"¡Mira, la morena!"

Just returned from an awesome trip to Mexico City. Visited friends from grad school, including Laura, who warned me that I'd get some stares from the locals.

Yep, I can't tell you how many times I heard the words "morena," "morenita," and so on whispered (or not) as I walked through the streets of D.F. At 5'10" my height certainly draws attention...even in the U.S. But my skin color usually does not cause anyone to do a double-take. Not so in Mexico.

This isn't to say that I'm not accustomed to being described as "morena." I know all to well this particular term of endearment and its use among Latinos in the States. Within my own family, we frequently use such phrases to describe one another lovingly. Hell, I even own a t-shirt that reads, "Brown is beautiful" ... which in essence is what I believe being "morena" is all about.

Of course, the folks who took notice of me were mostly commenting on the fact that I was apparently non-Latina and obviously of African descent. (Although, amazingly, one guy in Teotihuacan asked me if I was cubana.)

They just don't see to many of us in the capital, I guess. I've been told that the Afro-Mexicanos are mostly concentrated in Veracruz. But I'm sure my Reef flip-flops (which I wear almost always) highlighted my gringa-ness.

But I digress...

The fact remains that the use of a label such as morena symbolizes a key difference between los estadounidenses and los latinoamericanos: the former try (unsuccessfully) to be colorblind while the latter see myriad shades of color among them. I'm not saying we in the US should start addressing strangers as "brown-skinned girl" or "lady with the dark-complexion." Just making an observation is all.

Anyway, I've got some fantastic photos (and video!) from the trip. Will post those asap.