A DEIB-Informed Look at Latinidad, Intersectionality, & Colorism

Latinidad is incredibly vast, encompassing many multi-hyphenated identities and cultures. As a catch-all bucket, the term Latinidad was meant to unify these groups. However, there’s a growing number of folks who believe that Latinidad too often erases certain identities — specifically, Afro-Latino and Indigenous Latin American ones — by centering only white Latino and Mestizo experiences.

Today’s report attempts to clarify the reality of this erasure, and to reinforce the idea that, as employers, we cannot treat Latino talent as a monolith, by zeroing in on colorism within Latinidad. By considering the impact of skin color on Latinos’ lived experiences, personally and professionally — and by bringing in other key, experience-shaping intersections like immigration status, nationality, sexuality, gender, and languages spoken, too — we can better create workplaces where all Latino talent can truly thrive.