Published 12:46 IST, June 29th 2020

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez faces backlash for comments comparing Latino's descent to Blacks

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez faced massive flak over her statements on the Black Lives Matter movement comparing the African American & the Latinx community

Reported by: Ananya Varma
Follow: Google News Icon
  • share
null | Image: self
Advertisement

US Congressional Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Sunday faced massive flak over her statements on Black Lives Matter movement, where she equated African Americans and Latinx based on ir descent claiming that 'Latis are black.' 

When asked what Latinx community should do to stop racism she said, "First thing we should do is talk about racism within our community, how we are impacted by racism and how also exists within us. “A lot of times I’ll hear people say, this is about Black Lives Matter, what about Latis? and I always say, Latis are black! We are Afro-Latina, and we run an entire racial spectrum." 

Advertisement

“We have to have conversations around colourism and we have to have conversations about African and indigeus roots from which we come and how that’s reflected in systems of power, wealth inequality, and frankly, our political system," said Cortez in her concluding statements. 

While some backed Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez saying that she was talking about Afro Latina community, a spectrum of people from Dominican, Cuba, Puerto Rico who are Black by descent, ors took offence to her comments especially in backdrop of horrific death of African-American man George Floyd and Black Lives Matter protests that shook world in aftermath. Some also reminded Cortex of her 'history' where Latis had in fact been oppressors and perpetrators of slavery in South America. 

Read: ' Simpsons' To Stop Casting White Actors To Voice Characters Of Colour Amid BLM Outr

Advertisement

Read: Jennifer Lopez's 12-year-old Son Urged Her To Use Her Platform For ' BLM' Cause

Netizens react

Read: VP Mike Pence Says BLM Wants Radical Left nda

Advertisement

Read: Trump Tweets About Plan For BLM Mural In Front Of His Tower

12:46 IST, June 29th 2020