Afro-Latinos in the Spotlight – Commemorating the works of Scholar and Activist, Dr. Miriam Jiménez Román

“First, we’re not in a post-racial state. Race is still a very important part of how all of us — globally  — live our lives. African Americans and Latinos need to get together, create change that will benefit not just Latinos and African Americans but all people of color.”  – Miriam Jiménez Román, Q&A with AfroLatinos in 2012 

As we honor Black History Month, we recognize that the story of Black America is a mosaic of resilience and brilliance, with Afro-Latino experiences forming an integral part of its tapestry.  

According to UCLA’s Latino Policy and Politics Institute, the Afro-Latino population increased 121% from 2000 to 2019, which is almost twice the rate of non-Black Latinos over the same period. But even with the increase in population, scholarly discourse of Afro-Latinos is still sparse and sporadic. Scholars like the late academic pioneer, Dr. Miriam Jiménez Román, have contributed to closing this gap in literature and have added to the academic conversation, fundamentally carving out a space where the Afro-Latino narrative is central.  

Dr. Miriam Jiménez Román was born in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico in 1951. She moved to New York as a child and earned her PhD from Binghamton University in 1987. After graduating, she returned to New York City to work at the Schomberg Center for Research in Black Culture where she became aware of the gap in research and scholarship on Afro-Latinos.  

This was when she took the turn into academia as a professor, teaching and researching at institutions such as Brown, Columbia and New York universities. She met her husband, and fellow scholar, Dr. Juan M. Flores in the 1990’s and in 2010, collaborated with him to create The Afro-Latin@ Reader: History and Culture in the United States, filling a vital knowledge gap. From 2011 to 2020, Dr. Jiménez Román was the founder and the executive director of the Afrolatin@ Forum, a research and resource organization that centers Blackness within Latinidad.  

On August 6, 2020, Dr. Miriam Jiménez Román passed away at the age of 69 in her home in Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico. Her contributions reshaped academic discourse and provided essential insights into the multifaceted Afro-Latino identity and experience. Inspired by her unwavering commitment to the Afro-Latino community, here are three scholarly works by Dr. Miriam Jiménez Román to know about:  

“Looking at that middle ground: Racial Mixing as Panacea?” (2007) 

Published in A Companion to Latina/o Studies in 2007, this book chapter critically examines the concept of mestizaje in Latin American history. In it, Dr. Jiménez Román challenges the notion that Hispanic culture practiced “benign” forms of slavery and that Spanish willingness to mix with Black and Indigenous women proved greater racial tolerance. She also explores how philosopher José Vasconcelos (1882- 1959) influenced the narrative of la raza cosmica, a mid-19th to early 20th century philosophy aimed to create a “fifth race”, with an underlying goal of “breeding-out” Blackness and Indigenousness over generations.  

Dr. Jiménez Román criticized how la raza cosmica placed the onus on Black and Indigenous populations to become “voluntarily extinct” on the premise that mixing with whites would “mejorar la sangre” (better the blood). This outlook spread throughout Latin America, valuing proximity to whiteness and encouraging mixing with Europeans to “disinfect” bloodlines, influencing viewpoints to this day.  

This piece is essential to understanding Dr. Jiménez Román’s work and shines a light on the complexities that racism, colorism and privilege play within Latin American communities, especially on Afro-Latinidad.  

Triple-Consciousness? Approaches to Afro-Latino Culture in the United States (2009) 

In her 2009 scholarly article co-authored with her husband, Dr. Jiménez Román explores the concept of ‘triple consciousness’ for Afro-Latinos in the United States, expanding on W.E.B. Dubois’s idea and highlighting the complex interplay of Latino, Black and American identities that Afro-Latinos navigate.  

Dr. Jiménez Román points out the significant contributions of Afro-Latinos to U.S. history yet notes their underrepresentation in the broader narrative of Black and American culture, stemming from the often perceived forced-choice between Latino or Black identity, leaving Afro-Latinos in an “identity limbo”. Her analysis contributes to the idea that Afro-Latinos should not battle this cognitive dissonance, but embrace their African and Latino heritage, as doing so challenges Eurocentric narratives and the homogenization of Latinos in the U.S.  

By acknowledging the multifaceted nature of Afro-Latino identity, Dr. Jiménez Román’s work opens avenues for an inclusive dialogue on race and ethnicity, transcending the Black-White binary in American racial discourse.  

The Afro-Latin@ Reader: A Collection of Afro-Latino History and Experiences (2010) 

As featured in our 2023 blog post, The Afro-Latin@ Reader: History and Culture in the United States is a collection of the history, music, identity, class and theology of Afro-Latinos.  

Spearheaded by Dr. Jiménez Román and her husband, Dr. Juan M. Flores, it was published in 2010 and became a cornerstone of Afro-Latino studies, opening new avenues for research and discourse, and solidifying Dr. Jiménez Román as a leader in the study of Afro-Latino experiences in America.  

Dr. Jiménez Román and Dr. Flores’s book is structured around four key themes: group history, transnational discourse, cross-cultural relations and Afro-Latinidad. The group history section explores the non-linear, multifaceted historical narratives of Afro-Latinos. Transnational discourse examines the complex identity negotiations of Afro-Latinos across national boundaries, while cross-cultural relations focuses on interactions between Latinos and African Americans, addressing inclusivity in racial discourse. Finally, the Afro-Latinidad section delves into the unique lived experiences of individuals who are both Black and Latino, illuminating the impact of racial oppression in their daily lives.  

Conclusion 

As we reflect on her contributions, particularly during Black History Month, we are reminded of the complex nature of Black identity in the U.S. Dr. Miriam Jiménez Román has undoubtedly left a mark on academia, with her groundbreaking research not only helping to fill a crucial gap in scholarship but also reshaping the overall understanding of Afro-Latinos.. Her legacy extends beyond academia, inspiring a new generation of scholars and activists to continue amplifying Afro-Latino voices and experiences. This includes the continuation of the AfroLatin@ Forum, centering research around Afro-Latinos, as well as the Miriam Jiménez Román Fellowship by the Latinx Project at New York University, encouraging scholars to advance the study of Afro-Latino communities in the U.S. Her work serves as a foundation for future research and a call to action for greater inclusivity in our understanding of race, ethnicity and identity. 

By Dr. Gina Delgado, Senior Program Manager, Latino Narrative 

References:  

• Guzmán, W. (2020, December). Miriam E. Jiménez Román (1951-2020): Scholar of Afro-Latinx studies. Perspectives on History. American Historical Association. https://www.historians.org/perspectives-article/miriam-e-jimenez-roman-1951-2020-scholar-of-afro-latinx-studies-december-2020/  
• Jiménez Román, M., Flores, J. (2007) Looking at that middle ground: Racial mixing as Panacea? In J. Flores and R. Renato (Eds.), A Companion to Latina/o Studies (pp. 325-336). Blackwell Publishing Ltd. 
• Jiménez Román, M., Flores, J. (2009) Triple-consciousness? Approaches to Afro-Latino culture in the United States. Latin American and Caribbean Ethnic Studies, 4(3), 319-328. Retrieved from: https://doi.org/10.1080/17442220903331662  
• Jiménez Román, M., Flores, J. (2010). The Afro-Latin@ Reader: History and Culture in the United States. Duke University Press.  
• López Green, V. (2023, June 16) Afro-Latin American and Afro-Latinx Studies: The consolidation of a field. UnidosUS. https://unidosus.org/blog/2023/06/16/afro-latin-american-and-afro-latinx-studies-the-consolidation-of-a-field/ 
• Middleton, D. J. (n.d.) Miriam Jiménez Román: The architect of Afro-Latino studies. Unique Coloring. https://www.uniquecoloring.com/articles/miriam-jimenez-roman 
• Taladrid, S. (2021, March 20). The scholar who chronicled the Afro-Latino experience. The New Yorker. https://www.newyorker.com/culture/postscript/the-scholar-who-chronicled-the-afro-latino-experience