Unwise, Latino: Eduardo Giraldo Thinks Latino Blood Is “Best”

Eduardo Giraldo, a candidate for the 21st district city council seat in Queens, created a program in conjunction with Elmhurst Hospital Center focused on getting Latinos to donate blood. Hey, that’s great! Because, he says, Latino blood is superior to that of “Morenos” and “Europeos.” Hey, that’s… Mm.

Now, Giraldo’s statements aren’t so much hateful (we’re feeling particularly generous this morning) as they are really, really stupid. For one, he’s ignoring the fact that Latinos aren’t a homogenous group and that “Morens” and “Europeo” are not mutually exclusive with “Latino:”

We know there’s the common perception that different groups have “different” blood. But even certain disorders often associated with a certain race - like sickle-cell anemia among black people - can be found across many different races and ethnic groups across different geographic regions. It is not someone’s “blackness” that results in sickle-cell anemia, or “Latinoness” that leads to diabetes. 

Reducing someone to his blood also works to take away his humanity, downplays or ignores the environmental issues that impact  health, and ignores the fact that we’re more than categorized bodies and medical statistics.

The idea that Latino blood is “better” for Latinos is misinformed at best and, at worst, racist. Plus, how does Giraldo think this will play out among racially diverse voters in Queens? We sincerely hope that Giraldo’s rhetoric doesn’t actually dissuade anyone - Latinos who have Type 0 blood - from donating.