CLICK FOR HOPE | I KNOW I'M DIFFERENT

What does being a Latina mean to you?:

I know I am different, being a Latina means embracing that difference.

Share a struggle you have faced being a Latina.:

I have struggled with not being as culturally connected to my heritage as other people. Only more recently have I embraced just being me.

Share something you love about being a Latina?:

The passion I feel and I see in other Latinos.

What do you identify as?

Mexican/Peruvian

Where you born in the states? If not, could you share what your experience has been being an immigrant, and the process of becoming a US citizen, resident, etc. (Share only what you are comfortable with):

Yes, in Chicago.

How have you been able to celebrate and honor your american nationality, while embracing your heritage and culture?:

I love the mix of people that I grew up with in Chicago. It is truly a melting pot. So while I love being an American, it feels special to be an American but have more to my background by having immigrant parents.

Do you speak Spanish?:

Yes, but broken.

Have you experienced colorism, or not being fully accepted by your community? Like you're too dark, or too white, etc. Please share anything you'd like to share!:

I never listened to Mexican music, watched Spanish TV or preferred Mexican foods, so I was always different while growing up. I was seen as trying to deny my Mexican background, but that’s just not how it was in my family.

Is there something else you'd like to say or add?:

I never understood the importance of being Latina until I had kids. Before then, I felt like it didn’t really matter. But now that I have kids, I can see that they are different and I want them to know and be proud of that. To embrace it in a way I didn’t understand while I was growing up.

CLICK FOR HOPE | I'M SO PROUD TO BE LATINA

Photo provided by Ana

What does being a Latina mean to you?:

Being Latina means that I always have something to be proud of. It means being a strong woman. It means empowering others who have felt how I have felt, insecure and ashamed of being in their own skin and knowing the power of their story and heritage.

Share a struggle you have faced being a Latina.:

In middle and high school I used to always get made fun of because of my full name. My full name is VERY Mexican and everyone used to make fun of me and say my name wrong because I looked “so white”. People would constantly say “Why didn’t your family ever teach you Spanish?” Or “You’re the whitest Mexican I know” and that would hurt me so much. People would constantly tell me I couldn’t like this, or wear that, or listen to this music because I didn’t know enough or spoke enough or understood enough. I always felt like I needed to be checked off some list to qualify and validate my ethnicity so I could fit in and prove myself.

Share something you love about being a Latina?:

I have such pride in knowing that I’m a powerful Latina. To see the growth and impact Latinas have made today is so encouraging and motivating. I have a culture that is so RICH in love and connection with family. Being Latina makes me appreciate hard work and gives me more passion to go towards my dream knowing all the hardships my family has had to endure to get to America and follow their own pursuit of happiness.

What do you identify as?:

Mexican

Where you born in the states? If not, could you share what your experience has been being an immigrant, and the process of becoming a US citizen, resident, etc. (Share only what you are comfortable with):

Yes, I was born in the United States.

How have you been able to celebrate and honor your American nationality, while embracing your heritage and culture?:

Just constantly wanting to learn! Learning more Spanish, so I can teach it to my future children, learning more about my family’s history and the stories of their journey to America. The closer I get to having children, the closer I want to know more about myself and my heritage better. I want my future children to never feel ashamed of who they are or where they came from. Something I also have embraced is getting tattoos that represent my heritage. Dia de Los Muertos is something we don’t celebrate in America but having a piece of that on me is something to remind me of my culture. Along with a rosary tattoo to my Catholic background.

Do you speak spanish?:

Sort of...I understand more than speak.

Have you experienced colorism, or not being fully accepted by your community? Like you're too dark, or too white, etc. Please share anything you'd like to share!:

I have always been made fun of for being “too white” and the older I get the more I want to be in touch with my heritage but I’ve always been judged for my lack of accent, the way I look or carry myself. I’m so proud to be Latina but always feel like I’m holding back because people don’t take me serious or I’m not qualified enough! There’s no list that makes you more than or less than. You are enough. You are Latina. Be proud of your culture and never let anyone talk down on you for wanting to embrace your identity.

CLICK FOR HOPE | THAT'S A TRUE LATINA

Photo: Authentic Adventure Co.

What does being a Latina mean to you?:

She’s a woman of culture, family oriented, bold, she’s honest with love. She services the people she loves and gives of herself because she cares. She’s a hard worker and doesn’t complain because she knows who she’s doing it for. That’s a true Latina to me.

Share a struggle you have faced being a Latina.:

I have been stereotyped as being a sassy drama queen who seems to be out of control. Which to me not all Latinas are like that but as they’ve said, “Oh you’re Puerto Rican” with almost a “watch out” type reaction. I laugh it off but it gets annoying after a while.

Share something you love about being a Latina?: I love my culture. The music, the food and family

What do you identify as?: Puerto Rican

Where you born in the states? If not, could you share what your experience has been being an immigrant, and the process of becoming a US citizen, resident, etc. (Share only what you are comfortable with): I was born in Chicago.

How have you been able to celebrate and honor your American nationality, while embracing your heritage and culture?:

Since Chicago is all I know and there’s so many Latinos here, I feel like we’re all benefiting from our forefathers of America in that we’re reaping what they’ve sown and that is freedom for all colors. So I feel a freedom to celebrate and embrace both the American and Puerto Rican culture.

Do you speak spanish?: Yes, somewhat fluent.

Have you experienced colorism, or not being fully accepted by your community? 

Because I can pass for Mediterranean/“white” my own people haven’t “recognized” me. When I was a sophomore in high school at a predominately Puerto Rican high school, I said something in Spanish in class and it was as if my classmates were shocked. They gasped and said, “You speak Spanish?!!!” I said, “Uuuuh yeah, I’m Puerto Rican.” They were like, “I thought you were white!”

AM I LATINA ENOUGH?!?

Photo: Ed and Aileen Photography

Friends, it's finally here. I've been wanting to do a campaign that celebrates being a Latina for Click For Hope for a long time.

Why?!? Well for lots of reasons.

Growing up I personally struggled with being Puerto Rican and Mexican. Comment after comment, I wrestled with my cultural identity. I couldn't quite figure out where I fit in the world. Since I'm not fluent in Spanish, I wasn't fully accepted by my Latino community...I'd hear comments like, "You're so white," or "You speak like a Gringa." And then I found I didn't quite fit in with the my white friends as I was too tan, with brown hair, and a funny accent. I could go on and on with the comments, but that's not the point of this post.

A few years ago, God walked me through a journey of finding pride within myself, and my culture. I share that part of my story HERE. God has been healing me by uprooting every single lie that I've believed about myself, and planting me with so much truth.

So I thought how amazing could it be to put a campaign together featuring as many latinas as possible on my blog along with their stories: the good, the hard, and fun parts. And so friends starting tomorrow at 8pm, I will be showcasing a new lady for you to meet, and to read her story.

My hope through this campaign is to help bring an awareness to just how diverse we are, and we can't be put in a box. While the words "Latina" and "Hispanic" are man made words that come with assumptions and stereotypes, we are so much more than that. We have a lot of offer, and in fact our voices matter!

I hope you are inspired by these stories! I hope you are open to asking yourself if their are any biases, stereotypes, assumptions, within yourself that need to be surrendered. I hope you can see us through a different lens, than what you were told, or assumed.

So friends, follow along with me these next 30 days, and read the stories of these ladies who share themselves so beautifully!!!