Labels have followed me my entire life, never letting me fit into one box. The feeling of division that comes with trying to meet the standards of my Hispanic origin while also being U.S. born has attacked me from both sides, making it impossible to escape.
In the country I call home, I’ve experienced micro-aggressions and confusion from my non-Hispanic peers, not seeming to grasp the idea of how my community can be so diverse. They see my brown skin and features and a green light goes off in their eyes — they can successfully profile me without needing to think twice. Then they see my lighter-skinned family members with blonde hair and blue eyes and are baffled at the idea that Hispanics could be anything other than the stereotype that they have prepared.
It’s experiences like these that have caused me to question if I’m “American enough” for those around me, but on the other hand my Hispanic community thinks the opposite. They see the “American dream” and my struggle to navigate language and culture as a sign that I’m no more than a “gringa.” That I don’t have a right to identify the way I do because of the land I was born on. That the way I’m treated and talked to in comparison to my white peers means nothing, because at the end of the day, I am American.
These issues create an identity crisis for Hispanic Americans, feeling like no side will be satisfied with the way they identify. It even harms Hispanics and Latinos who are not from the U.S., perpetuating harmful stereotypes that find their way into the community itself. Being forced to pick a side and excel at representing it all comes back to the lack of education and representation of the Hispanic community in the U.S.
Stereotyping and profiling.
Although the terms of race, nationality, and ethnicity serve as a reflection of how each individual identifies, I feel that basing it on a singular word excludes the experiences and ways in which I navigate the society I live in and the culture I am immersed in. A light-skinned Hispanic, straight from the motherland can face doubts by U.S. peers that they are truly Hispanic due to their pre-determined idea of what a Hispanic truly is.
The same assumptions can be made about Hispanics who are darker and have non-white features and can even lead to questioning of legal status. Both sides of the spectrum are incredibly important to consider when it comes to Hispanics and their identity, as these individual experiences can lead to very differing approaches when it comes to racial identification.
It also furthers the idea that phenotypes and other characteristics like accents and national origin are determining factors of self-identification and that if Hispanics don’t identify with what others perceive them to be then it is invalidated.
I don’t view my brown skin as something to be ashamed of, however, I cannot force myself to identify as American Indian or Alaska Native based solely off of my skin color. I know that I have no ties to the culture and experiences that come with that group of people and the same can be said about checking the box that says “White.” I cannot confidently align myself with the experiences or way of living of a white person in America, which is where the difficulty arises for many Hispanic Americans that don’t fit into the Black-White binary.
Latino representation in American media.
These identification words aren’t the only way in which these pressures are inflicted onto Hispanic Americans; U.S. media and entertainment don’t have the best track record with representation of our community. In fact, during the early beginnings of American cinema in the 19th and early 20th centuries, the few Latinos that did participate in films were those that had economic privilege and could pass as European. Since then, Hispanics and Latinos have been the target of harmful stereotypes, brown face, and more within the entertainment industry.
This fact is supported, as a survey conducted by the National Hispanic Media Coalition found that 71% of respondents see Latinos “in criminal or gang member roles very often or sometimes.” This lack of representation has shown impact on the American people, with 50% of respondents in the survey answering that the stereotype of Latinos being less educated describes the community “very or somewhat well.” 51% of the respondents answered the same to the stereotype of Latinos being welfare recipients.
Seeing and experiencing the tainted view of Hispanics and Latinos in the media and in real life can start an identity crisis for Hispanic Americans who pertain to those roots but are U.S. born. I see these portrayals of people who look like me and I become aware of the way I am perceived, even though I’m just as American as the next person. This is a critical factor as to why I identify the way I do, and why words like race and nationality say nothing about who I truly am.
Staying educated.
While it is important to address the current issues that exist with Latino representation and its impact on identity and profiling, it is also important to look towards the future and acknowledge the media that has made groundbreaking changes for our community. We increasingly see Latina/os in leading and supporting roles, showcasing all that we have to offer. America Ferrera’s impactful performance in Barbie was one that empowered women of all walks of life. A personal favorite of mine was Disney’s Encanto (although this might be biased because I am Colombian) and it finally showing that Hispanics come in all colors, shapes, and sizes on the big screen. These two films are just a couple of examples of media that have allowed me to find the voice to speak on these issues. They’ve opened my eyes to the ways in which Hispanics and Latinos are sometimes made out to be nothing more than their harmful stereotypes.
Consuming media like this and listening to Hispanic and Latina/o voices is critical in celebrating the community this Hispanic Heritage Month. Whether it be through social media, politics, entertainment, and more, highlighting our voices will not only educate others, but can help us navigate the identity crisis that can become struggle for Hispanic Americans. Although I might be too Hispanic for some and too American for others, I find beauty in experiencing these two halves that make me whole.