Adriana
Villavicencio
Researcher
Being Latino means connection to my family, my mother who raised me on her own, who served a community of low-income and immigrant Latinos for more than 20 years, and who taught me to respect the strength and ingenuity of that community regardless of the jobs they had or titles they would never receive. Being Latino means a connection to my grandmother (after whom I am named), who raised eight children, ran a farm, made clothes and still managed to recite poetry at 90 years old that she learned as a child. Being Latino means a connection to a beautiful culture of música que levanta a los muertos and movement that runs through your veins, to the power of ancient civilizations and the hope of future generations.
Adriana
Villavicencio
Researcher
Being Latino means connection to my family, my mother who raised me on her own, who served a community of low-income and immigrant Latinos for more than 20 years, and who taught me to respect the strength and ingenuity of that community regardless of the jobs they had or titles they would never receive. Being Latino means a connection to my grandmother (after whom I am named), who raised eight children, ran a farm, made clothes and still managed to recite poetry at 90 years old that she learned as a child. Being Latino means a connection to a beautiful culture of música que levanta a los muertos and movement that runs through your veins, to the power of ancient civilizations and the hope of future generations.
Alyssa
Spatola
Blog Editor, Huffington Post
Being that I'm only half Dominican, my Latina identity always felt somewhat covert. It's something I feel most connected to within the confines of the Dominican side of my family.
On the surface, growing up half Latina means I can sort of dance bachata and have eaten an absurd amount of flan in my life. But it also means I have a large, uncondition-ally supportive family. It's kind of impossible not to look at my grandmother – who moved to NYC from DR to raise five children alone without speaking any English – and not feel super proud of her and of being Latina in general.
Carly
Figueroa
Producer, Huffington Post
Growing up, being Latina always felt like something people expected me to prove. As a Cuban in San Diego, where most Latinos are Mexican with dark hair and eyes, people always said "You're not Cuban" or "You don't look Cuban at all." I never knew how to respond other than... "Well clearly I DO look Cuban because... I'm Cuban and this is what I look like!"
Esmerelda
Scheleur
Stay-at-home Mom
Esmeralda: I'm not American. I was born and raised in Mexico, where you're not called Latino. You're called Mexican if you're born in Mexico, Peruvian if you're from Peru and Colombian if you're from Colombia.
Here in the United States, all Latinos are called Mexicans and all Mexicans have crossed the border "as wetbacks." And of course, all Mexicans have the same stereotypes – short and dark, with brown hair and eyes.
One of my most common experiences, since my children were born, is when I'm in public, people ask me, "Are you the kids' nanny or babysitter?" I just want to answer: "I'm not the fucking nanny or the babysitter and stop asking me. And yes, Mexicans can have babies with blue eyes, fair skin and blond hair too."
Sebastian: Being Latino means to be, like, eating Latino food and stuff. I don't know which Latino food I like. I can go to Latino birthdays and you get a cake that has toys in it and candy. I eat quesadillas and the Latino sodas in the Spanish restaurant. My hair is brown, that's Latino hair.
Sebastian
Age 5
Allyssandra
Age 3
Kat
Santiago
Associate Producer, HuffPost Live
Growing up in NYC, there was a certain way Latino kids expected each other to look and act. I did not fit that stereotype at all and still don't. It was tough feeling rejected because of that, but a stereotype is really just a stereotype. I lived in Latino and mostly minority neighborhoods, so it wasn't too hard to find and befriend the other cultural misfits. Once you're grown, you find so many people who don't fit some preset mold, it just stops being a concern.
No one looks at me and thinks "Oh hey, look at that Puerto Rican girl over there," and I'm fine with that. It can be fun actually – always love the look on people's faces when they weren't expecting me to break out into Spanish. Plus, if you can help break stereotypes in the minds of others, that can only be a positive for our community.
Luis Antonio
Ramos
Actor
My parents, my friends, my wonderfully lyrical language, my family and neighborhood taught me that I could be or do anything I wanted as long as I worked hard. I grew up in a family and culture full of love, passion, fun, hard work and curiosity that all shape my work to this day.
Being Latino means remembering where I come from and the responsibility I bear not just for Puerto Ricans but for all people of Latin descent. When I hear the term "VIVA LA RAZA," to me it means all of us from wherever we may be from in Latin America.
Maria Cristina
Tridas
Video Producer, HuffPost Live
I'm only half Puerto Rican but I celebrate my Latin heritage with the fire of 1,000 J.Lo music videos.
Growing up, being Latino meant family first always – your family will always be there for you with open arms, lots of love and a bit of criticism. There are no second cousins or third cousins and everyone who is as old as your parents are aunts and uncles. I think being a Latina has taught me how to love in the most passionate way!
Melissa
Montañez
Community Screener, HuffPost Live
Being Latino means to me that just because you speak Spanish doesn't mean that you are Spanish. That you can be black and that you can be white. We're an immersion of different ethnicities put together.
Growing up, I had no idea I was Latino. From the books to the teachers constantly telling me that I was Spanish, it was not until my freshman year of college that I learned the difference between being of Spanish descent and being of Latino descent. In my household, it was a different story. It meant coming home to a Spanish-speaking home filled with the aroma of arroz con guandules and chuletas guisada with the tune of Marc Anthony playing in the background. It means that I speak Spanish, but I also speak English.
Miguel Felipe Sierra
Vargas
Graphic Designer
Since I grew up in Colombia, the fact of being Latino was something that never crossed my mind. However, after moving to the U.S. as a young man, I think I became aware of some differences we have compared to other cultures – like for instance, I never realized how loud we as Latinos might get.
I think there is a perception of color and a "vibrance" that lives within us as Latinos that has helped me to bring a little extra something to my career in advertising and graphic design.
Paul "P-Rod"
Rodriguez
Professional Skateboarder
Being Latino is where my outlook on life and my family pride come from. It is a good feeling to be able to represent my culture and I am very thankful for that.
Tom
Hernandez
Career Counselor
Growing up as a first-generation Latino in the U.S. meant grappling with the differences in "our way" of doing things and the "American way" of doing things. "Our way" meant not being allowed to go to sleepovers as a kid and having to come home every afternoon for your merienda.
For a long time I felt like I had to be one or the other. Cuban or American. It took me a long time, but I've learned to embrace my roots while staying true to who I am and the motivations that drive me as an individual. I always question whether my perceived struggles can even compare to my parents fleeing Cuba and starting from scratch in the U.S. The magnitude of their bravery puts things in perspective for me on a daily basis.
Latinos Break The Mold
Unapologetically
Proud