Experiences that Shape Identities

Discrimination can lead to racism because of language, ethnicity or religion. For children, this can slow down their development – according to a new study from Harvard University.    

In Latin America, a woman focuses on promoting multiculturalism as a a powerful tool against discrimination. 

In this episode of Full Frame we speak to Indhira Serrano. She is a Colombian model, actress, activist and now children’s book author. 

“Our hair has been a really big issue in this change of perception here in Latin America. Almost all of us, especially in the Caribbean, have grown with the idea that we have to change our hair in order to be accepted”, says Serrano during during the interview. 

Musical Heritage Born From A Troubled History

San Basilio de Palenque is known as the “African Corner” of Colombia. This town was founded by runaway African slaves about 400 years ago. Today, it has roughly 3,500 inhabitants. Its musical traditions and creole dialects are influenced by the Kikongo language of Angola and Congo.

Ancestral Tongues At Risk of Extinction

Yasnaya Aguilar is a defender of the native tongues of Latin America. Her research promotes the indigenous culture through literature.  

Yasnaya is a graduate from the University of Mexico, where she studied Hispanic Language and Literature. As a linguist and translator, her work is primarily involved with Spanish and the indigenous languages of Mexico. She is helping save languages that are at risk of disappearing by implementing grammatical tools in various indigenous tongues.  

“Many indigenous languages are facing many threats. We need to change our everyday function. We need to fight against racism because racism is erasing our languages”, said Aguilar during this interview.