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Cuban Culture Research Paper

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My parents, Miguel and Mabel Aguilar, came here in 1997 from Cuba. I was born in New Jersey on July 27th, 2000 and shortly moved to New York three years after. Growing up I had a blend of the “American Dream” and my cuban background and culture. Cubans are super passionate about their roots, with their celebrations including an abundance of dancing, and cuban food, encompassing rice, beans, and roasted pig. I have come to learn that special occasions are always held with a pig roast. Although I lived in America, the cuban culture always followed me because of my parents love for it. Because my parents had such a passion for cuban culture, it was passed down to me. I am extremely grateful that I had and have such a cultural life. The cuban …show more content…

However, I have not always been confident in my own skin, being as my appearance clearly shows I am hispanic. My tan skin, slight accent, dark hair and eyes, shows my hispanic being on my outside. Last year, in my eleventh grade year is when I was the least confident in myself. I have always brushed off the gardener and maid jokes, but this experience impacted me. Last year when I was walking in the hall, a random boy I did not know handed me a folded up sheet of paper. When I opened it, it had the bolded, upcased letters spelling out “Trump.” At the time I took it hard. I did not know what it meant. Was it some silly prank? Was the boy telling me I was gonna get deported? My parents and I are here legally, but it still shook my character and confidence in myself and culture. For a week I felt down, there was even a family gathering that weekend, and I told myself that I did not want to go, so I sat in my room the whole time. But then I realized that this is who I am. I am cuban. I am proud of who I am and no one should be able to take that away from me. My hispanic background is not something I can hide, so I have learned to not only accept it, but to embrace it. Even though this experience made me less confident in myself then, it made me learn to love my culture so much more now. I feel as if my

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