The Impact of Colorism

Wandaly: Think that colorism also is a problem because it also stops people from uniting together. Like you would be so much more powerful if we all got together and just put that shit aside but.

 [Music]

Zeke: I’d like to welcome everyone to another episode of the Let’s Gather Podcast. I’m your host Zeke, in this episode Wandaly and I will continue our conversation and talk about colorism. You can listen to this podcast on all major platforms including YouTube Spotify and Apple Podcasts clicking the link in the description below or going to https://allmylinks.com/letsgatherpod, please rate five stars or leave a comment. I like to give a content warning for any strong language used in this episode. I hope you have a nice day and enjoy the show.

Wandaly: I don’t even think like isn’t even Coronavirus the only problem there’s just so many other problems,

Zeke: Global Warming.

Wandaly: Then the thing is like you see how there’s always other countries who they’ve had like they have Coronavirus, but they’ve kind of like, been able to, like keep it on the rap and and do better and things like that. But obviously, our country has a culture of being individualistic, right. Which so people tend to be really self centered is really me, me, me, me, and then tend to not look out for the community looking for other people and care, as you know about everybody’s a community. And that really does backfire. Because people are just thinking about themselves. Like the whole mask thing. Like I don’t want to wear it because I get hot and I feel uncomfortable. Like it’s not just about you. It’s about also people around you. So I think that that backfires. Because the whole like the being a capitalist society and everybody just fending for their own and things like that is difficult. People, there’s people who yes who are born with the whole silver spoon thing. So we have our luxuries. And then there’s people who have minorities who just always been left out of all these of all these things. And it’s hard. Obviously, there’s all these generational gaps. That is hard.

Zeke:  All of my life I had to fight.

Wandaly: Like, like, obviously, I was not born here. I was born in the Dominican Republic. So I’m coming from a place that literally at that moment when I was living there, like the piece that I’m from had no running water. To this day, only some piece only the people who have some money in my neighborhood have running water, like they’re still drinking rainwater. Right? So obviously, I came here and is like, okay, obviously, I want to do better be better so, there’s a lot of things that still stop you from being as successful as you as you would be. If you were somebody who had money, like the whole internships that don’t pay you, like everybody cannot take the luxury of taking an internship, that can’t pay you. Yeah. Like, if you’re somebody who got money, you don’t care, your parents gonna pay for it. And so it doesn’t matter, you can take that internship, that’s not going to pay. But when you’re somebody who, oh, you know, I want to I want to make some money on the side because I want to pay for my MetroCard I want to be able to pay for my coffee, if I want after school. So you’re gonna want to get an internship, they’re gonna pay you some money. Maybe you don’t care about being it payed hourly even you know, it’s like a little bit of money, but you want something because you don’t have the luxury of being out and who knows things and spending money. Because a lot of times when you’re doing an internship, it does come with extra expense, because you might have to buy lunch while you’re out there. You have to pay for transportation to get there. So everybody has had the luxury to take this unpaid internship so that be backfiring on so many people. They’ve been oh just take whatever you get like Yeah, not everybody can actually you know, do that. And it’s just it’s just true. Yeah. And even the fact of there certainly there are certain minorities who have been pretty much deemed the the minorities we were supposed to, like look up to and be like,

Zeke: The model minority.

Wandaly: Like what they’re still minority but they’re the model minority like is so retarded like the way that the system is famous so retarded like that. So retarded doesn’t make any sense and just be sitting there like make it make sense. Make it make sense I just so many issues. And then the thing is like we could I can see the ambassador go so much. But at the end of the day, if I was back into the Dominican Republic, I probably wouldn’t even be able to go to college. Simple as that I’ll probably be freaking married living with a guy or something like it will be so different. If I was back in DR, where I’m from, where my mom only got to go. My mom only went up to eighth grade. So yes, there was a lot of fauties a lot little problems here. But in a day, it does. Give me some opportunities that I will not have. Was I still Dominican Republic where l still in the country where the countryside because I’m from the countryside, that piece where I was from. Doesn’t have those capabilities. Like my grandfather, my grandfather worked in agriculture, that doesn’t make money. You’re pretty much just planting food for you to eat this week, essentially. So it’s complicated, but I know there’s so many flaws here and so many stuff, but it doesn’t have the same flaws that my country does right now. Like, my country is much worse. It’s hard to point fingers like, okay, we’re not even we’re not even doing we’re not doing so hot ourselves. So they’ll come to you and point fingers is like, okay, we’re not even that much better. especially because DR has a problem with Haiti, that whole issue on the island is a big, big mess.

Zeke: Well, since I don’t have a country of origin, because my people was brought over here, as slaves. I mean, I can’t make fun of the country.

Wandaly: It’s like, I don’t know. It’d be backfiring. I don’t know if you had seen that I there was this video where I don’t know about these people in the Dominican Republic who were like messing around with a young Haitian kid and they were just like they weren’t like they didn’t like physically beat him up, but they were like messing around with him. So they wanted to like they would put him they’ll place him in like the trunk of the car. He would try to run out and they were just like laughing and pushing him around and things like that. They don’t like being up but they were still like messing around with him and bothering him and stuff like that. It’s obviously things like that. That are just not right is and like there is problem there is a lot of problem with racism. And colorism itself point blank period in the whole entire Caribbean is a huge problem of colorism and I people bleach their skin and all that all that stuff. And I do think it’s much more apparent in the Dominican Republic just because we’re next to Haiti because a lot of the other Spanish speaking countries they do have those problems as well if you go to Colombia if you go to Mexico, if you’re darker you’re definitely set aside and it sucks it sucks even darker like what is that? Essentially like it’s a what is that? And it’s I don’t know I don’t understand why he’s like that.

Zeke: Colonialism and slavery some reason, other reasons always got light versus dark issue almost every country.

Wandaly: Yeah it’s like every single country every single really very few foreign countries have a problem is every single country because even if you go to like India they have they’re so big on whitening on freakin whitening creams and all that stuff like it’s ridiculous and I know that in DR is a famous go Sammy Sosa Sammy Sosa you did the most I don’t even know he did that how he lighted himself so much. I swear he bleached to that doesn’t even makes.

Zeke: I don’t know who he was it’ll play the game with LASO and it was like those I try to guess the person the image behind you.And my friend was like he was used to be dark. And now he’s light I was like who are you talking about?

Wandaly: He did the most I don’t even know how he did that. I don’t understand how he got how he changed his skin color that fast that crazy? Like it doesn’t even make sense to me. That just shows the colorism issues that are spread out. And it was not in DR, it’s all throughout the Caribbean all throughout any country that colonized every single one of them.

Zeke: Europe was like we’re number one and everybody was like yet maybe.

Wandaly: They wait a minute.

Zeke: They are beating us in everything.

Wandaly: Like actually you do seem to be superior so maybe you’re right maybe. Yeah, I have to be like you it’s it’s ridiculous in a lot of ways DR too like they have idolize like Christopher Columbus and there’s statues of him and all this other stuff. And to this day a lot of people don’t see that what he did was wrong. And even then everybody knows the famous dictatorship of Trujillo and his um his issues like you know, a lot like like Hitler you know the whole Aryan race and trying to lighten things up and all that problem like and it’s retarded because he in a lot of ways but he did a lot of good work for the country, but he also psychologically messed up so many people there was there’s so much blood on that man’s and he kills so many people that is just ridiculous.

Zeke: And again, now people who think I speak Spanish I’m just like huh. The census sent me a text in spanish I was  like, what? Okay, new identity, I guess.

Wandaly: And we I think, I don’t know if you ever heard that. Like there was a problem with like, soca and Black History Month how they didn’t put the Dominican flag up and like, there was this huge issue that was happening were you there? Like in Baruch you heard about it?

Zeke: It probably did happen. The thing is with t that, I don’t know, because there’s people on both sides who say the same thing. Oh, there’s people who like you’re black and the people like, you’re not black. And then the people that are dominican that be like, I’m black and dominicans that are like, I’m not black. I’m just like, somebody figured out.

Wandaly: It’s, it’s like, in general, there’s a huge identity crisis. Because it’s like, if I, if I go up somebody, I’m gonna look at you like,

Zeke: Where?

Wandaly: You’re you’re actually not like, right? I’m gonna be like, yes, I am like. Just look at my history. Look at the history of the Domincan Republic, like I am black, we’re really next to Haiti, so there’s no way that we’re not black. We’re one same island, there’s no way we just happen to speak Spanish, because of who we were colonized by but we’re black. But a lot of people to get into a fence, like, I’m trying to, like make fun of the culture or whatever it is. That’s not what I’m trying to do.

Zeke: So a lot of times, people like, for me, I have, like Americans, I have cousins who are like, for darker than me to my shade to brown to light, I have all the shades. So I can somebody be like I’m black, I’m like cool because I seen it. And then there a lot of  people, the thing is then becomes like, the white passing Latinos or Hispanics, then baby, then Black people, like don’t fill it the whole situation because you can pass for white get looked over stuff like that. That becomes an issue.

Wandaly: It’s hard, because I’d like I have people in my family who are super light with like light eyes, and really pasty hair like really hair you think like they’re white. And they’re not like they’re Dominican. So if they come and they say they’re black dude, like, what the hell are you talking about? And, and I always, for me, like if I say I’m black, so people would accept it. Because I know because I my hair texture. I’m not that light. But a lot of people don’t like that. They don’t like that. So it’s hard because some people will accept that and some people don’t. So it will always be a problem like, like, no, but like you’re actually Hispanic and you’re you’re not black and I’m like.

Zeke: The same boat.

Wandaly: That’s what they they coined the phrase Afro Latina. And there’s just some people who are like, it’s visually easier to see them. And although they’re speaking Spanish to you, they’re black. They’re actually dark. But when you’re light, it’s like, what are you talking about? Because you’re like they saw the same thing is weird, because I do know that if obviously, you light you do have certain luxuries other people don’t like I’m not gonna have the same interactions as someone who’s you know, five, six shades darker  than me to go though the same things.

Zeke: And then like um I just lost my  thought. Man  that was a good thought. Oh, how would you call it? Even then, like, wow, can I lost it? Something about like colorism  is like um. So yeah, colorism sucks. But what else is that?

Wandaly: I think that colorism also is a problem because it also stops people from uniting together. Like you would be so much more powerful if we all got together and just put that shit aside. But colorism stops everybody from uniting together in a lot of ways. And it’s I don’t know have you heard I forgot the lady’s name. But she’s talking about how the we’re all one race for the human race.

Zeke: Um the white lady um. The white lady with glasses right? She short?

Wandaly: Mhm.

Zeke: Yeah, I just think of her name.

Wandaly: And a lot of which it’s so true. Like, we’re so affixed on putting people into boxes and labeling people and like, try and make it easier for you to understand like Asian, Hispanic white checking off these boxes. So is it easier to categorize people put them in a box. But that also creates a lot of problems, a lot of identity crisis, a lot of issues a lot of people who are mixed race, for example, and it’s like, they didn’t have like identity politics, they don’t know what race identify more with or what ethnicity to lean towards or what to pick or what to do. So it just it creates a lot of problems and they you know want to put everybody in a box.

Zeke: Yeah, new it’s like, black. That definition is a bit hard because all you have means like somebody who’s American black, who doesn’t have a lineage like that lineage like other countries where they don’t have that connection, you know, people from the Caribbean and you have people from Africa but you have people like black people who’s are born in other countries, they um England stuff like that. So is that how do you kind of go with that?

Wandaly: As a being, I think that we should avoid trying to character categorize everything because that creates more problems. Like we usually check everybody in a box. Like, that’s so difficult. There’s millions of people, billions of people watching to put everybody in a box like that’s not fair. It doesn’t work for everybody, everybody’s different. Just like, does it go to the minute you’re putting itself is difficult as hell. Because everybody looks different. Everybody speaks Spanish, but our in general, our culture is much more related to Africa and black with the plan to the race, the oxtail like everything. If you look at it, it’s rooted in black culture and you don’t really see in the European culture.

Zeke: That’s why I was like. That why I was like growing up black. Growing up black and growing up Latinos pretty much the same difference. Like it’s not like a one to one but but it’s all pretty much the same. Like not the same, like the food’s almost the same. The culture music, same roots, the parents almost low key, um abusive.

Wandaly: There’s a lot of similar similarities. The main difference is that we speak Spanish. But there’s so many so many songs similar expect, I think, especially with the Spanish speaking countries in the Caribbean, Puerto Rico, cool, but the Dominican Republic are a lot more similarities. They’re like, who was a hotspot for transportation, when they were importing slaves, they will stop at Havana fuel up and then continue coming to America. Same with Puerto Rico same with DR they were dropped there. were stopping it to fuel up and then continue on to to America. So there’s obviously a lot of people there who are really dark, and everybody’s really mixed. Between dinos, Europeans and black like everybody’s really really mixed some people are it’s more obvious other people but everybody’s mixed. You know the music Los palo? Los palo? It’s Dominican music and if you hear it, you’re going to be like, Oh, yeah, shit sounds like it’s playing the Congo because it’s very, it’s that’s. That’s really is what it is. It’s just pretty much drums, the beat of the drums. And it has a lot to do with like, spiritual and religious like rituals. And it’s a you know, pulling of spirits and things like that, like, well, where does that come from? The African grid that come from? Well, black people do it. That’s where that comes from. So it’s a it’s just much, it’s there. They think in your faces and see, some people won’t accept it. And it’s really sad. Like, it’s right there. It’s so obvious. He’s like, way, way, way, way darker than me. And you see my grandma, she’s lighter than me. There’s like, what’s that? Like, it’s mixed aim is a whole bunch of different colors. My suit is a little darker than me with a shot pin straight here. And I’m going to create here. So it’s like all makes an all different.

Zeke: So when my friend asked me was like, if somebody was like, Spanish, but like, or Latino or Hispanic, like Linnaeus was only Spain and the indigenous were so concerned on black, I will say, Yeah, because it’s culture.

Wandaly: I do think that I don’t I really, I just want to think like, Is there really any country that didn’t have any slaves? I just don’t find it to be impossible. That there wasn’t some black people in that country. Yeah. Like, it’s like, how was there no black people there. Like there might be there might have been a huge group. And there might not be as obvious in their culture that they do. But there’s some people into their black. There’s something in there. Because there’s just no way like, because of the slave trade. There’s just no way like we’re right everywhere, like Brazil. How do you see in Brazil a there’s so many people there of Africans. There’s so many black performers. Oh, and then the people you see on TV are all like the light skinned people. Like it’s so weird.

Zeke: Yeah, (inaudible).

Wandaly: It’s sad. It’s sad, because it is happening in every single country, every single country that colorism starts at before the denying of their roots that I don’t see what’s the problem? Why is it bad for you to be black? Like, I don’t understand that. Um, so to understand that, like, I don’t understand why people see that as bad. Where is it a problem I don’t understand. I don’t understand how people see that as bad.

Zeke: Even then sometimes, like Caribbean, like, Africal, like they’ll come but they’re not saying they’re not black, they’ll say like, there will be a country of origin. They just think that like this, the word black, there’s something wrong with that even in itself.

Wandaly: Say like, your race and the ethnicity to kinda like, come goes steaming down to like I’m black. I’m Dominican. To be more specific. I’m not because your black be like okay. More specifically, I’m Dominican. So if you say you’re black, you know but from where like, what does that mean?

Zeke: Well, I’m just like, gosh, um my family was slaves, alright right, theres nothing I could do.

Wandaly: That’s the thing like you want to get like more specifically, exactly where you’re from? Yeah. I’m Dominican. Because um I never said I wasn’t black. I’m just saying that I’m Dominican that’s the country where I was born. And that’s where I was born. (inaudible) like that, you have to say like, do you dislike that you have to be like, Oh, I’m just American? Like do you dislike the fact that you can’t pinpoint where exactly your family was from? You have to say that you’re American.

Zeke: I don’t think I’ve never disliked it. Like I always thought about it. Because I um seventh grade, I had to write a immigration paper about how my family immigrated to United States. And I was like, um impossible. I’m like, hey, teacher. See? Nobody my family immigrated.

Wandaly: It wasn’t an option.

Zeke: Like we was on the boat ride. Don’t talk about but like in I don’t think it ever became an issued to something like and then in high school now the conversations like where you really from. Because people are asking me so where you from America like of course now that’s where I was born but then they be like where your parents from? America, grandparents from? America. Great grand parents? America so then just like that’s like all the annoying part is I’m a black American.

Wandaly: I find it interesting is I don’t like not actually knowing like, where did I where  my roots from? Where they actually like great great grandparents like where did they come from like, you know, think about what my life would have been things like that.

Zeke: Just like my family is from South Carolina. Mainly so you know what side they was on the Civil War.

Wandaly: I’m dead, like I see how things were.

Zeke: My great grandma, she actually used to pick cotton. She wasn’t like a slave or anything, but like she used to pick cotton for money. So like, there’s that history.

Wandaly: That what I was talking early about like the generational gap I guess something that keeps a recurring issue like,

Zeke: (inaudible) she died in 2018 no 2017. So that’s still recent.

Wandaly: It is because you be thinking like all this history is mad far, but it’s really not only this is stuff that your great grandparents lived through which is not that long ago when you put it into perspective.

Zeke: Like not know where I was, I just kind of accepted it like. When people are saying bring something from your culture usually like bring something like, like the word everything. since I’m American and we kind of we have pieces of all the different cultures because everybody’s here to say everything because I listen to Spanish music I eat spanish food.

Wandaly: That’s so weird as a kid what you bring, you’re like I’m American.

Zeke: Ah I can’t.

Wandaly: That is so weird. To me it was like oh, I know what I’m gonna bring some Mangú. And that’s

Zeke: I brought salad.

Wandaly: My dad is so always I’m Dominican I just bring some Mangú and that is obvious that I’m Dominican.

Zeke: I brought some salad elementary. I was like nice.

Wandaly: I was about some hotdogs. I’m American here some hotdogs.

Zeke: Like, here’s some baseball

Wandaly: So weird.

Zeke: And also like I watched Japanese anime so like I’m pulling from different cultures Make sense? Yeah, like I was in ASEDOM I was in LASO. I was learning about different cultures.

Wandaly: You was in everything, like you was everywhere.

Zeke: As Femcode as a female technology club that was fun.

Wandaly: Yeah, didn’t make any sense to me. I was like, Yeah. Okay. Femcode. Okay yeah.

Zeke: Like this have do the math was like, why? I mean I was a tech major at the time. So.

Wandaly: Like wasn’t that the whole purpose of the club like girls who code? Okay. Okay. That’s fine.

Zeke: Yes. Everybody would like to say whether they like why did he join that club? Mad comments on the podcast so why did he join Femcode?

Wandaly: They be like what were you thinking?

Zeke: It was weird to join. Like, like, they had the general interest meeting and like before with I was going to walk in I was mad scared like, Man, what people going to say? I still did it.

Wandaly: It is what it is. You did? You made it through your fine. Friends, you probably ate some free pizza. So it was all worth it.

Zeke: I was there for the meeting for when they became an official club. I was like, hey, (inaudible). This world is fun. And then like you know being a black American (inaudible).

Wandaly: I mean, at least you don’t hate to like, resent that. Like, oh, I don’t know. You know, like my roots where I came from, like, I hate America. I’m not proud to say I’m American wasn’t a choice.

Zeke: I mean, even if I did know my roots, and I was born in America. That wasn’t a choice to be born here. Like there’s nothing I can do. In America always still be part of my identity.

Wandaly: Because my sister like she was born in America. She hates it. And yo be like yo she American. She be like I’m Dominican. I’m Dominican. You were born here. American like if you look at your birth certificate, it says America you’re born here. She’s not having it. And she does not want to be associated with America.

Zeke: She like they trash.

Wandaly: Like on her 18th birthday. She was like I know what I want. And what what do you want? I want my dual citizenship with the Dominican Republic. I’m like choose another goal and she doesn’t let it go doesn’t want to be American. What do you want? I’m like you don’t want anything by saying you’re a Dominican citizen it doesn’t give you any luxuries.

Zeke: That’s even more issues right there.

Wandaly: I don’t think doesn’t help you. But no, she doesn’t she doesn’t like being American. So what can we do?

Zeke: If I go to like a like Africa like Jamaica or something like there’s a culture shock I go there I’m not gonna like I might feel some connection I’m not gonna like just jump in like oh my god, my peoples. But like, I so what’s tall custom which I which y’all been doing?

Wandaly: There’s a huge disconnect, because obviously, that that’s not something you been around something, you grown up seeing or hearing or anything along those lines, like you believe in the American culture and that’s what you know, even if you wanted to even read about it it’s not the same as actually living it and being there and experiencing it.

Zeke: Like I have parent my mom, she’s American, she’s gonna teach me how American ways there’s also talk about like, I’m in my country of origin. So think about like, how you how you are from DR like, if you was in DR. You won’t say American you’ll say Dominican. Let’s be with the same thing. But then if I was like an immigrant somewhere else, and when my kids were there, they could say they’re like America they can say the descendants of America. You think about it, you

Wandaly: But the reason why it’s so different is because your your family your great grandparents were forced to come it wasn’t a choice. So that’s what makes it different. Why why people might hate it and things like that. What if it’s like you volunteer to go into another country and you move there as a different sort of when you’re forced to go and you have there was there is no choice and there was a lot of suffering and they’re still suffering because but I forced movement is different. Like it’s just completely different.

Zeke: Nothing I can do about it.

Wandaly: Have you tried to run a test, you know? Family trees, see if you can find all because you can probably find out.

Zeke: I probably could. 

Wandaly: You should try.

Zeke: That’s mad money.

Wandaly: You should try it. We should invest.

Zeke: I don’t have any more SEEK checks.

Wandaly: I think you’ll be fulfilling like I think it’ll be interesting I’ve always wanted to do one I’m scared though about like do it and as a 2% black I’m a be like that’s it? What do you mean?

Zeke: (inaudible) I know how to dance.

Wandaly: All these plátanos for nothing yeah.

Zeke: I’m smart.

Wandaly: Going to be like what’s wrong with me eating oxtail for no reason.

Zeke: Go home just like my whole life been a lie if I they was right I wasn’t black.

Wandaly: I’ll be depressing so and that as I am scared but I think it will be super interesting as I think you should do I think you’ll really be worth the money.

Zeke: Like your 102% black new it.

Wandaly: No, but there’s gonna be more specific there gonna say like, from where?

Zeke: Like Ethiopia aight I look up. Ethiopia Ethiopia exactly what I’ve been doing my whole life some rice some chicken man I’ve been eating my whole life.

Wandaly: No but there’s a lot of differences and I think is that like a lot of different countries in Africa a lot of different tribes or maybe you’re from a smaller maybe your family is from a small tribe as well different customs are getting really really interesting if you were to figure that out. You should do it and do a podcast about it.

Zeke: I be like oh word up on my village um fight for my lineage about to be the king like I saw Wakanda but yo I challenge you for the throne.

Wandaly: Um, what ever I think you should try it seal some money put it in a credit card I don’t know.

Zeke: Say well what would you say well for I know my history word then I can learn about other cultures and then take all their cultures now cuz like people actually believe I was aDominican in Baruch. I was like word say less

Wandaly: Like I mean they’re.

Zeke: I mean people saw me as talk to me to ask if I speak Spanish I’m just like something is attracting you to me like hey, I see something similar to you. I was at the Dominican parade Dominican day parade and nobody asked questions.

Wandaly: Cuz Dominicans look like everyone not one look like every shade every color every side this tall or fat skin because man.

Zeke: You don’t look Dominican.

Wandaly: You look dominican like if you say you dominican you dominican it doesn’t even matter were every color.

Zeke: (inaudible)

Wandaly: Don’t assume people do assume dominicans in general are a little darker side. And we puerto rican like the lighter ones. I got it all the time people be your puerto rican right and I’m like what oh because you’re light I’m like.

Zeke: Granted, that’s when I first started to that asking people what they like assuming what people were telling me, because there be like light skin puerto ricans, like almost white I was like oh, they’re puerto rican. Like you know what? I’m not gonna I’m not gonna guess anymore, just tell me what you are.

Wandaly: The guessing game is a way to dangerously because you can offense somebody and vice versa. If you don’t know what  somebody named ask them what their name is. If you don’t even know somebody ages asked them. Where they from ask them. Because the assuming game is just as dangerous. It is not worth it

Zeke: I be like you’re black. They’re like nah Dominican I’m just like, I whatever. I mean, same difference. I remember I went to the Dominican conference, and they was like, what are you? I was like i’m black, they’re like, we’re black. I was like right? American black.

Wandaly: Yeah, I’m one of those. That’s so crazy.

Zeke: Yeah, I’m not trying to spend $300 to find out my lineage. I’ll let God, tell me when I’m dead like yo, what was I again aight cool.

Wandaly: No, you should really do. I think it would be interesting.

Zeke: Like your Panamanian word say less. Word (inaudible) where you place Panama and Brazil. Because Brazil doesn’t speak Spanish but they’re literally in South America where everybody else speak Spanish.

Wandaly: Because they were colonized by the Portuguese so Brazil speaks Portuguese. Then all other country speak Spanish.

Zeke: (inaudible) Wait what country?

Wandaly: Guyana.

Zeke: Oh yeah.

Wandaly: And they were right there and it’ll speak Spanish so there’s some exceptions but it all depends. And Panama has a large population people were blocked in the Panama building the Panama Canal so you know how that goes.

Zeke: Yeah this is fun explaining where we at.

Wandaly: This progresses fast.

Zeke: Talked about college like hey, so yeah, colorism is trash.

Wandaly: And you know, I’m black and it’s fine.

Zeke: 

I’m black and I’m proud.

Wandaly: And nobody can tell me nothing even when I take the test and it say 2%.

Zeke: They said that one drop rule in America that one drop you’re black.

Wandaly: Yeah.

Zeke: I don’t think that have ever been amended. Lost my train of thought again. I also never had time to think about like where I was from because I was trying to pass which I graduated school so you know, no, the top priority

Wandaly: Makes sense. I mean, I don’t know how you weren’t question I would have been questioning all my life would have been mad curious. Because I already question I know I’m Dominican but I still questioning what percent that you know what percent of like I was questioning it were (inaudible).

Zeke: (rambling) before they um we had to fill out your race they be like African American my mom will cross it out. And then put black and check up and put black. I’m like you doing a lot of work right now. But then I’m just like so that’s why black my mom’s like you black I was like make sense. The lady was like I said before we dropped into Africa we won’t be like.

Wandaly: Yeah, slavery, if you say Africa then where and I don’t know. You’re from somewhere though. You just don’t know. Somewhere you’ll figure out eventually  I’m telling you to take the test. It it’s worth it.

Zeke: And also like I went to like I hung out with black and latinos my whole life. So you know, ain’t nothing new my high school was predominately black um African Caribbean middle school was predominantly latino. Elementary was black and latino. College predominantly asian.

Wandaly: Super bad though. I think that because you joined SEEK it’s different.

Zeke: My year was predominantly Dominican or latino there was like 122 black people. I was like you could count us on your hands.

Wandaly: Dominicans are black remember that?

Zeke: Yes, in the category of black black Americans it’s like 12 of us. On that depressing note. Ah,talking to friends haven’t done in a while.

Wandaly: Very true.

Zeke: So yeah, future plans just wait it out. I mean, if you can make through Corona you can make anything.

Wandaly: Let’s see if we can make it through the economic recession.

Zeke: This will be your second one you’ll be good.

Wandaly: Barely man let the first one that lost the goddamn house. So

Zeke: Ah see, I have always lived in the projects have been in the same spot.

Wandaly: When I first came to America. But then my dad saved up a lot of money and with his together with his cousin, they were able to like put a down payment for a house a few years later, you know, the housing market crash and all that stuff. So hit and let it go. And my parents divorced. So

Zeke: You had both parents.

Wandaly: Barely, I don’t even speak to my dad I haven’t spoke to him like, week. Life. And so yeah, then I just my mom and my sister. And then finally my grandparents came from DR so. And a mom, though they bought raps my mom when my grandparents, my grandparents brought my aunt. So hi, everybody here. He bring everybody.

Zeke: Like we all are here. Yay. But how was that adjusting to America?

Wandaly: I was young. So I was he was a lot easier because I was so young. you adapt, and you learn things very easy when you’re young. It was strange, because because I was from a small town, where everybody knew each other. And then I came here I moved to a building. I was like, What the hell is this I was used for being outside in the open air, you know, climbing tree seeing horses, like it was very different environment. And then when I came, I came to America, like, towards the end of a fall. So I’m like, why is it cold? All the time. It was so confusing. Like, nobody speaking Spanish speaking English, like this was too much. I remember my parents always made fun of me, because we’ve been the first words that I learned how to sing was You’re welcome. But I will say you’re wrong. So like, because we live in a building like you would hold the door for people? Nobody? Thank you. So I’ll say you welcome. But I’ll say your wellking because I couldn’t get it together. You know, like older people, and they’ll tell you, they can offer you working to me when I was like four years old. So that’s how I was. I mean, in general, I’m always I say that, like, it does seem like I was really depressed. Because I was so used to like a different lifestyle. And I wasn’t the I had a lot of family being a lot of people talking to other people that I came here, stuck in the building, not know how to speak the language. I didn’t have friends. And so school was gonna start the following year, I didn’t have friends. I just had my mom and my dad was I was always at work and my mom was home. So it was my mom. I was gonna talk all the time, like, coloring on the walls and stuff like that. I know what to do myself. Oh, things I will do? I don’t know.

Zeke: Yeah, I was here. So

Wandaly: I had to adjust so it was fine.

Zeke: Like, the media taught me how to act when people tell me how to act.

Wandaly: It’s weird. I think it’s weird. And then even now, because I’ve been in America for so long. When I do go to the art. I’m very Americanized. So it’s very apparent for the people when I go to the art that I’m from America, not least not want to go like, Oh, she’s American, which becomes really bizarre because they’re like, Oh, no, she’s American. Do you see her? Uh, yeah, you can tell by like, the way she dress and her sex or actions that she takes. She’s not from here. It is weird. And I’m like, Bro, I implement it. I was born here. I just left. And I’m back now. Thank you so sweet. But I still love DR. I still love the neighborhood I’m from even though they really small dirt and rock powell. Electricity is not the constantly electricity comes in and out like every three, four hours, and you want to wash clothes. It’s almost impossible. You have to let the cold air dry. Like you cannot even can’t even buy ice cream. Because you put in the freezer and I’m going to freeze because electricity so weak that everything gets messed up. Like if you’re gonna buy something, you’re gonna bite me that means you’re either today or tomorrow because it can be the future with beautiful faces and get ruined. But it’s fine. Like for the record, not all of DR is like this is the piece where I’m from because it’s you know, like more poor area.

Zeke: Brooklyn all day every day two different projects.

Wandaly: I don’t know. I spent first two years in Brooklyn and then I’ve been in Queens ever since. So I used to live by Cressing so it was borderline queens anyways already didn’t matter.

Zeke: So yeah, so America when you first seen snow like what is this?

Wandaly: Actually liked it. Oh, like just throw myself on to the floor and make snow angels, this is interesting and fun.

Zeke: Yeah, I had asthma. I have asthma and allergies so I can’t go outside.

Wandaly: So nevermind, that’s not fun.

Zeke: Or the sun. Yeah, so yeah, my childhood was sickly.

Wandaly: Yeah I don’t even know what tp tell you right now.

Zeke: Yeah, I used to miss a lot of school because I was sick, but now I’m better.

Wandaly: That’s miserable to be sick worst thing ever.

Zeke: Yeah. I only gets sick over if I push myself too hard. where my body was like, shut down.

Wandaly: I just want to sleep if I work too hard I don’t get sick I just go to sleep. Yeah, this was fine. I mean, I just haven’t talked to anybody and like like, I’m just tired of seeing like four or five people.

Zeke: I have two people here and I only talk to one and that’s my mother Yeah that was it. We talked for like two hours.

Wandaly: Yeah. I don’t know. What do you have to cut it?

Zeke: Last week I spoke with my friend to our episode. I am not cutting is amazing. I’m working this website right now. almost finish. Let me show you. Here. It has all the buttons. Yay. No, well, yeah. We’re doing transcripts. Yeah go like that,

Wandaly: That was nice.

Zeke: So yeah, this episode’s gonna be a double because it’s two hours.

Wandaly: That is a lot of work I’m telling you need to cut this one you need to cut this one you need to  pick pick a piece whether you want to focus on of quarantine life or colorism nopick the  topic that you want and and stay to like 40 minutes instead of being.

Zeke: This is going to be a lot of work.

Wandaly: Because just on the transcript itself is a lot of work.

Zeke: That’s been the devil. I’m trying to finish it this week. And I can just put it out next week.

Wandaly: You got this, you got time.

Zeke: I have another episode tomorrow that I might have another episode Friday to record so you know busy yeah, check it out. Try get these episodes recorded early so that just edit them then be done. They take a break two months.

Wandaly: Okay. Sounds good.

Zeke: Yeah.

Wandaly: You got this I donneed to you need luck because you does this.

Zeke: Season three I’m a be like a whole year podcasting done. The best.

Wandaly: Yes, it hadn’t been out. But yeah, this was fine. Thank you for having me.

Zeke: No problem. So the last thing last question is um what would you, What would you name your origin story?

Wandaly: Yeah, I’m not creative. We’re gonna just go with my name like I like just Wandaly:. Yeah. Like, Thee Wandaly: or something take my name and go with that. Because I’m not creative like that.

Zeke: Cool. Well, thanks for being the podcast. Thank you. Hope to see you guys in person. Hope to see you in person soon.

Wandaly: COVID sucks.

Zeke: By the way, that brings another episode to the Let’s Gather Podcast to a close. I like to thank Wandaly for being a guest on the podcast. For next week and my friend Joel is coming on the podcast. I hope you continue to have a nice day and I hope to see you there.

 [Music]