Week 4
Old School, New Boy
School is back in, and it has been for a month. It was like I never left. I'm back to eating junk food and reading on the bus.
Nothing has changed, which is nice. I'm happy my senior year, which is possibly the last year of this podcast, will be as
normal as possible. Oh, I almost forgot, if you didn't already know from the podcast episode, I like a new boy. If you know
me, which you probably don't, you know I like a lot of people, most of the time just for fun. But this is one of those times
when I actually like their personality. This week and next week's episodes are related to flirting, dating, and crushes, old and
new. So, for the sake of myself, but also for the sake of you guys, I hope I cross these danegrous waters well. I know you
guys want good content, and honestly, so do I.
"But it was popularized in Mexico"
Specifically in Latin America. I am tired of White, or just non-Black, Latinos thinking that Black dance and music are theirs.
Take cumbia, salsa, bachata, and reggaeton. They all came from afro Latinos. Many of whom were slaves. In reggaeton's case, it originally
came from Jamaicans who were influenced by African Americans. Salsa came from afro-Cubans, Bachata came from Dominicans, and
Cumbia came from afro-Columbians. But is any of this really surprising? Since when are Black people not coming up with
everything? You really thought the Spaniards came up with it? I don't have a problem with someone saying that it's their culture to dance these dances because it is. People
take Black culture all the time. My problem is saying that the dances ARE their culture. Because, no, it's just your culture
to take the dances. A White Mexican saying that cumbia is their culture is like a White canadian saying that rap is their
culture. I don't care much for the "but so and so country popularized it" argument. Sure, like the Spaniards were gonna
let the slaves popularize anything. It's kinda like how a lot of White Americans don't like rap, but they like Hamilton. Or it's
like litterally everything Black people make for ourselves. The rest of the world cares when another race starts doing it. From
now on I'll just say "well good for them, they had the privilage of popularizing it" in response. I think the racial
fight in Latin America has been behind the USA's fight for equality for a while. So a lot of people are uneducated about
Afro Latinos. And as someone who is part of the African diaspora, I will advocate for my people no matter where they live or
what language they speak.
Also, this can be its own post, but being Latino doesn't mean you're not White. Look at Vanessa fromIn The Heights. Racism
isn't the same for all Latinos. And I don't think a lot of White Latinos can handle that truth.
Starting Squid Game
Not a lot to say about this one, but I watched the first episode. I'm gonna have to watch it in the mornings from now on.
I'm too prone to nightmares to watch it at night. I think being an empath isn't the best for watching this show. I flinch
every time someone gets shot, and people are always getting shot.