Washington, D.C. — Wednesday, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus hosted its inaugural Black History Month Afro-Latino Roundtable, convening Members of Congress, community leaders, advocates, and scholars to uplift Afro-Latino identity and examine the intersecting impacts of race, immigration policy, and data inequities on Black diaspora communities.
The roundtable was led by CHC Chair Rep. Adriano Espaillat (NY-13) in partnership with the Garifuna Caucus, chaired by Rep. Ritchie Torres (NY-15), reflecting a shared commitment to centering Afro-Latino voices and confronting anti-Blackness within federal policymaking.
Speakers from Garifuna, Haitian, Afro-Latino, and Black immigrant-led organizations discussed the cultural and political identity of Afro-Latino communities in the United States, the role of U.S. foreign policy in shaping migration from Central America and the Caribbean, and the disproportionate impact of immigration enforcement on Black immigrants. Panelists also emphasized the urgent need for improved racial and ethnic data collection in the U.S. Census and federal surveys to ensure Afro-Latino communities are fully counted and reflected in policy decisions.
“I am proud to partner with the Garifuna Caucus in hosting the inaugural Afro-Latino Roundtable during Black History Month,” said CHC Chair Rep. Adriano Espaillat (NY-13). “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.”
“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 Rep. 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.”
“Together, we are more resilient. In the U.S., one in every four people is Latino. Across this continent, one in every four people is Black or of African descent. Strengthening the climate agenda of Afro-Latinx communities across borders not only advances equity abroad, but also builds a stronger, more resilient Black and Latino community here in the United States,” said Julio Guity-Guevara, Managing Director of Sustainable Development and Climate Change, Inc.
“Today’s conversation with the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, the Congressional Garifuna Caucus, and other members of the U.S. Congress is an important opportunity for the Garifuna community to highlight our history, contributions, and urgent policy needs. It is a great step to bring us closer for future collaborations and to transform the lives of Garifunas in the U.S. and Central America,” said Arnold Ciego, who serves as Executive Director of Hijos de Livingston, Board Treasurer of Alianza Americas, and a member of Casa Yurumein and Hondureños Contra el SIDA in New York. “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.”
“We are very proud and honored to have been part of anchoring this historic moment with the Congressional Hispanic Caucus to center the voices and realities of Afro-latinx people” said Guerline Jozef, Executive Director of the Haitian Bridge Alliance. “Too often people of African descent across the Americas have been excluded from conversations about Latino identity, policy, politics and power. We at the Haitian Bridge Alliance are committed to uplift all people of Black African descent as we continue to build bridges to address our shared struggles and victories. We thank the Congressional Hispanic Caucus and the Garifuna Caucus for answering our calls and for making this historic moment really for the first time in 50 years.This roundtable was a necessary and powerful step toward naming the necessity to be inclusive of non-Spanish speaking latinx communities such as Haiti and Brazil as we continue to plan ahead.”
“The decision to combine race and ethnicity into one question in the revised 2024 Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Statistical Policy Directive 15 was a political decision that obfuscates who is subjected to anti-Black racism. It is not supported by the preponderance of state-of-the-art peer reviewed interdisciplinary social scientific 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,” said Dr. Nancy López, Sociology Professor at the University of New Mexico. “I hope we can consider legislation that would make sure that is the case. Data transparency should be non-negotiable.”
“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,” said 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 convening concluded with an open discussion and Q&A, reinforcing the importance of cross-community solidarity and congressional leadership in advancing equity, immigrant dignity, and visibility for Afro-Latino communities.
The Congressional Hispanic Caucus remains committed to elevating Afro-Latino voices and advancing policies rooted in racial justice and inclusion.
About the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC)
The Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) is 43 members strong. The CHC serves as a forum for the Hispanic Members of Congress to coalesce around a collective legislative agenda. The Caucus is dedicated to voicing and advancing, through the legislative process, issues affecting Hispanics in the United States, Puerto Rico, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. For more information, please visit chc.house.gov.