All my life I've been called “trigueña”, which is a euphemistic word used in Puerto Rico to describe someone who is black or mixed race. It is a word that confused me because it was always employed to sort of make me feel good about my skin color. Growing up, I knew that I was not white, I was constantly reminded of it. But, I was always trying to figure out if I was black enough. I have always been put in this ''trigueña'' category that many times I was asking myself what I "really" was.
Don't Call Me Trigueña; I'm Black (2018 - Ongoing), is the quest for a Black identity and belonging in a sociocultural context where Blacks are systematically invisibilized. It is also, an ode to “Blackness” and self-identity. Looking deeper into my experience growing up, I analyze racial passing in Puerto Rico in an attempt to dismantle colorism and the notion of otherness surrounding the Afro-Puerto Rican identity.
Exhibited at the
3rd Annual Latin American Foto Festival at the Bronx Documentary Center.