Life as a Latina

No matter what part of the world I have lived in, I have always celebrated, and have taken pride in my Puerto Rican heritage. As many young Puerto Rican Americans in the country may relate to, bilingualism has had its ups and downs, but the question still stands, are you any more Puerto Rican than the other if you do not speak the Spanish language? Personally, I speak both English and Spanish wonderfully, yet in my circle of hispanic friends, there is a variation in who speaks Spanish, understands it, reads it, or writes it. From experience, I have noticed how many of my fellow peers have experienced discomfort in their ignorance, and feel as if they do not belong as much as a, "real Puerto Rican" would. How sad is it to see today's youth feel so secluded from their own ethnicity, even though their Boricua roots run in their blood?

The one and only Marc Anthony could not have said it better when he proudly sang in a song of his in a live concert on HBO, "Aunque naci en Nueva York, llevo la sangre de puro Taino, Africano, y Espanol en mis venas, nadie me puede confiscar eso..." Translation, "Even though I was born in New York, I carry with me the blood of pure Taino, African, and Spanish blood in my veins, and no one can confiscate that from me. This is exactly true, he, and others are to set an example to all of the "Americanized" Puerto Ricans in the United States and everywhere, to reinforce and promote cultural awareness among our people. We as a people should notice our youth's concerns, and do what we are capable of in order to eliminate their sense of alienation to the Puerto Rican community.

Mayra Christina Fuentes-Colon

Mayra contributed this story to Boricua.com and is currently living in North Carolina.

The Series
Life as a Latina
Life as a Latina - part 2
We're all Instruments of Knowledge