I would like to dedicate this piece to my familia and to the Latino community.
I lived in Brazil my whole life before coming to the United States for college. I was never very patriotic, and I didn’t truly understand what it meant to be Latina as a personal identity. Society expects us to fit into a box of characteristics and cultural manners that we often do not. I left Brazil feeling extremely sad and lost because I felt I knew nothing about my own social and cultural identity. I wanted to share my culture and country with others, but I didn’t feel I knew them myself.
When I arrived on campus, I was unmotivated to join the Latine Student Union because I knew most members were Hispanic. I speak Portuguese, and our cultures are distinct; I was scared of being judged and not fitting in. However, I am glad I joined anyway.
This February, through the Latine Student Union, I had the honor of attending the United States Hispanic Leadership Institute conference in Chicago. My eyes watered every time speakers mentioned familia, because they are the people for whom I do everything.
My favorite speaker during the conference was Denice Frohman, a slam poetry champion who performed her poem "Accents." In it, she talks about her mother and how her mother’s accent is a reminder of all the sacrifices she has made. I was sobbing the whole time; I looked around, and everyone had tears in their eyes. Then, I knew the true meaning of being Latino.
We may not share the same language, food, cultural dances or holidays, but we all have familia rooted in us.