I was born in the United States. Being Latina was something I had to grow into. As a kid, I tried to assimilate into white American culture and just wanted to separate myself as much as possible from looking like an “other.” This was mostly because my mother wanted me to have it easy in this country, and she thought the best way to do that was to assimilate.
As I got older, I realized that being Latina is nothing to be ashamed of. It’s one of the best things in the world. It means so many different things to others, and I had to learn what exactly being Latina meant to me. This Latinx Heritage Month, I put a lot of thought on what exactly being Latina means to me personally.
To me, being a Latina means coming from a diverse community. People often mistake Latinx as a race when it is an ethnicity. Latinx people come from all different racial backgrounds. We’re not all the same. With these diverse backgrounds come rich, interesting history and cultural practices. Indigenous culture, African culture, and European culture all mix in their beautiful way.
It’s also about maintaining culture. People often make us feel unwelcomed and like we don’t have a seat at the table. Our culture and heritage can sometimes alienate us from others, especially with how high tensions are these days. But we don’t let that discourage us. I’m Guatemalan, and I’m proud of the rich history of my country. It’s beautiful, and I love sharing the culture with everyone I can.
Latina women are also so strong. Many of us grew up in an extremely patriarchal, or “machismo” families and societies. Despite this, so many of us have pushed back and refused to be disrespected. As a first-generation Latina college student, I’m proud of myself for getting an education. The strong Latina women in my family who came before me and pushed me to get an education. They have taught me so much about respecting myself and knowing my worth. Latina women are ambitious and strong.
Being a Latina also means holding your community accountable. The Latinx community is far from perfect and has a lot of issues. There’s anti-blackness, homophobia, and sexism in our community. If we want to change this, we got to tackle it head-on. Recently we had been so good at tackling these types of conversations with our families and standing up for what we believe in.
Latinidad is different for everyone, and we all have different relationships with it. We all should be proud of our heritage. We’re never letting anyone smother our pride.