We'd love it if you could join us this month in celebrating Hispanic Heritage and check out some of the shenanigans we will be sharing here, as well as on Sofia's and Maribel's pages.
Short Answer: The Food.
Long Answer: I am Hispanic, Latina, and Peruvian- American. I consider myself to be all three as part of my identity. Being all three comes with a strong history and so much culture to draw upon. I have the Spanish and the Inca blood running through my veins but also grew up in the United States which bring a strong independent nature.
Our family values is what I believe sets us apart from most other cultures. Family no matter the distance down the line comes first. We don’t only engage with our siblings but with our cousins, our parents cousins and our grandparents siblings. We are all family and that’s all that matters.
Besides family we are rich in sweet sounding music, flavorful cuisine, and beautiful artistry which all makes me so proud to be Hispanic/Latina/Peruvian American.
The easy answer is to say I'm proud to be who I am because of all the delicious food and awesome music.
The more in depth answer requires a little more effort. I'm proud to be a Hispanic, Latina, Mexican-American woman because of all of the traditions and culture. As a Hispanic and Latina, family is put above all else in my culture. The word "family" is practically sacred, and it is not just limited to immediate relatives. In my home, "Family" means parents, siblings, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, second-cousins, even third cousins, as well as all of the above's respective family members; friends are also considered family. We are not distant either; at some party or other we always see all of those mentioned above. If you haven't noticed it yet, our families tend to involve many people. I'm 22 years old and I'm still meeting family I've never heard of before. But I wouldn't change any of it.
The traditions of my culture make me feel unique; I enjoy celebrating the holidays that belong to the Mexican culture in my home, in addition to the traditions and holidays that belong to the U.S. For example, growing up I'd celebrate Halloween (or as we say in Spanish, El Dia de las Brujas, aka Day of the witches, haha) on the 31st of October like everyone else. But that same night, I'd be helping my mom set up our altar table for All Saints Day (Dia de todos los Santos), and Day of the Dead (Dia de los Muertos), which fall on November 1st and 2nd, respectively.
The music of my culture makes me want to sing and dance (which I do when no one's home). The arts inspire me, and the food makes me wish I could eat forever (but I can't because that would be wrong--desserts are my weakness!). What I wish people would realize is that there is a lot more to the Hispanic culture than meets the eye. The Hispanic culture doesn't involve just a small part of me--it is in every fiber of my being.
All of these things and more make me proud to be a Hispanic, Latina, Mexican-American woman.
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