Growing up as first generation in the United States, and raised in a Hispanic household has given me a unique experience that has molded me into the person I am today. I have gone through experiences that are different than others and have gone through struggles that are similar to others. These lessons have helped me become the person I am, and for that I am grateful.
First, not everything that you desire is given to you. Such things often include the investments of time, money, and hard work. I learned this well within the first years of my life when I saw children my age having the “hottest” new toy, or the best new sneakers, and compared them to the second hand stuff that I owned. My mom always reminded us that whatever we had in our reach we were lucky to obtain, but anything outside of that bubble we would have to earn ourselves. If you want something bad enough, put in the work, and devote the time; you can get to where you want to get.
Second, I learned to navigate between two cultures. I spoke Spanish at home around my loved ones, while learning in English at school. I have no idea how my tiny little brain switched between the two worlds, because honestly it was like I was living in two different planets. I learned to be my family’s own personal translator whenever we were in a setting where the staff did not speak Spanish. I remember trembling with fear trying to help my family order something while scrambling to find the correct words to accurately translate.
Third, I learned the beauty of my heritage. I learned how to make delicious homemade meals while listening to the harmonious, upbeat songs in Spanish. I learned how to move to the rhythm of drums, trumpets, and accordions, all filled with beautiful poetry, with words perfectly put together. I learned the many different steps to salsa, merengue, cumbia, banda and many more types of genres that moved my body in so many different ways. I saw nothing but love between relatives and the importance of sticking together. Family is important; they share your blood. I learned to love your roots, because that is what made you who you are.
Fourth, I learned that I was not “American”. I learned that there was always the possibility of my loved ones getting taken away from me simply because of the way they looked. I learned that my mother was not considered “normal” but rather an “alien” as if she was not human and did not deserve respect. I saw the hatred across the media about others who openly stated how they hated Mexicans, as if we were all criminals and bad people. I had this idea engraved in me that the color of my skin, my accent, my hair color, all traits that I had no control over; where things that made others judge me and put me in a category that was different then theirs.
Lastly, I learned that no matter what we need to move forward. I learned that in life you are given a deck of cards that you have no say in, things such as race, skin color, social class, where things that were given to you. But that life is a combination of these cards that you were chosen to have and what you actually do with these cards. I learned that love trumps hate, and that living a life in vain will only hurt yourself. I learned to be kind to others, because everyone is given a different set of cards and is trying to be the best they can just like you.
My mother and me on move in day 2014.
So I thank my family for showing me all of these things that have given me the knowledge, the strength, and the patience to push forward in my academic studies. I thank the community that I was raised in that taught me that it does not matter where you come from, that you have the power to change where you want to go, and that there is no place like home. And finally I thank my mother, for not letting me believe even for a minute that I was not less than others around me, despite being Mexican.
Related Articles:
Reasons Why You Should Be Proud to Have An Accent –
http://www.hercampus.com/school/sonoma-state/reasons-why-you-should-be-proud-have-accent
Perks of Being Bilingual –
http://www.hercampus.com/school/sonoma-state/perks-being-bilingual