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Is the Latino Community Losing Its Identity?
By Zayda Rivera
September 24, 2008
Keywords: Latino, Puerto Rican, bilingualism, Spanish, English, Crazy Leggs, Rock Steady Crew, Black
"You're not a real Puerto Rican."
That's the comment I heard, often from other Latinos, when I was growing up in New London, Conn. Why? Because, although bilingualism is very important in our society, I--like many third-generation Latinos in this country--was not raised to speak Spanish.
Sometimes I felt like my family thought we'd be taken more seriously as citizens if we didn't speak Spanish. In the 1980s and '90s, speaking Spanish--or even having an accent--stigmatized a person as being less educated or being an ESL student. That stigma still exists today, but thankfully attitudes are changing, if slowly.
Still, I never felt that my cultural connection was any less present because I didn't speak Spanish; I never felt that the Latino blood that ran through my veins wasn't "real." While the Spanish spoken by my grandmother sounded so beautiful, I always answered her in English. It was the norm for us.
My earliest childhood memories are of family, food, music and celebration. The minute we walked into la casa de mi abuelo (my grandparents' house), the aroma of mama's "healing" food would instantly warm us with a feeling of belonging, closeness and security. I was overwhelmed with orgullo (pride) when I was with my family, and we brought the house down by dancing salsa and singing all night long. We even had a favorite family song, "El Africano" by Wilfrido Vargas, and from the first beat everyone jumped up and began dancing and singing. I didn't know until years later that the song we considered a festive party anthem carried alarmist attitudes toward Black sexuality.
It didn't matter that the majority of my friends were Black or that I dove headfirst into the hip-hop culture of the '80s and '90s. In fact, those aspects of my identity made me feel even more Latino, since some of my ancestors were Black and Latinos were a driving force in hip hop from its inception. Remember Crazy Leggs and the Rock Steady Crew?
Still, I felt that speaking Spanish was something I needed to learn. U.S. Census Bureau data shows that Latinos will make up 30 percent of the U.S. population by 2050. So when I moved to New York City, I made it my priority to speak Spanish, which wasn't difficult living in a highly concentrated Latino area of the Bronx.
Now more than ever before, I see how the Spanish language can bring me closer to my cultural identity. I almost understand where the "not a real Puerto Rican" comments originated from, although I still consider them highly ignorant. Was Willie Colon, one of the originators of salsa music, who didn't speak Spanish fluently, not a "real" Puerto Rican? Latino identity spills over into so many other beautiful aspects besides the melodic language, such as our music, food, traditions and family values.
The only way we as Latinos will ensure the continued relevance of our culture is by passing the torch onto our young people. Almost all of my 1-year-old daughter's books are bilingual, as well as her toys and the shows that she watches. Third-, fourth- and fifth-generation Latinos who are raised extremely Americanized, as I was, need to be taught their rich Latino heritage and need to educate future generations so our traditions, beliefs, values and identity will not fade.
Do I think Latinos are losing their identity in this country? No. In fact, I feel that our identity is growing and its roots originate from the island of Puerto Rico to Latin America, Central America and Mexico. It seeps into the American soil from the concrete jungle of New York City to the deserts of New Mexico and the beaches of Florida. ¡Sigue pa lante Latino! (Move forward Latinos!)
Are Latinos Losing Their Identity? Other Perspectives …
Most parents want to protect their children by any means necessary. Maria Auciello, who is half-Puerto Rican and half-Italian, loves her family but never really felt like she could relate to her Latino heritage.
"I do not speak or understand Spanish at all," Auciello says. "My high school as well as my college was dominated by wealthy white people. My father tried to keep me and my brother in places he thought would be the only place to advance, which meant anywhere dominated by wealthy white people."
This idea is not unique. The stereotypes that are often carried with Latinos (less educated, more prone to crime, drug addiction, etc.) are unfortunately confirmed by some, so the consequences are felt by the majority.
"My mother, who is fluent in Spanish [and] is one of 10 children, has become very Americanized herself," Auciello says. "All seven of my mother's brothers have been in and out of jail [and/or] on drugs. I would say my mother's brothers are the reason why I have little Latino influence in my life."
There are many Latinos in this country who have experienced exactly what Auciello has.
"I love that I am Puerto Rican and Italian, but I feel as though those are not qualities people get from me or that I put out," Auciello says. "I consider myself American first."
"I felt I had the best of both worlds," says Adriana Alvarado, who grew up in a household where Spanish was the dominant language. On the other end of the spectrum from Auciello, Alvarado's family immersed her into their Latino culture through traditions, values, the language and traveling to their native land.
"As a child, I'd go on long trips to visit family members in Ecuador, and every year I learned more and more about their culture," Alvarado says. "Soon after, I was participating in cultural events because it was all so fascinating to me. Once I became a teenager, I enjoyed it even more because I felt both American and Ecuadorian."
Alvarado learned about both countries, a luxury many Latinos growing up in this country experience, and she has every intention of passing on the torch to her own children.
"My parents have been here for over 40 years and have adapted to the American lifestyle, yet we have never lost our culture, and my plan is to do the same with my children some day," Alvarado says. "Being bilingual to me is a privilege."
Alvarado has grown up embracing both cultures; she is able to carry that with her always. While her parents were the ones to guide her into cultural awareness, not all Latinos growing up in this country have that advantage.
"Latino identity is lost when parents speak to their children in English only, when their travels do not include their origin countries and when our norms are set aside," she says. "I am born and raised in the U.S. and I identify myself as Latina always. [Being] Latino to me is overall how we live and how we think."
Readers' Comments
Posted: Sunday, Oct 12, 2008
Is the Latino Community Losing Its Identity?
From where I sit in the Philadelphia area, the Latino community is definitely not losing its identity. If anything, it is gaining it wonderfully. I am not Latino but felt that I had been adopted by the Latino community when I studied for a year in Bogotá, Colombia and had whatever racial blinders I had taken away by witnessing firsthand that country's incredible cultural diversity and the warmth and generosity of its people. It was like a conversion experience, and one of my overriding goals upon returning to the States was to share my experiences with others. That conversion continued when I did some part-time ESL teaching in the Latino community of Chester, Pennsylvania, near Philadelphia. The community was predominantly Puerto Rican but I also had the opportunity to meet people from Argentina, Panama, Cuba, Peru and other countries. Later the Latin culture became a permanent part of my life when I married a native of Colombia. Now, 24 happy years later, I am still delighted to have daily exposure to the Spanish language and the multifaceted culture of Latin America, and feel especially good to see our two grown children embrace their bilingual-bicultural heritage. In order to continue to share my "conversion" with others, in 1991 I founded a nonprofit arts organization called Raíces Culturales Latinoamericanas ("Latin American Cultural Roots"), which today is located in the heart of Philadelphia's Latino community and celebrates the cultures of all Latin countries. The community considers Raíces its cultural home and it has been a pleasure to work alongside Latinos to make the dream of an inclusive cultural space a reality. My role has transitioned to the point that Latinos are leading the organization and ensuring its continuity.
Michael Esposito
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Posted: Wednesday, Oct 01, 2008
Is the Latino Community Losing Its Identity?
On the contrary, as Latinos we are not only becoming the mainstream, we've managed to redefine it. I grew up in western Arizona, on an Indian reservation where a large portion of the population were first generation Mexican families. We all spoke Spanish as well as English (and some of us picked up a few words of some of the native languages as well), today I see a few of the friends I grew up with and see how connected we are to both worlds- the US and the Mexican/Chicano/Latino world and what our identities are. For many of us, losing our identity has never been an issue, although a friend of mine mentioned that may be strengthened by the fact that we live in a border state and are more connected to Mexico, where our heritage originates. Maybe it's an East Coast/West Coast thing? What about the mid-westerners? I don't think you lose your ID, you may wander from it, some may run from it but ultimately, it's who you are. From that you are defined.
Joe Ray
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Posted: Tuesday, Sep 30, 2008
Is the Latino Community Losing Its Identity?
I am "puerto Rican" 100% from New York and do not speak spanish I love everything about being latino. I love this article because I have 2 sons with my husband who is Italian and Irish. My oldest son is 4 years old and I am teaching him all I can about his Puerto Rican heritage. My one regret is I was not raised speaking spanish. But I try to teach my sons the little words I know. I love being a latina and have also been called a fake Puerto Rican because I can't speak the language. Again I really enjoyed this article and all the comments people left. We must be proud of who we are everyone of us no matter what our heritage,mix or nationality and pass it on to our children.
IVY BROWN
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Posted: Tuesday, Sep 30, 2008
Is the Latino Community Losing Its Identity?
I can totally relate to the author. Imagine if you don't "look" Latina or have a Latino last name!! That's me. I grew up in NYC when no one knew what a Dominican was. Sounds silly right? Most people didn't meet much Dominicans until the 80's and 90's. Like the author, wasn't raised to speak Spanish but my cousins and other members of my family was. Go figure!! My parents came to the US from Dominican Republic in 1966. They were already at a disadvantage because they came to the US as Black Latinos in the height of the Civil Rights movement, and although they knew English they didn't consider themselves Black American, but everyone else did. Big-ups to the author. We will never lose our heritage, we have to embrace it, even if it means being uncomfortable sometimes.
Jeannette Abrahamson
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Posted: Thursday, Sep 25, 2008
Is the Latino Community Losing Its Identity?
I found this article a bit interesting. I don't know if it's an "East Coast" "West Coast" thing. Having grown up in being a Mexican-American born here in the U.S. raised in Los Angeles, CA, I often find it rather strange when Latino's talk about loosing thier heritage. I have always been bi-lingual, was NEVER in an ESL class and the subject I excelled in most was English, which was even my major in college. I could never escape my heritage, I live in LOS ANGELES, I eat tacos about 3 times a week, my family is very close, and am glad to say that even in the 3rd and 4th generation, we are still very much bi-lingual. Our heritage as latino's has never been lost, some have just never found it! It is everywhere, in our names, the foods we eat, the way we dance, sing, move, and interact with each other. Maybe that is one of the reasons I LOVE my city so much, it engulfs me with my ancestory past and makes me feel more American than any other place. Nice article, however, when it comes to subjects like this, it all depends on what your experience has been.
Abel Alvarado
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