Black And Latine People Are Sharing The Stereotypes They're Sick And Tired Of Hearing

Black and Latine people have heard the same stereotypes about their culture for too many years and they're speaking out about the tired notions they face.

Both Black and Latine people (and those who are both) are subjected to a lot of wild stereotyping on a day-to-day basis.

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Some people are intentional with leveling stereotypes at others, while the thoughts have been normalized so much to others that they don't realize they're doing it.

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But it's important to realize because it's not a "no harm, no foul" offense. It's rude and it perpetuates thoughts that can be harmful to whole communities in very real ways.

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We asked the Black and Latine folks of the BuzzFeed Community what stereotypes they're tired of, and here's what they shared.

1. "I hate when Spanish or Mexican is used to mean Latinx or when people are like, 'You’re not Latinx if you don’t [insert culturally Mexican thing here].' I’m not Mexican. I love Mexican food and music and culture, but it’s not my food, music, or culture."

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"I also hate when people try to tell me to go back to my country like my people haven’t been on this land longer than the United States has existed. I was only in the United States because they invaded my island in 1899 and then never left."

—francesjoys

2. "I hate that people automatically assume that I’ve been to Mexico before, speak perfect Spanish, love and only eat spicy food, know how to dance, and dress the 'typical way Latinos do.'"

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—itzelgm1018

3. "That we are all under-educated and poor, and on the rare chance (in the eyes of non-minorities) we aren’t, we must have denounced our blackness or general ethnic background."

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"It was a bombshell when I went to a predominantly upper-middle-class white school in my very progressive city to explain that more diverse schools or schools with minorities still have competing AP programs and the same population of students enrolled in them.

As a Black person explaining we don’t all wear wigs/weaves, and even if we do, it’s none of your business. Or, our hair comes in different textures and does have the capacity to grow."

"Stop assuming because we are light, our mom must be white as a way to invalidate our blackness. Stop guessing what you think we are mixed with and trying to validate that for not being what you think stereotypical black is. Stop saying we look exotic. Black and Hispanic are races built of many different ethnic groups and cultures."

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—u/Latania

4. "I'm sick of being called Spanish. I SPEAK Spanish, but I am NOT Spanish. Latino does not equal Spanish. We are not our colonizers. Gracias."

—ataaqui

5. "'You're so pretty for a Black girl.' heard that all the time when crushing on white boys growing up. My town was so small and racist that I didn't realize that was a backhanded compliment until I went to college."

—ermehblerb93

6. "I'm Puerto Rican. People I know have constantly told me that 'I don’t look Hispanic' or that 'my last name sounds white.' Like, do you want me to wear a sombrero and carry maracas around? There is no one template for what a Latino looks like."

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"I constantly was made to feel like I wasn’t a real Hispanic even though I spoke Spanish and grew up in PR.

Everyone seems to think that all Latinos are illegal immigrants, which is not the case. I recently had to get my car fixed, and they treated me terribly because I used my mother’s last name, which is more Hispanic sounding than my father’s. The people there made me feel like I stole the car. However, when my friend went to the same shop, they treated her much better. It should be noted that my friend is also Latina but looks whiter and has an American last name.

JUSTICE FOR THE HISPANICS!!!!!"

—tuesday-addams

7. "'Omg, you don’t look Latina' because of my fair skin and red hair, or when people come up to me speaking Spanish, assuming that I know the language because I’m from Brazil. WE SPEAK PORTUGUESE!!!!!!"

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—mariaeduardafernandes

8. "Ok, my Latinos, I think we can all agree that the selling oranges stereotypes are ridiculous. When I came from Colombia, my family and friends all assumed orange this and orange that, and I hate oranges! People still think we are the lowest, but we should make this stop. Si sa buthe."

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—30imoya

9. "I’m guessing this has been said, but I’ll repeat it. Latinos come in every color. I’m from the Caribbean. I’m white. People never believe me when I say where I’m from."

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"I’ve had people argue back then that means I’m not really from my country. Also, I’m not Mexican because I speak Spanish."

—gabbsfrommars

10. "I’m a Latina of Mexican heritage, and I’m sick of people assuming I don’t speak English. Stop talking to me in your broken, pathetic Spanish. I can’t understand you, and it’s demeaning to me. I’m also tired of Latinos being excluded from studies or research. It’s as if we’re invisible."

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—illasia

11. "Oh, I don't know...that I know everyone?? That I'm from Africa? And let's not forget the old 'Africa is a country' thing."

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—shillohruth18

12. "As a Black woman, I’m so tired of being asked about my hair. No, I don’t wash my hair daily BECAUSE I DON’T NEED TO!! Yes, I can change my hair every day. And do not ask me to touch my hair, because the answer is absolutely not. I am not some zoo animal."

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—catlady8

13. "I’m sure many people will agree, as a Hispanic person (Guatemalan, Salvadorian, and Colombian), it’s very annoying when people use the term 'Mexican' as a substitution for Hispanic/Latinx/etc. There are people that are Mexican, yes, but there are also Hispanic people that ARE NOT Mexican. Similarly, when I cook, and someone refers to it as 'Mexican food.'"

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—pairofjs622

14. "That we're all immigrants or children of immigrants. I'm Tejano. My family has been living in what is now the state of Texas since this part of the world was a colony of Spain. To use a clichéd phrase that very much rings true to me: 'I didn't cross the border; the border crossed me.'"

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"That being said, this does not mean that I disdain my immigrant brothers and sisters. I welcome them regardless of where they are from. I think my heritage has given me a unique perspective on the debate of immigration because let's be real, 'Protect our borders' is just a euphemistic dog whistle."

—degobrah

15. "Brazilians being seen as 'super sexy' and being fetishized."

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—nataliemaya8

16. "As a Black woman, I find it frustrating when people tell me that I 'sound white.' In reality, I speak articulately and with education. It's unfair that my manner of speaking is seen as indicative of a certain race."

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"Additionally, when I express any emotion other than happiness, it's often perceived as aggression. This is particularly frustrating because when a white woman expresses passion, it's not perceived in the same way."

—happyhal87

17. "As a Latina, it makes me uncomfortable when someone calls me 'señorita' in the most American English way possible. I get that I look it, but saying it makes me squeamish."

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—alexiapalomo

Are there stereotypes that aren't here that you're sick of? Are there new ones you want to see nipped? Sound off in the comments.