Afro-Latino

Award-winning journalist Natasha S. Alford grew up between two worlds as the daughter of an African American father and Puerto Rican mother. In American Negra, a narrative that is part memoir, part cultural analysis, Alford reflects on growing up in a working-class family from the city of Syracuse, NY.In smart, vivid prose, Alford illustrates the complexity of being multiethnic in Upstate New York and society’s flawed teachings about matters of identity. When she travels to Puerto Rico for the first time, she is the darkest in her family, and navigates shame for not speaking Spanish fluently. She visits African-American hair salons where she’s told that she has “good” hair, while internalizing images that as a Latina she has "bad” hair or pelo malo.When Alford goes from an underfunded public school system to Harvard University surrounded by privilege and pedigree, she wrestles with more than her own ethnic identity, as she is faced with imposter syndrome, a shocking medical diagnosis, and a struggle to define success on her own terms. A study abroad trip to the Dominican Republic changes her perspective on Afro-Latinidad and sets her on a path to better understand her own Latin roots.Alford then embarks on a whirlwind journey to find her authentic voice, taking her across the United States from a hedge fund boardroom to a classroom and ultimately a newsroom, as a journalist.  A coming-of-age story about what it's like to live at the intersections of race, culture, gender, and class, all while staying true to yourself, American Negra is a captivating look at one woman’s experience being Negra in the United States. As the movement to highlight Afro-Latin identity and overlooked histories of the African diaspora grows, American Negra illustrates the diversity of the Black experience in the larger fabric of American society.

The complete how-to guide on all things textured hair  Natural & Curly Hair For Dummies offers you step-by-step direction and accurate information to manage and style your hair. Celebrity hairstylist Johnny Wright is here to help you ditch the chemicals and love your textured locks. You'll learn to tame frizz, keep your hair moisturized and looking luscious. With the right tricks, tips, and advice you can get a halo of soft, healthy curls just the way you want them. Plus, you'll find out how Johnny maintains the hair health of his most notable clients like Queen Latifah, Tamron Hall, Kerry Washington, and Michelle Obama. This book offers simple and useful scalp and hair guidance for Black and Latin hair care maintenance including styling tips to properly take care of your natural hair.   - Learn how natural and curly hair works, including hair porosity & hair elasticity   - Deal with breakage, dryness, dandruff, shedding, tangles, and frizz  - Discover techniques on coloring and bleaching natural hair Learn which ingredients and products will help keep your unique hair texture and type healthy and looking its best  - Master toddler, child, and teen styles and care-for adoptive parents, parents of biracial children, and caregivers   With full-color photographs throughout, Natural & Curly Hair For Dummies will give you the skills you need to bring out the born-with-it beauty in that amazing ethnic hair!