It is estimated that more than one million Mexicans can trace some of their ancestry back to African slaves brought to North America by the Spanish conquistadors in the 16th and 17th centuries. This documentary short by Tiffany Walton and Lizz Mullis focuses on one Afro-Mexican community in the Los Angeles area, whose individuals face a near-daily stigmatizing among local Mexicans, as well as from a wider society that finds it impossible to believe that they are Mexican simply because of their appearance (several interviewees here say they are constantly requested to speak Spanish in order to verify their ethnic descent). The film provides an overview of the history of the Afro-Mexican population, as well as differences in speech, cuisine, spirituality, and the challenges of self-identity, while also offering a brief presentation of the colorful “La Danza de los Diablos” ceremony performed in traditional Afro-Mexican costuming. Serving up a fascinating glimpse into an overlooked aspect of Mexican culture while also confronting racial and ethnic divisions that continue to plague contemporary U.S. society, this is recommended. Aud: C, P. (P. Hall)
Invisible Roots: Afro-Mexicans in Southern California
(2015) 21 min. In English & Spanish w/English subtitles. DVD: $60: public libraries; $200: colleges & universities. DRA. Third World Newsreel. PPR. Volume 32, Issue 2
Invisible Roots: Afro-Mexicans in Southern California
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