Soundtrack
THE HOOK: The Statistical Erasure of the Garifuna Diaspora
What is The Statistical Erasure of the Garifuna Diaspora?
Host: Mabuiga! I’m your host, José Francisco Ávila Welcome to Episode 43 of the Garifuna Experience Podcast, The Congressional Afro-Latino Roundtable and The Statistical Erasure of the Garifuna Diaspora.
Host: Most of us think of a Census as a simple headcount. But for the Garifuna community in the United States, a checkbox is a battlefield.
In New York City alone, there are an estimated 250,000 to 290,000 Garifuna people, with over 100,000 calling the South Bronx home. Yet, if you look at official federal data, these numbers vanish. Why? Because for decades, federal agencies have forced Afro-Latinos into a statistical "no-man's-land." If you check "Hispanic," the data often ignores your Blackness. If you check "Black," it often erases your Latino heritage.
This isn't just a paperwork glitch, it’s a policy crisis. When the U.S. Census fails to accurately count the Garifuna, the community loses access to specific federal funding for hospitals, schools, and even the language-access services needed for those who speak Garifuna rather than Spanish. Today, we’re diving into the fight to be seen, led by the people who refuse to be divided by a form.
THE INTERSECTION: The Congressional Afro-Latino Roundtable
Host: Last February, a historic line was drawn in the halls of power. The Congressional Hispanic Caucus hosted its inaugural Black History Month Afro-Latino Roundtable. This wasn't just a celebration; it was a legislative reckoning.
Led by Congressional Hispanic Caucus Chair Representative Adriano Espaillat (NY-13) and Garifuna Caucus Chair Representative Ritchie Torres (NY-15), the roundtable convened a powerhouse of advocates to ask one question: How do we stop federal policy from neglecting the Black diaspora?
“Afro-Latino communities live at the intersection of race, migration, and policy neglect, yet their experiences are too often erased from our laws, our data, and our national conversations. This convening makes clear that visibility is not symbolic. It is a prerequisite for justice. The Congressional Hispanic Caucus is committed to confronting anti-Blackness, strengthening racial and ethnic data collection, and advancing immigration policies that reflect the full diversity of our communities.” Said Representative Adriano Espaillat
“The Garifuna people have a rich Afro-Latino and Black Indigenous heritage that spans borders and generations, yet their contributions and challenges are too often overlooked,” said Representative Ritchie Torres (NY-15). “As Chair of the Garifuna Caucus, I am proud to support this roundtable with the Congressional Hispanic Caucus to elevate visibility, strengthen data collection, and advance immigration policies that reflect the lived realities of Garifuna families and other Afro-Latino communities in the United States.”
“We are not asking to be spoken for. We are asking to be counted, consulted, and included. The lack of statistical recognition in the U.S. Census creates barriers to equitable policy development, funding allocation, and community support.” Said Arnold Ciego, who serves as Executive Director of Hijos de Livingston, Inc.
The Data Problem
A major point of contention at the roundtable was the 2024 revision to the U.S. Office of Management and Budget's Statistical Policy Directive umber 15: Standards for Maintaining, Collecting, and Presenting Federal Data on Race and Ethnicity.
The revised Statistical Policy Directive No. 15; replaces and supersedes U.S. Office of Management and Budget's 1997 Revisions to the Standards for the Classification of Federal Data on Race and Ethnicity.
The final recommendation to Office of Management and Budget's, was to combine the current separate questions on Hispanic or Latino ethnicity and race into a single combined race and ethnicity question.
“The decision to combine race and ethnicity into one question in the revised 2024 Office of Management and Budget Statistical Policy Directive 15 was a political decision that complicates who is subjected to anti-Black racism. It is not supported by evidence on the importance of retaining separate questions for race and ethnicity for civil rights use and measuring social inequalities across policy domains, particularly for Black Latinos”. “I hope we can consider legislation that would make sure that is the case. Data transparency should be non-negotiable.” Said Dr. Nancy López of the University of New Mexico
“Foundational to the needs of the Afro-Latino community is racial recognition in civic and political spheres. Without it, Afro-Latinos are hindered in their pursuit of equality. This is why greater attention must be devoted to mitigating how the U.S. census statistically erases Afro-Latino identity,” Dr. Tanya Kateri Hernandez, Archibald R. Murray Professor of Law at Fordham University School of Law and author of Racial Innocence: Unmasking Latino Anti-Black Bias and the Struggle for Equality.
“Afro-Latinos experience higher poverty rates and lower wealth, even when they achieve higher levels of education. Without accurate data, these inequities remain hidden in plain sight,” said Dr. Manuel Méndez, DC AfroLatino Caucus. “Education alone does not shield Afro-Latinos from discrimination in housing and lending—and data erasure makes those barriers even harder to prove.”
The 2024 Census Shift & Afro-Latino Erasure
What was the change?
For decades, the U.S. Census used a two-question format, for instance the 2020 Census Questionnaire, included:
Question 8: Is Person 1 of Hispanic, Latino, or Spanish origin?
Question 9: What is Person 1's race?
The new 2024 Statistical Policy Directive No. 15 implemented by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) combines the previously separate race and ethnicity questions into a single question.
The standard, combined question is: "What is your race and/or ethnicity? with "Hispanic or Latino" listed as a co-equal category alongside "Black" and "White."
Why Experts are Sounding the Alarm
1. The "Multiracial" Reclassification
According to Dr. Nancy López and researchers have found that when people check both "Hispanic" and "Black," the Census Bureau’s coding system often automatically reclassifies them as "Multiracial" rather than "Black Latino."
- The Risk: This artificially inflates the multiracial population while causing a "surge" in the undercounting of single-race Black Latinos. It makes the specific struggles of Black Latinos, who face different systemic barriers than White or Mestizo Latinos.invisible in the data.
2. The "Street Race" vs. Identity Gap
Identity is how you see yourself; "Street Race" is how the world (police, landlords, doctors) sees you.
· The Problem: The new combined question ignores "visual status." An Afro-Latino person might identify strongly with their Latino culture, but they are racialized as Black in public.
- The Impact: If the Census doesn't capture this visual dimension, it becomes harder to prove civil rights violations, such as housing discrimination or predatory lending, which are often based on appearance rather than cultural heritage.
3. The Funding Gap for the Garifuna
The Garifuna are often "triply erased", since they are:
- ·Not just "Latino": They are Afro-Indigenous.
- Not just "Black": They have a distinct language and history (St. Vincent/Central America).
- Not just "Spanish-speaking": Many Garifuna primarily speak Garifuna or English.
The Result: When the Census undercounts them, the New York City loses out on federal "Title III" funding for English Language Learners and specialized healthcare grants for communities with high rates of specific conditions (like sickle cell trait).
The Garifuna Voice in the Census
HOST: "In a significant step forward, the 2020 Census was the first-time specific terms like 'Afro-Latino' and 'Garifuna' were added to the code list for Hispanic or Latino ethnicity. This was in response to feedback from community leaders and advisory committees. It’s a huge win for visibility, but it also shows us how much work there is to do."
"When people were asked about their Hispanic origin, 1,878 people in the United States identified as Afro-Latino and 5,710 identified as Garifuna.
Interestingly, a larger number of people used these terms to describe their race. When asked about their race, 24,745 people responded with Afro-Latino, and 14,946 responded with Garifuna. This shows that for many of us, our identity is more than just a place of origin; it’s about race and heritage, too."
"The Census Bureau acknowledges that these numbers don't fully capture everyone who identifies as Black Hispanic. But as we move toward the 2030 Census, they're working with stakeholders to improve how this data is collected. This is a crucial step for ensuring that our community's contributions and experiences are finally seen and counted."
The "Data Inequity" by the Numbers
- Official Count: The 2020 Census estimated only about 1.2 million Afro-Latinos in the U.S.
- The Reality: Independent studies by the Pew Research Center suggest the true number is closer to 6 million.
- New York City Impact: While the Bronx is the only majority-Hispanic county in the Northeast, its Afro-Latino population (including over 100,000 Garifuna) remains one of the most under-resourced due to these data gaps.
"Data transparency should be non-negotiable. We cannot allocate people into fractions. We must tell the truth." Said Dr. Nancy López of the University of New Mexico
OUTRO
Host: The roundtable made one thing clear: The Garifuna experience is the ultimate proof that identity cannot be put in a single box. For the Garifuna community in the United States, a checkbox is a battlefield. A fair count in the Census, is the right to exist fully and authentically.
And that wraps up another illuminating episode of The Garifuna Experience Podcast. Thank you for listening.
Remember: The future of the Garifuna people is in our hands. Until next time, stay united, stay proud. Sungubei Lidan Aban. Ayo!
Host: Find new episodes of The Garifuna Experience Podcast every Tuesday on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you find your favorite shows. Please rate and review—it helps our history reach the world.
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