Rejecting Black and Rejected Back: AfroLatinx College Students’ Experiences with anti-AfroLatinidad

In this study, we identify tensions that arise between blackness and Latinidad as AfroLatinx students negotiate identity and belonging on campus. Furthermore, we explore the unique cultural and historical contexts of Latinidad and their connection to what we term anti-AfroLatinidad – beliefs, practices, and behaviors that communicate a deliberate rejection of AfroLatinidad that manifest in personal relationships and are upheld by society at large. Findings include AfroLatinx students actively reject negative orientations about blackness and finding empowerment through their AfroLatinidad. Two major findings emerged: Rejecting black: Experiences with Anti-AfroLatinidad and Rejecting Back: Asserting AfroLatinidad.