The Meaning of Being Latina

Growing up in Ecuador, the word “Latina” never crossed my mind. But when I arrived in the United States seven years ago, the word started bumping into my life from every possible direction. I had to identify my race over and over again—at school, at the nurse’s office, when getting my social security number, even when I applied for my first job. All this was new to me. I’d always identified myself as Ecuadorian—and to be honest, living in Ecuador, I really only considered leaving to visit nearby Colombia or Peru. It never really crossed my mind that my entire life would one day change and that I would even have to learn a new language.

2005 Tastes of Takoma Festival

Today, I find myself saying I’m Ecuadorian less often, instead proudly calling myself Latina. But what does that mean? Is it a word I stole from the media or from the many forms I had to fill out when I arrived in the country? Little by little, this word has shaped my life and who I am.

Why did I have to come to a new and different country—a country known as the melting pot—to learn to appreciate my culture, including famous writers like Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Isabel Allende and Paulo Coelho? My father always talked about them, maybe I heard about them in school, but I never truly appreciated them until I saw how much they meant to the people who couldn’t even read their original works but instead relied on translations—versions that I doubt could ever truly reflect the impact of the original works.

Now, being Latina means something. I’ve learned through these seven years about the many people who opened the doors to others to find success in this country, the many people we should be proud of. Now, in everything I do, I feel the need to teach others not only about my culture but also about the culture of other Latinas, Latinas from different countries. I’m not only proud of being Ecuadorian—I’m even more proud now of being Latina. The type of Latina that fights for what she wants and is proud of where she comes from and knows exactly where she is going. The type that is proud of her family, her accent, and her sacrifices.

Out of the seven years I spent in this country, five of them have been in college, which means my college experience has also had a great impact on who I am today. Instead of going to a big university like many high school graduates dream of doing, I decided to start small. I moved over 250 miles away from my home in Stamford, Conn., to Washington, D.C., to go to a small Christian college, hoping to find a family-like environment and teachers who really cared about their students.

My experience at Columbia Union College has been even better than I thought it would be. My reality exceeded my expectations because not only did I find caring teachers and a family-like environment but I also discovered the power of being Latina. I’ve had the opportunity to learn about, appreciate, and teach others about my culture, and at the same time to serve the Hispanic community that surrounds my college.

Throughout the years I’ve been given responsibilities and leadership roles that have helped me not only bring together Latino students in my school but also invite the Latin community that surrounded us to participate in special events, such as the Tastes of Takoma Festival. Being the only public relations student of Hispanic origin in the Tastes of Takoma team, I felt a strong responsibility to include the Latin community and the Latin flavor, including music and food, in an event that before seemed to overlook them. I can’t say that in the past two years I’ve reached all the Latinos in our community, but as the director of the festival, I marked a turning point, and I’m proud of that.

Today, about to graduate, I reflect on my amazing college experience. Today, I’m prouder of my roots than ever before because I have learned things about myself I didn’t know existed.