¿Qué es ser Hispano? Bueno, it’s a bit of todo.
Ser Hispano is being purely bred on the land, to being first generation, to simply having familial roots to prove your hispanic heritage pride. Ser hispano is speaking english, spanglish, broken spanish and fully fluent verbal cursive style spanish.
Although many of us reside in the United States and are surrounded by folks who do not identify as Hispano or Latino, there is still a unique bond and culture which resides in all of our hearts regardless of whether or not we find one another. Stereotypes, while often misleading and quite offensive, do give those of us who are stranded in a sea of non-diversity a cultural community to identify with. While our numbers may be far and few between in certain areas, our influence has been unwavering throughout history.
Hispanic Culture left its mark before modern times with both iconic and memeable pieces of artwork that are still remembered to this day. Our culture leaves its mark on mainstream media in the present day through our obscenely loud music which is always the life of the party. Even on Broadway our stories are being beautifully displayed through shows like In the Heights or On Your Feet. Turning to the household and Hispanic Culture has its mark on television and silver screens con nuestras telenovelas y historias del corazón. Decor which has been falsely marketed as bohemian still presents our indigenous roots in a manner that is somehow considered palatable to the masses.
Ser Hispano es saber what it’s like to be surrounded by familia during Navidad, staying in when your amigos are having a sleepover porque tu mamá dijo que “esto no es un hotel” or staying out far too late porque nosotros somos la fiesta! Our life scenes take place by the playa, near the jungle, the rainforest, pure sandy desert, or in towns which haven’t had the delight of hosting a Hispanic fiesta. Cafe y pastelitos run in our veins regardless of our surroundings.
No matter donde estas, I and the crew of the Latin Media Group hope that you have been able to celebrate or further educate yourself on Hispanic Culture this Hispanic Heritage Month. Despite a legacy of silencing, our culture will always remain present through our unique experiences. The world may not always deserve the exquisite texture and beauty behind our culture, but we will make our best effort to combat hate with love, style, and a little bit of sass at every opportunity we get.
We close Hispanic Heritage Month with gratitude and a showing of our pride. We hope that a glimpse into our culture will continue to inspire those with or without a large Hispanic Community surrounding themselves.
As a final display of our culture, I would like to share poem that continues to inspire me to embrace my culture and identity which is titled “The Hyphen” by Herrison Chicas. Give it a watch and let us know what you think!
