Race Wars: Lupita Nyong'o Blasted For Claiming Latina Nationality

How do you define your identity, especially if you were born abroad? On social media, people do take the rap for claiming dual nationality and getting insulted for it. When the assertion comes from blog owners, it is even worse!!! 

You get remarks like "stop claiming people that have never been to your country" or because they were born of an absent Nigerian father and was raised by a British mother does not mean they are Nigerian, they are free to claim whatever ethnicity they prefer. Stop claiming people to be Nigerians by force! (those comments must sting the writer of such blogs, and cause them to shy away from such topics in the future).


It was the other way round for award-winning actress Lupita Nyong'o, who got the insults from the Latina community in Mexico for claiming that she was Latina, because she was born there. Lupita and and Star Wars co -star, Oscar Isaac, recently did an interview with Univision’s Jorge Ramos. The interview was about how the two stars of “Latin origin” landed their roles in the new Stars Wars movie.

Lupita was born in Mexico City, Mexico to two Kenyan parents. she lived in Kenya for most of her childhood but went back to Mexico when she was 16, and identifies as a “Mexican-Kenyan.” 

“I’m Mexican and Kenyan at the same time,” she said, according to El Mañana. “I’ve seen the quarrels over my nationality, but I’m Kenyan and Mexican at the same time. So again, I am Mexican-Kenyan and I am fascinated by carne asada tacos.” - Lupita Nyong'o

This became an heated debate on FB, on who a real Latina is - comments were translated and some were blatantly outspoken towards the issue.

One comment reads, “Lupita N’yongo no es Latina! Es una actriz increíble, una mujer hermosa, pero de Latina no tiene nada. Nació en México mientras su padre estaba allí de negocio y solo vivió allí unos meses. Sus papás son de Kenya.”

Facebook app translation: “Lupita NYONGO IS NOT Latina! It’s an incredible actress, a beautiful woman, but of Latina has nothing. She was born in Mexico while her father was there for business and only lived there a few months. Her parents are from Kenya.”

Another commenter retorts “Lupita es Mexicana por accidente no por que tenga Origen Latino como Lo dice el señor Jorge Ramos. Ella es Africana. Oscar si es de Origen Latino.” 

Translation: “Lupita is mexicana by accident not because I have latin origin as it says Mr Jorge Ramos. She is African. Oscar if it is of Latin origin.”

In defence of Lupta this commenter wrote: Si Lupita fuera Rubia y de ojos azules ahi estubieran reclamandola como Mexicana! Como es posible que sea el 2015 y tengamos la mente tan cerrada? Y la verdad no me sorprende en lo absoluto, nuestro hermoso continente Americano es un gran arco iris de colores pero lamentablemente lo unico que casi se ve en la tele es blanco, claro! Eso tambien se debe a que nuestras razas de color casi estan marginalizadas y no tienen las mismas oportunidades.”

Translation: If Lupita She was blonde and blue eyes there were reclamandola like Mexican! How is it possible that it is 2015 and we have the mind so closed? And the truth I am not surprised at all, our beautiful American continent is a big rainbow of colors but unfortunately the only thing that you can almost see on tv is white, of course! That also is due to the fact that our races of color almost are marginalized and do not have the same opportunities.

Why is Lupita been severely criticised, when Oscar Issac's father is actually Cuban, his mother is Guatemalan and his maternal grandmother French.

Over to you, blog visitors, what are your candid thoughts on this topic? Be honest.