... But do we want to be?

REGARDING YOUR SPECIAL REPORT ON "THE AFRO-LATINO CONNECTION" [February 2004]: That will either never happen or it will only happen under the most dire circumstances CIRCUMSTANCES, evidence. The particulars which accompany a fact.
2. The facts proved are either possible or impossible, ordinary and probable, or extraordinary and improbable, recent or ancient; they may have happened near us, or afar off; they are public or . I hate to be a cynic cyn·ic
n.
1. A person who believes all people are motivated by selfishness.

2. A person whose outlook is scornfully and often habitually negative.

3. , but Latinos who come [to America], like every immigrant who has ever come to this country, bring along with them entrenched en·trench also in·trench
v. en·trenched, en·trench·ing, en·trench·es

v.tr.
1. To provide with a trench, especially for the purpose of fortifying or defending.

2. prejudices.

When Latinos come to this country, they do not align align (

līn),
v to move the teeth into their proper positions to conform to the line of occlusion. themselves with blacks, no matter how dark they are. When it comes time to choose race, they don't enter "black"; they check the box marked "Hispanic" or "Latino." They don't want to align themselves with us.

And to the actress, [Gina] Torres, of course those writers and producers in Hollywood don't see her as Latina, because she does not resemble Conchita Alonso or [other fairskinned Latina actors]. In Hollywood, they deal in stereotypes because it is all they know and it is easy for them. Torres should write herself a script and [cast herself as] a Latina. That is the only way it will happen. The people in Hollywood perpetuate per·pet·u·ate
tr.v. per·pet·u·at·ed, per·pet·u·at·ing, per·pet·u·ates
1. To cause to continue indefinitely; make perpetual.

2. stereotypes for a reason. It is Torres' job to learn how to break them.

Was this article worthy of being a "Special Report"? I like your magazine; keep striving for excellence.

Monica Dillard

Voorhees, New Jersey

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Title Annotation:	Letters
Author:	Dillard, Monica
Publication:	Black Enterprise
Article Type:	Letter to the Editor
Date:	Jun 1, 2004
Words:	209
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