Jaymi Serna,
Aurora, CO

Growing up in a primarily Mexican area, my family only spoke spanglish or slang not actually Spanish. It never used to bother me as kid because I knew who I was and who I came from despite not knowing Spanish. Being an hispanic women, I pass for a white individual because of my light skin but compared to my family who’s darker than me and get more hate. Not being able to speak Spanish has been challenge because I am not welcomed in either category; Spanish speakers look down on my when I can’t speak or quite understand what they say and white people look at me in confusion about my race and culture and think I am lying. While I’m old enough to learn the language and try each and everyday, I feel so disconnected from my cultural sometimes. My family and I cook food, listen to Cumbia and dance, my parents passed down their stories to me from their parents and grandparents. My great parents who were potatoes farmers knew the language and never passed it down because of the discrimination the received in their lives. While I plan to continue my journey to learning Spanish not only to be able to communicate with others, but to be closer to my family and culture as a whole.