One thing we all have in common is trying to find our identity. Are we the next Tom Brady of football or the next Stan Lee of comics? We all go through life trying to figure out whom we are meant to be. As a Mexican-American, it doesn’t get easier.
In the article “What Does it Mean to be Latino in America Today?”, author Tanzina Vega explains how Hispanic Americans label themselves and how they see their culture portrayed in today’s world.
Right now, the media hasn’t given Hispanics a break. We’re being called rapists, murders, and drug traffickers from left and right. However, that’s not really the case. In fact, most Hispanics of the current population are natives here in the United States.
Vega states, “Native-born Hispanics are the driving force behind the current population growth” (Vega). It’s no secret that Hispanics are growing in populations numbers right now. It has been predicted that Hispanics will be approximately half of the population in the United States by 2050. Hispanics are dominating in political offices, entertainment business, and even the literary world. It won’t be a surprise if within the next ten years the number of Hispanics in the media increases.
One argument Vega makes is how we assimilate ourselves to society through speaking English. For many of us, English is a second language. It is one that we’re not familiar with and has been mocked for because we speak with an accent. That accent is part of who we are. To someone here in California, we sound like we’re from a different planet. To someone from New York, the Californian sounds like the alien.
Today, most Hispanics speak perfect English that for someone to say we’re different almost feels forced. To be American doesn’t mean to speak great English just like to be Hispanic doesn’t mean to speak perfect Spanish. Embracing your nationality doesn’t mean picking a side. Having more than one nationality is what makes you unique.
Another argument Vega makes is that most Hispanics develop their identities by their daily lives and not previous traditions in their heritage or assumptions made by the media. She explains how most Hispanics/Latinos do not feel any less Hispanic by not following their traditions or anymore American by adapting to the new culture.
Living in a border town, you celebrate both cultures. You dress in festive cultural outfits to celebrate your country's independence while also wearing patriotic colors to reflect on your country's past. It's through these ways that we develop our identity.
Vega states, “As Latinos continue to debate identification issues, they move closer toward creating identities that are more personal, and thus more reflective of their unique experiences” (Vega). Hispanics/Latinos today are breaking the stereotypical barrier and creating their identities by what they have been through and not what has been made to believe by the media.
Our identity should have no influence by the media, by stereotypes, or by assumptions yet that seems to be the case. The United States was founded by a group of people looking for an opportunity to build a life away from their native land. If we judge others for doing the same, what does that say about us?
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