I am the son of a Cuban-American mother and an American father who grew up in Brazil. When I was young, I had no idea that I was unique from my peers until my mother and grandparents were talking about Cuba, and I wanted to know what it was. The idea of being in any way foreign really excited me.
I didn’t know that having white skin and a white sounding last name would cause people to ask me questions like, “Are you sure you’re Cuban?” Often times I’m too white for hispanics, but I’m also too hispanic to be white. After all, I didn’t grow up eating fish sticks and chicken nuggets; I grew up eating tamales and congris. It’s a strange balance living in two worlds, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything.
Beyond the unfortunate ignorance is the beauty in getting to grow up in two different cultures. There’s a variety of foods, traditions and idiosyncrasies that make life a true treasure. Being ethnically mixed means I can see things from two perspectives while celebrating my Latino heritage and all the hard work that it took for me to be here. My industrious, immigrant grandparents who escaped from Cuba made me who I am just as much as my Norwegian immigrant farmers did.
People are shaped by their heritage. Let’s celebrate where we have all come from and enjoy the differences in each of us.
Image credit: Zachary Hagen