CENTRAL TEXAS — The only Panamanian restaurant in Texas sits on a street in downtown Killeen.
The owner, Isabelle Munos, is happy to know she's brought her culture to the big country.
She is Afro-Latina, and during this Black History Month, she wants to put not just her cultural food on display, but her Afro - Hispanic background as well.
Her daughter, Shalebel Davis, speaks out as well, saying, being Afro-Latina is its own experience.
“Some people think there aren’t Black Hispanics, but there are, and I decided to say I am Black Hispanic... there’s a lot of pride in that because I love both of my cultures,” Davis said.
Munos agrees, saying in part, “I’m Black but in the same way I’m Latino too."
Being Black and Latino in Isabelle's opinion are one and the same.
In a recent Pew Survey, only 18 percent of Afro-Latinos said they were Black compared to the 39 percent who said they identify as White.
Meanwhile, almost a quarter said their race was "Hispanic."
Though that data exists, Isabelle Munos takes pride in the essence of who she is, “I have always been involved in my culture, I teach how to dance to the music from my country, and I always cook.”