My Identity And Identity

Every year I look back on the previous and I see how much I have changed. I see the friends I have gained and lost. The heartbreak and the happiness. Despite how rough times have gotten, it has truly made me stronger. Everything has shaped who I am today, it has shaped my identity. Identity is a complex topic because it consists of changeable and unchangeable traits and outside internal influences; my own identity has been shaped by going from private to public school, young life camp, and my current friends.

Growing up in a Latino household is hard. My parents only spoke Spanish therefore my first language was Spanish. For the first few years of my life this was not really a problem, I enjoyed life as any normal little girl would. I got to talk to all of my cousins and all of the neighbor’s children. It wasn’t until I got to school that it became real that I was going to learn English. Don’t get me wrong I always knew I had to learn English my parents always talked to me about school and helped me as much as they could. It was also around this same time where I started to understand that it was not only hard for me it was hard for them as well. My parents had to live in this country not knowing the main language spoken.

It school we identified our self as Hispanic, not Mexican, or Salvadorian. Friendships were build by what you like to play, not where you were born. Food was good not matter what. I spend my childhood living in South Central surround by African Americans and other Hispanic. My identity took an impact in adulthood, when I need to define my self on who I was. In fact, as adult people think I am Mexican because I do not look or sound like Salvadorian. What that means? My skin color is not dark like most Salvadorian, the way I talk do not include “vos”, “sipote”, or “chupa”. Most of my life, I have been identify as Mexican then Salvadorian. Now that I live in East Los Angeles, people automatically think I am Mexican with no doubt. Its when I say, yes I am Salvadoran and live in East L.A, not Pico

In Mexico I’m not seen as Latina, Hispanic, Chicana or Mexican. For my Mexican relatives I’m just seen as an “American” or as they would say a “pocha”.

For our families with Latino roots, we had four speakers; Jesse Farias, Elia Banuelos Padron, Kathleen Cifuents Nekumanesh, and Eduardo Fabian Paramo. Indeed, Jesse, Elia, and Eduardo mention how their parents including themselves had to migrate to the United State for a better life from Mexico, Elia and Kathleen mention how their religion was Catholic, and within Elia’s family they would exhibit male supremacy with strict gender role. I was easily identified with all speakers because I am also a Latina. My parents migrated from Mexico to the United Stated for a better life to obtain the American Dream. I was happy to hear from Jesse that his dad is from Michoacan because my dad and mom’s family are from the same state. Even though I was not

Though I've been discriminated against, made fun of for having an accent, and have not had access to many opportunities due to the fact that I wasn't born here, I do have the prerogative to say that I'm Mexican.

Growing up in a Hispanic household in a Caucasian based city proved immensely challenging when I realized early on that I was different from my peers. My first language was Spanish which created a problem for me when trying to speak English. The differences being conspicuous *sounds

Lastly where I feel to be more Mexican than American is at home. When I am home I speak nothing but Spanish because my mother thinks of it as a taboo to speak English in

My skin is white, my eyes are brown, and my hair is dark brown. I am confused with Europeans, such as Italians, Portuguese, or Spanish. As early as the sixth grade, I experienced prejudice indirectly. I grew up in a predominately white neighborhood where I consistently heard racist thoughts about Latinos.

Since I did live in a predominantly Hispanic neighborhood, it was only ‘typical’ for most people to assume that I spoke Spanish. Instead of being angry with the fact that people generalize me because of my last name, I understand why they do that. In Society, people always label what race you are by your last name. If my last name were to be Martin, I could be labeled as Caucasian or African American. If my last name happened to be Martini, people would assume that I was Italian. This is the norm for most people and although I do not quite understand why, I accept the fact that society works that

¨Pereme-what? That is the weirdest and longest last name i've ever heard of! Where do people get last names like that?¨ My answer? Well, my grandfather is from Siberia, but my family just consider ourselves Russian. Actually not long ago my dad had told me about a city in Russia called Peremyshl, my great great grandparents, as I was told, are from there, Peremyshl is in the Kaluga Oblast near Moscow. And because of my ethnic background, I go to my church's youth, our youth really likes to go and hang out at the park or go someplace else and play volleyball.

Brown skin, brown eyes, dark hair, these are the first things people subconsciously notice about me. As a Latina growing up in the United States I have always struggled to find balance in my identity; either I am too Latina or not Latina enough. This mentality kept me from embracing my Latina heritage and being myself.

Many skills that I have learned are being to identify and understand my interpersonal skills and facilitating skills. Through the course I have been able to undergo a shift in my identity as I thought I knew who I was. Yet I come to class asking the same question, who I am, constantly. I think this also has helped me identify what skills are those that I have learned and those that I have made even stronger. Another skill that I have gained to appreciate more is storytelling and the important role and value that it holds. I am able to see that storytelling can be vital to learning about who we are as well as find out out about others in a matter of time. I think that I am getting used to the idea that this in congruence with music and other

Like Velloso mentioned in the article “Brown”, I’ve been “assumed to be a gangbangers and troublemakers.” Although many don’t get bothered, I do because it’s a fact that by allowing those people to think of us that way and not speaking up that allows racism to only grow. Velloso also mentioned how he was looked differently and no one believed he was an American. And I can see this being true because I always get called Arminian or immigrant from Mexico when in reality I was born in Pasadena California which is in the United States of America.

am a student, with a meaningful background and identity. If I did not explain and share my story you would not understand who I am as a person, a student, an athlete, a friend, sibling, or a daughter. Just like any other student I have qualified for many titles, but my titles are affected by my identity and background. I am a student diagnosed with a severe mental illness.