includes Spaniards,Africans ( great-great-great grand father) bought onto the island during Spanish rule, and Tainos. My great-grandfather (paternal) was always mistaken for being African- American; he had the coolest white afro. When people would hear him speak English with his thick Boriqua accent they’d do a double take.


My fathers’ mother has no Spaniard blood in her as far as she knows. Like my maternal grandmother she was born and raised in the mountains of Puerto Rico.
Her forefathers were Taino Indians. Like my maternal grandmother the blood of the Taino is evident in her features. Her face is exquisite. She is beautiful. Both of my grandmothers had beautiful tanned skin. Both of them had beautiful hair; thick and black. Slightly oblique large dark eyes. which I'm proud to say I inherited.
A narrow nose, with slightly flared nostrils and high prominent cheek bones. Both women small in stature, 4ft 9 and 4ft 10. Guess I never stood a chance i'm 4ft 11. Actually my grandmothers resembled each other, they could have passed for family. The only exception was that my grandma Delia had really deep dimples. Sorry to say I didn't inherit those, my brother did.

In the 90's a DNA study was done on a very small number of Puerto Ricans and found that 70 percent of those tested had Taino mtDNA. This DNA interesting enough is only passed down from mother to child. What this study revealed was the Taino population of Puerto Rico had not been wiped out by the Spaniards as originally thought. They even found American census records attesting to that fact. Records also show that Puerto Rican children were being relocated to The Carlisle Indian Industrial School here in the states after the United States invaded Puerto Rico in 1898, because they were considered to be Indians, further dispelling the argument that Tainos had been wiped out.

I'm one of the lucky few I know my history I can tell you who was a Spaniard and who was a Taino in my family and am learning more as my mother continues to research our geneology... I am the end result of many ethnic groups falling in love and creating new bloodlines..it's nice and I must admit I love my coloring and all the history connected to it.


When I first came in to work they took one look at me and did a double take.
They didn't belive my father was really my dad. It's one of those looks can be decieving situations. At first some of them thought I was bi-racial,or adopted.
I felt no need to correct them and explain what I am. I know what I am. Soy Boricua en alma, cuerpo, sangre, espiritu, y corazon. Roughly translated; I’m Puerto Rican body and soul. My dad favors his European ancestors (the only one in his generation to do so)he is light skinned and has beautiful green eyes.
After awhile their curiosity got the best of them and they began to question me.
Ordinarily I would dimiss them with some smart ass remark and not give them the answers they so badly wanted but these are people my father deals with on a daily basis and it would reflect badly on my father if I were to be rude. So with the patience of a monk I answered their questions. Someone asked if I was my dads’ biological daughter;I was tempted to say "I don't know" and let their tongues wag away, but instead I said, "Yes, I am." They looked at me with that “I wonder who was delivering the mail while your daddy was at work” look.
I informed them my that I take after my dads’ family in coloring. That seemed to satisfy their curiosity. Then they carefully inspected my features. They all agreed that I resemble my father somewhat. I didnt have the heart to tell them that I actually favor both of my grandmothers more. From head to toe I am a combination of Fefi (paternal) and Delia (maternal). I've heard it all my life, especially now as I get older. The thing is these two women looked alike so depending on what side of the family is looking at me that's who i'm compared to. There was even a point where I thought I was going to have to come up with DNA evidence to prove the man was my biological father to my co-workers! “You know Latinos are like skittles we come in all colors.” I inform my interviewers.



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