As an international student at Temple University, I’ve learned that embracing my Latin American heritage is both a privilege and a responsibility. While the U.S. has given me the opportunity to pursue my ambitions abroad, it has also made me aware of the pressures that push immigrants and international students toward assimilation. In this piece, I reflect on how I navigate that tension not by silencing my roots, but by celebrating them, sharing them with others, and letting them guide my work, my friendships, and my future.
Latin America raised me in its chaos. Our countries are loud, unpredictable, and resilient all at once. Nothing fills me with more pride than saying I was born in Mexico City, and saying my family is from the beautiful coasts of Colombia.
I feel that every Latin American country holds its own beauty and traditions, yet we are fundamentally connected by our shared history and richness. The culture that raised me wove itself into my daily life. I moved freely within the region and relished in my customs passively. Always surrounded by a familiar flora, never having to justify who I was, where I came from, or why it mattered. With a week left of Hispanic Heritage Month, I want to talk a little bit about how I carry my culture in this time.
At Temple, I’ve been able to take part in the American college experience, allowing me to continue my academic journey and explore my professional ambitions internationally. Majoring in advertising awakened my interest in publishing, and I found genuine joy in my studies.
Living abroad brought the humbling realization that while I cherished meeting people from backgrounds completely different than my own culture—once so ambient and effortless—was no longer comprehended by default. That awareness sharpened as I noticed how international students and immigrants were often prejudiced in broader dynamics.
Disagreeing with certain things happening here brings me cognitive dissonance. This country gave me the chance to pursue my ambitions beyond what I once knew, and I am deeply grateful to be here. But the more I read the news and watch what unfolds around me, the more I realize that being here shouldn’t require silencing what I once carried so proudly. Trading pride for fear is the first step toward assimilation—and I’d rather celebrate my culture than erase it.
Truthfully, I never felt rejected at Temple; instead, I felt a responsibility to protect what suddenly felt more fragile, and to prove that my presence in the U.S. is meaningful, not despite my background, but because of it. Sometimes that means hanging a flag or talking openly about my roots. More often, it meant showing up confidently and passionately in spaces where people like me aren’t always expected to lead. My culture didn’t need to be announced everywhere; it spoke through the care I brought to my work.
My involvement in student organizations like AdEL, online publications like Her Campus, and my on-campus job at The Temple News have become a profound part of my journey abroad. Speaking Spanish with other Latino students, writing passionate articles, and serving as advertising manager; each endeavor shapes my voice and vision for the future.
I’m also very grateful for the friendships I’ve built here. I’ve never really had any non-Hispanic friends, meaning this is the first time I’ve never had the chance to introduce my everyday customs to people unfamiliar with them. Sharing those pieces of myself, in the form of planning a future trip to Mexico and my hometown, for example, fills me with overwhelming excitement and joy. The thought of showing them the places and traditions that raised me makes my culture feel even more alive.
Showing up fully in every commitment brings me a quiet sense of peace—I know I’m doing a service to my motherland. Every project I pursue with enthusiasm carries the imprint of my heritage. This philosophy will follow me as I explore my opportunities in the U.S. I hope to bring it into a major media company, taking pride in the effort I poured into my college years. I imagine myself working alongside other driven people whose diverse upbringings also inform their creativity, learning from one another and uplifting our voices.
Though much remains to unfold, I know that wherever I go, I will lead with passion, carry my culture with pride, and let my work speak for where I come from. Until then, I’m eager to study at Temple with people and spaces that inspire me and keep building that path forward.
To every Latino who, like me, feels the weight of conflicting emotions—wanting to show pride in our culture without putting it or ourselves at risk—I want to say this: Nosotros somos latinos. Estamos hechos para superar los más difíciles desafíos. Together we are stronger, and it’s up to us to show that strength in everything we do. Live your life with all the love and power you carry and let the world see what it truly means to be Latino.