Maria Victoria Salazar,
Mobile, AL.
Hi! My heritage is a little more complicated than others’, especially here in the Deep South. I have roots in Mexico and Costa Rica (which of course are from deeper roots in Spain), Italy, and a dash of Ireland from my great-grandmother. However, according to the culture my family and I participate in most, we are Latin American. That’s cool and all, but it poses an identification issue for me, my sisters, and some of my cousins. I’ve lived in Alabama my whole life. And while I like some of the perks of living down here, some other things piss me off. Like, why does everyone need to belong in a certain category? Why do I have to look like I belong to a certain people? And when people find out that I’m not like them, why do they have to focus on the differences when, in fact, we have so much in common? Yea, it’s kinda weird down here. Most people don’t think Latinas should be light-skinned, which I totally am, but Latinas come in all different shapes, sizes, and colors. They’re surprised when they find out that “this white girl” is pretty good at soccer, or has nice curves, or can dance! But when I make it known that I am Latina, they also are surprised that I have a bachelor’s degree in Biomedical Sciences and a well paying job that doesn’t require manual labor. The only thing they don’t seem surprised about is that I have a sexy black boyfriend, who has direct roots to Nigeria. But even though it seems like I’m ranting on and on, really I’m very happy. I can be whoever I want! I don’t need racial barriers or expectations to fulfill! And that is the coolest thing about being multiracial/multicultural! So, peace out America and let the world know how beautiful it is to be different.
