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."
