Too Big For One Box! One Box Is Not Enough! More Boxes, Please!

By Julia Lopez, Mi Soul Latino

For years, in the United States each of us has be quantified. We fill out forms for identification purposes that leave us with mass confusion of our own unique identity. How many times have you stared at a form thinking about how you can force yourself into a box? Identity is such a strange phenomenon especially in the larger cities where socially we thrive on being individuals. The problem is that our identity becomes socially constructed and we feel as if we are left to conform to a socially accepted form of who we are. What makes us, us? What makes us American? What makes us Latinos? What really makes up our identity?

I feel pride is still thriving in my community. We are no doubt a proud group of Puerto Ricans and the same goes for other Latinos. But here in America, a 28 year old woman struggles to find her identity. She grew up learning mostly English because if she knew Spanish then there would be less educational opportunities in her youth. She was receiving mixed messages in a dual society.

On one end she idolized Rose the Riveter and all her American Feminist glory and on the other she was taught she was always in second place behind a man. She experienced racism, undoubtedly, but brushed it off as an innocent child only to encounter it in the workplace where she was the token Latina.

It’s not easy living in our world. Confusion is an everyday occurrence and for Latinos, it’s more often a part of their day than not. How do we move forward in a way that makes our understanding of our biculturalism progressive? I believe we must first consider our development.

According to Atkinson’s Minority Identity Development model, there are 5 stages to minority development. These include the first stage, conformance to dominant cultural values. This stage may cause racial self-hatred and confusion. Here we would want to be part of the White America which is perceived majority. The next stage is Dissonance where these dominant beliefs are challenged. Next is resistance to dominant culture and followed by introspection where we develop a strong respect for our own culture. And finally, self- fulfillment of cultural identity where we have managed to deal with both our own individual culture and that of the perceived majority.

With the rise of more interracial, multicultural couples and children creating and sustaining cultural awareness, in a few years, we will all be so mixed; I wonder what the box will look like. My fellow bicultural Latino, as you interact with others, consider your identity is yours, encompasses whatever you believe and be accepting to the identity of those around you. We do not need to fall victim to internal or external stereotypes; we should live our lives not in accordance with how we are perceived but in our potential.

This article was first published in Mi Soul Latino.

Julia Lopez holds a BA in Criminal Justice with a specialization in Juvenile Corrections and is currently pursuing her Masters in Special Education. She has been recognized at MTV showcases, The National Association for Professional Women and the Corps Network. She hopes to address the basic needs of her students and offers a vast knowledge of underlying psychological and social issues that face the minority communities in an effort to seguir pa’lante.