Book Description

In this empowering, and compelling memoir, the son of a Black Carib/Garifuna father and a Mestizo mother, grew up in Honduras, struggling as a child to reconcile social perceptions of his multiracial and ethnic heritage. The struggle led him on a quest for racial, ancestral, ethnic, and cultural identity.

In this memoir, activist José Francisco Ávila, draws on his own family history and lineage, to interweave his own childhood experiences with more than 500 years of history to analyze the impact racial mixing had on his maternal family.

Learning the history of his Garifuna Ancestors, changed his perception of himself, he embraced his identity with dignity and started celebrating who he is and where he came from. He created an identity narrative, that provides him with a sense of unity and purpose in life. His main mission in life has been to inform, empower, and advocate for Garifuna People in New York City.

A vital and inspiring story of multiracial and ethnic heritage, Pan Garifuna Afro-Latino Power of Pride is an examination of cultural identity and belonging. It calls on all of us to narrate our own stories in our own words, to do justice to ourselves and to future generations.