Cardi B Addresses People Who Say She Isn’t Black Because She Speaks Spanish
Ever since Cardi B's meteoric rise in the rap game, there have been social media debates about her ethnic identity. Some have argued that the Bronx native isn't Black but Hispanic, while others say she is Afro-Latina. Many others say she's all of those things.
On Tuesday (June 26), Cardi set the record straight about her ethnicity during a chat session on Instagram Live. The BET Awards-winning artist recounted a story about a person mistaking her for being Mexican. Cardi quickly corrected the person and told them her nationality.
"I'm not Mexican at all. I'm West Indian and I'm Dominican. I speak Spanish because I'm Dominican," Cardi explains. "And it's like, so what's the difference between Dominican and Mexican?' And it's like, everything!"
Cardi goes to explain that just because she is a light-skinned Latina doesn't mean she's not Black.
"People just don't be understanding shit," Cardi says. "It's like, 'Cardi's Latin, she's not Black.' And it's like, 'Bro, my features don't come from...white people fucking, OK?' And they always wanna race-bait when it comes to me...I have Afro features. 'Oh, but your parents are light-skinned...all right, but my grandparents aren't."
The "Press" rapper goes on to add that Latinos come from various places."Nah 'cause it's crazy right because some island women, some artists that are from the same islands as me, people will be like, 'Oh they're Black,' but because Cardi speaks Spanish to people—she's not Black," Cardi states. "Even though we have similar features, same skin complexion... but no, they want to not put Cardi in it because I speak Spanish."
Watch Cardi speak on the dimensions of race and ethnicity for yourself just below.
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