Black and Hispanic: The Racial Identification of Afro-Cuban Immigrants in the Southwest

Although studies document the successful adaptation of Cuban exiles in Miami, little research has examined the settlement experiences of recent Afro-Cuban immigrants. Many of these Afro-Cubans have settled in relocation sites throughout the United States, including the Southwest. The adjustment of these immigrants in areas with mostly White and Mexican-origin populations, and a smaller African American group, creates identity conflicts as these immigrants struggle to find their place in this largely white/black/brown triracial system. Drawing on interviews with forty-five Afro-Cubans in Austin, Texas, and Albuquerque, New Mexico, this study employs a constructionist approach, exploring the ways in which racial and ethnic identities are formed in dialogue with both self-appraisal and external classification from others. Findings reveal the complicated identification processes involved as Afro-Cubans attempt to maintain identification as both “Cuban” and “Black” in the face of external classification as either “Black” or “Hispanic.”