Existing at the intersection of Blackness and Latinidad, the absence of Afro-Latinos in public office throughout the United States is twofold. As members of two marginalized groups, they face more systemic challenges based on both their race and ethnicity. But it doesn’t end there. Afro-Latinos also struggle with the erasure of their identity. This lack of recognition begins with the US Census, an institution that has historically excluded this demographic from its forms, thus minimizing the size and impact of this group. Without visibility, it’s hard to pinpoint the specific needs and demands of a community — and exactly why we need to see more Afro-Latinos in power. Many teams aim to do just that.
While Black Latinos have always been a part of American history, in recent years, Afro-Latinidad has become increasingly recognizable as a distinct identity within Latino communities and across the US as a whole. A 2022 Pew Research Center The study revealed that 6 million people in the US identify as Afro-Latino, about 2% of the US population and 12% of the Latino population. These findings reveal a huge gap in political representation in the US — there is an entire community that has almost no representation at the local, federal and legislative levels. Currently, there are only three Afro-Latino members of Congress, and they are all men: Maxwell Alejandro Frost (D-FL), of Puerto Rican and Haitian descent. Adriano Espaillat (D-NY), of Dominican descent; and Richie Torres (D-NY), of Puerto Rican descent.
“Currently, there are only three Afro-Latino members of Congress and they are all men.”
Nicole Froio
Given these disappointing numbers, Latin victory, an organization dedicated to increasing political power in the Latino community, is building a recruitment pipeline that addresses the barriers African-Latinas may face when running for office. Called Afro-Latin leadLatino Victory plans to hire 50 Afro-Latina candidates by 2025. This initiative grew out of research the organization conducted on the lack of Afro-Latinas in office.
“I would argue that the history surrounding Afro-Latinas in politics is not very positive, as in general, they have had a very difficult time getting elected to public office,” Latino Victory Executive Director Katherine Pichardo tells Refinery29 Somos. “According to public data from the 2020 Census, there are 62.1 million Latinos living in the United States. But overall, we remain very underrepresented in government. Latinas account for less than 2% of government positions, and the percentage is even lower for Latina women and even lower for Afro-Latinas.”
Looking at the facts, Latino Victory wants to be an agent of change by helping to get the first African-Latina elected to Congress in the near future. In 2020, the group endorsed Candace Valenzuela, an educator of Mexican and black American descent who hoped to be the first African-Latina in Congress. She ran as the Democratic candidate for Texas’ 24th congressional district, covering the suburbs between Dallas and Fort Worth, but narrowly lost to Republican Beth Van Dyne.
But Pichardo explains that the obstacles start much earlier. One has to ask women to run, on average, seven times, and for Afro-Latinas, there is no pattern to follow.
“The challenge is real,” says Pichardo. “What we’ve found in terms of barriers to Afro-Latino candidacy is a lack of current and reliable research data, racism, colorism, and the dilemma of self-identification. We also identified a lack of pre-existing Afro-Latina bench, so building that pipeline has become a real project for us, at all levels of government.”
According to Pichardo, centering Afro-Latino identity is only the beginning of creating government policies that benefit all Latino voters. Beyond inviting Afro-Latinos to the table, Latino Victory also seeks to unite the community around common goals.
“At the end of the day, representation is not just about having people who look like us at the tables of power. It’s really about the values these candidates would bring to the table, along with the policies that affect our communities in real ways. “
Katherine Pichardo
“At the end of the day, representation isn’t just about having people who look like us at the tables of power,” Pichardo adds. “It’s really about the values these candidates would bring to the table, along with the policies that affect our communities in real ways. It is about reflecting the issues and concerns of our people. So the representation is not just about one person. Representation is about values and politics, and that’s why it’s important for us to have the Afro-Latina voice in the conversation.”
In the Working Families Party, the inclusion of Afro-Latino candidates is part of a larger effort to build a multiracial party that defends the interests of working-class people of all races and ethnicities. Nelini Stamp, the party’s director of strategy who is Puerto Rican and Black, also emphasizes the importance of finding Afro-Latino candidates who are passionate about the issues they stand for. For example, in 2023, the party endorsed Orlando Rep. Frost, who supports gun control because of his own experience with gun violence, in the historic fight.
“It’s so important to find people who are passionate about a variety of issues, who have specific values that can represent our people,” says Stamp. “And we also need to speak on the public stage. In establishment politics, they say, “Latinos care about this and whites care about that.” We are being torn down and we are only able to dismantle it by being Afro-Latinos. We can encourage people to think differently. And for us, it’s important to find people through the struggle, from communities where they are considered community leaders.”
There are very few Afro-Latinas to look for in the political establishment, but that doesn’t mean they don’t exist: Dominican-born Julia Mejia is a Boston City Councilwoman. Christine Reeves is a member of the House of Representatives from Washington. and Amanda Farías, of Puerto Rican and Dominican descent, is a member of the New York City Council, to name a few.
The Afro-Latina who has held the highest elected office in the US is Democrat Sabina Matos. began work as Lieutenant Governor of Rhode Island in 2021. Matos is the first Dominican American elected to statewide public office and the first Black office holder in Rhode Island. Matos didn’t realize how impressive her new position was until colored girls started applauding her at one of her first events on the job.
“In establishment politics, they say, ‘Latinos care about this and whites care about that.’ We are being torn down and we are only able to dismantle it by being Afro-Latinos. We can encourage people to think differently.”
Nelin stamp
“When I became lieutenant governor, it happened kind of quickly and I was asking myself, ‘Why me?’ Why now;” says Matos. “And I went to a vaccination program site in a community here in Rhode Island. And when I got there, it was a group of young people, mostly colored girls, and when they saw me they started clapping. I realized that they were so happy to see someone who looked like them in a leadership position in the state of Rhode Island. I think that’s why it’s important because there’s a next generation of young women of color who have the opportunity to see people who look like them in leadership positions. It’s important because they’re able to say, “Well, if he can do it, so can I.”
For Matos, Afro-Latinas can use their experiences to develop policy and advocate for issues that have affected them in their lives. “I think Latinas can bring the perspective and experience of being Latina, but also the experience of being black within the Latino community in the United States,” she adds. “We bring our own personal experience and challenges and are able to inform our policies and decision-making based on that experience.”
Supporting Afro-Latinas monetarily and emotionally as they go through a process they haven’t experienced before goes a long way. Latino Victory assisted Matos in her political efforts.
“The work that Latino Victory is doing is vital because it helps us build a pipeline, but it also lets these young Latinas know that they are not alone, that they will find support through the process,” says Matos. “For me, running for office for this position, it was very comforting to be able to count on the support of Latino Victory. It’s so important for Latinas wondering if they should run to know that they won’t be going through this alone and that there will be a safety net here to help and support them.”
According to Pichardo, building this pipeline candidate is a multi-year process, and Latino Victory has specific goals to measure its efforts. “Success means three things. No. 1, we want to recruit and train 50 Latinas from the A to Z of candidacy by 2025. No. 2, we expect to build an Afro-Latina pipeline to run and win office across the political spectrum — state , local and federal governments. And No. 3, we hope to elect the first Afro-Latina to Congress by 2026.”
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