Resiliently Latina

By Emely Abreu '21

My life as Dominican-American has been an interesting one to say the least. I can recount hundreds of times I have been in a classroom and felt inferior because of my identity, and that is something I have struggled with for a long time. The thought “Don’t raise your hand, they don’t care about what you have to say” always lingers in the back of my head, along with “You’re only here out of luck, to fill a percentage”. These negative messages have always filled my head, stopping me from speaking out and using my voice when I had something to say. And they still continue to do so today. I believe that this is a feeling many Latinos and other minorities share because we have constantly been left out of conversations and looked down upon for so many years, making us believe that our voices do not deserve to be heard. What else are we supposed to think? 

Something I always feared was being discriminated against in public, like we often see in the news. I was always scared of being caught with a “Karen,” specifically when I was out with my parents. I was frightened someone would hear us speaking in Spanish and would have something to say about it. And so I have had to think about what I would do in those situations, like how would I react or what I would say. Luckily, I have never been in such a situation, but so many Hispanics and Latinos have, and they cannot always speak up for themselves due to the language barrier. 

So at times, it is extremely hard to raise my hand and speak up and believe that my words are worthy of being heard. And to some of the people reading this, my feelings and insecurities might seem extreme or exaggerated, but they aren’t because I know I am not the only one who feels this way. What makes things even more difficult is when everywhere you go you are the minority. It is intimidating to be in a room full of people whose ancestors have oppressed people like me for ages, and who have never had to experience discrimination themselves. How could they possibly understand that you have been forced by society to believe that they do not care about you or what you have to say? 

But, in spite of everything, we rise. I will not let these feelings run my life, and I hope they will not continue to affect the others who feel like me, because no one deserves that. I go to school to learn and express myself, and I should not have to put myself into a box or hide my true identity to please others. I am so proud to be a first-generation Dominicana, and no one will ever take that away from me. I, along with others, will continue to fight, use our voices, and be heard. It is time we appreciate and embrace our diversity, so that we can come together as one. Our world will not be just until we are all equal and are treated as such. Viva la raza.

Editor: Cecilia Fiorindo

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