Teens and Race Relations
1991 was a turning point for relations between African-Americans and Latinos in Washington D.C. A black police officer shot a Hispanic man, and a riot followed. Tension persists. D.C. teenager Arialmis feels it in her school and neighborhood. It troubles her because, as an Afro-Latina, she identifies with African and Latino cultures. She says if the relationship between the two groups is going to improve, it will have to start with young people opening their minds. Here’s her story, for WAMU’s Youth Voices.
About Arialmis
Arialmis… you may ask, “What kind of name is that?” Well it’s a Cuban name, and like most Cuban names it reflects the mixture of cultures that make up La-Habana, Cuba: European and African.
I’m a cumbanchera Caribbean girl who’s been living in the United States for three years now. I’m seventeen and if there is something that I love doing it’s dancing, painting, writing, studying, and having fun.
I go to Woodrow Wilson Senior High School but I’m also taking architecture classes at Catholic University. And I’m a dancer with The Latin American Folklore Institute. That is me, just a little piece of Cuba in the United States.
My story is about conflicts between some Hispanic and African-American students in the schools. It’s something I’ve experienced myself. I want to understand what’s behind this fighting, and if there are ways to resolve it.