This Latine Heritage month, our “MI History” series -headlights Latin celebrities when they share how their families’ immigration stories shaped who they are -and why telling these stories is crucial to strengthening immigrant societies.
Jharrel Jerome is an undeniable star. Known for their raw, visceral ideas in “When they see us” and “unstoppable”, as well as expressing Miles G. Morales in “Spiderman: Across the Spider-Vers”, the actor credits his mother for much of his success today. The first generation Dominican American was born in Washington Heights, a predominantly Dominican neighborhood and bred in Bronx by his single mother.
“My mother had me at 18 years, so I had a very young mother. That’s why we are so close, and that’s why I keep her close to the heart and to the chest,” he shares. “We just grew up at the same time … It’s like a best friend I’ve had all my life.”
As a young Dominican woman who raised a child in NYC, Jerome’s mother Radoyka Marte Jerome devoted himself to giving him the opportunities she never had.
“Between her to be an immigrant and have me at a very young age, my mother is just so resilient,” he says. “More than she believes in herself, more than she believed in something, she believed in me.”
It included encouraging him to attend a performing arts school, which put him on the path he is on today. “I just told her that I didn’t want to go to my zone school. I didn’t want to go to school where all the children in my area would go to school, and the next morning she came up with this idea for me to try for a performing arts school for actors,” he says. “She only knew I was dramatic.”
Until he was two, it was just him and his mother, until his stepfather eventually entered as the father’s figure in his life.
“I was not raised by my biological father, so I don’t know my Dominican father. You know a classic story – classical story. It happens,” he says. “But I grew up by an incredible man. He is Haitic. He is my stepfather. But I don’t call him my stepfather. I don’t see him as my stepfather. It’s my dad. I call him dad.”
Jerome believes that it is this unconditional love and support he has received from his family – that includes his mother, stepfather, sister, grandparents, aunt, uncle and cousins - who have really kept him grounded in an industry as competitive and demanding as an actor.
“I grew up very family-oriented, so it helped me a lot when it came to switching to the whole Hollywood thing,” he says. “Until today, I really appreciate that I have a home to go to and I have a strong home to hide or get away, even if it is just to remember who I am. I am proud of it. No matter what space I am in or no matter who I meet, it will not change who I am.”
“I grew up a lot of family oriented, so it helped me a lot when it came to moving to the whole Hollywood thing.”
The actor believes to grow up as a black Dominican child from Bronx prepared him for many of the roles he has taken on. His experiences that grew up shaped his perspective – and in the end allowed him to gain greater authenticity to his depictions of black characters.
“It’s a tricky conversation. Colorism is involved in that conversation, but I am a Dominican who is aware of our people and the line they like to toe. I know the negative side of our culture and the side that hides from our black identity, but I’m just not the one,” he says. “I grew up first and foremost a black man in this country and walked on the streets, talked, auditions, whatever-I have never felt that I was anything but afro-Llatino, and so many characters I play are not Latino. They are black American.”
And although it has been discussed whether Afro-Llatinos should produce black American characters, Jerome wants to do something very clear: he is very aware of the fact that he is not black American-he is black Latino and recognizes the cultural differences that exist. But roles for black Latinos are still very scarce.
“There are just not many characters for us. We are not often rewritten, and if we do, America has this portrayal of what it means to be Latino, do you know what I say? And they have not broken that situation yet,” he says. “I can’t identify with my Dominican heritage through my characters, but the blessing is that I can speak for my blackness through my characters.”
He hopes to take on more roles such as Anthony Robles, the black and Mexican disabled wrestler he portrays in “unstoppable.” Meanwhile, he is anxious to share his own family’s immigration history and his experience of growing up Dominican in Bronx – so stories as his can finally be written for the screen. He has actually worked with a script for two years on a story similar to his own.
“I think right now, more than anything, immigrant stories must be told so that we can remind America about the importance of immigrants.”
“The motto in this country was freedom for everyone. The American dream was:” Come and find a freedom to follow your dreams here, “he says.” But it’s fun how it is now, no, go back, and it’s sick to me. I think right now, more than anything, immigrant stories must be told so that we can remind America about the importance of immigrants. We have to remind America about what America was built on. ”
Johanna Ferreira is the content director of PS Juntos. With more than ten years of experience, Johanna focuses on how intersectional identities are a central part of Latin culture. Previously, she spent close to three years as vice editor at Hiplatina, and she has freelanced for many stores including Refinery29, Oprah Magazine, Allure, Instyle and Well+Good. She has also moderated and spoken in many panels about Latin identity.
