Being Puerto Rican is something I’ve always been proud of. However, I’ve struggled many times with trying to explain my identity to others. When people look at me, they don’t immediately assume I’m Puerto Rican or even Latina. Most people guess that I’m half white and half black due to my curly hair, green eyes and light brown skin.
Something else I’ve struggled with is when people say I’m not really Puerto Rican because I wasn’t born there. For some reason it’s hard for them to wrap their mind around the fact that both of my parents are Puerto Rican, and I grew up there and have spent a good chunk of my life living on the island. It’s also confusing when people see me and my family together because we all look so different.
The Puerto Rican bloodline is mixed with Spanish, African and Taino Indian roots. When you’re in Puerto Rico, there is such a wide variety of body types, skin colors and hair textures. This can be seen in my family as my brother is a couple of shades darker than the rest of us, and my sister and I are complete opposites in appearance. We even had someone ask my mother if we had different dads.
I wish people would educate themselves more on Puerto Rico because there’s a lot they don’t know. I’ve been asked questions like, “What currency do they use?” or “Do they speak English?” My favorite is, “What part of Mexico is it in?”
It’s sad to see how little people know about it, seeing how it’s a territory of the United States. I hope everyone gets a chance to visit Puerto Rico at least once in their life and see how wonderful the people are. I’m so proud to be a part of such a beautifully diverse culture. I thank God for arroz con gandules, tostones, mofongo and adobo. I wouldn’t change my background for anything in the world.