Shades

"The color of my skin is a million shades of brown. My heritage is as diverse as the stars. I am different. I am unique. I am Dominican-American.” “El color de mi piel es un millón de tonos de marrón. Mi herencia es tan diversa como las estrellas. Soy diferente. Soy única. Soy Dominicano-Americano.” I was once accused of having “Dominican white privilege,” a statement that confused me, especially coming from someone who had not walked in my shoes. Although her skin was a few shades darker than mine, she too was Dominican and an immigrant.
These works are my attempt to grapple with the colorism that exists within my own community. Hatred and fear are not inherent; they are taught. In Dominican culture, these lessons were ingrained over generations, shaped by colonial histories that elevated whiteness and embedded division within our people."