Hey All!
Being a Nueva Latina can be a juggling act in which you are trying to find a right balance between your heritage and who you are as a modern American woman. I know this more than most being a Latina who is full Latina (Puerto Rican and Cuban) but does not look it by appearance. I’ve spent a vast majority of my life trying to prove my heritage to not only my own cultures, but to the world. As I grew up, I learned to accept myself and stopped caring what people thought of me. I learned I didn’t have to prove myself to anyone. I know I’m a chuleta, arros con gandules, and pastelillo eating Puerto Rican and Cuban from NYC. I’m proud to be one! My family knows it, my friends know it, and that’s all that matters. I know all the recipes and the traditions I have passed on to my family. Heck I even stopped a few nose bleeds with a penny. If you’re Puerto Rican you probably had an abuelita that did the same thing! If I look like a gringa to everyone else for the rest of my life, my thoughts now are to each is own. I learned I can’t change the world. I can only be me and that is Orgullosa aka Proud!
I’ve had so many amazing experiences in my life that I wouldn’t change for anything. From growing up in poverty in the projects, losing my best friend at a 12, having a family young, being the first in my family to graduate from college to moving to California with my family and becoming a successful blogger that has given me so many amazing experiences. I’ve had many ups and downs, but I’ve taken my own road to success and I’ve held my heritage and family traditions with me on the journey. I’m very proud of the woman I’ve become today and I’m happy to continue to grow as a person.
I was really inspired to see that so many Latina woman have had similar experiences after seeing the Orgullosa Nueva Latina Monologues in NYC last month. Orgullosa recognizes that while there is a lot of pride of being a Latina, women experience ongoing “cultural cross roads” that aren’t always defined, discussed and/or supported on a large-scale platform. The Nueva Latina Monologues is a vehicle aimed to spark a national dialogue to not only showcase the diversity of the Hispanic experience, but to celebrate the undeniable bond that Latinas share. You can check out a Video of The Nueva Latina Monologues Here so you can be inspired as well.
Personifying the bicultural Latina experience through emotion, comedy and authenticity, the Nueva Latina Monologues (NLM) “voices” some of the real-life stories, topics/themes and cultural cross-roads that surround the bicultural Latina. While there is an inherent cultural pride of being Latina, there is an ongoing toggle/struggle of balancing “two worlds” that isn’t always so fluid.
Using the Orgullosa community, P&G provides a forum for women to share and discuss the complex and unique journey of the bicultural Latina in the U.S. – the Nueva Latina.
Being a part of the Orgullosa community has allowed me to connect with so many amazing Latina women and it’s also allowed me to share my pride of being a Latina. I’ve found my balance and I can only hope to inspire future Latina girls to find their own paths to balance.
Check out the Orgullosa Facebook Page to learn more about Orgullosa and The Nueva Latina Monologues!
This is part of a sponsored campaign with P&G’s Orgullosa. However, all opinions expressed are my own.
Comments
Your story is certainly special, and you have every right to be proud of your heritage and who you are, just as everyone should be! I am not at all Latina, but I would still kill for some amazing Puerto Rican and Cuban food from NYC!
What a great campaign! That’s wonderful that you learned how to accept yourself and stop caring what others thought, which is something I had to eventually learn, too. Like you, my race hasn’t always been fully accepted since people think I’m all Caucasian (I’m actually multi-ethnic with a mixture of African American and Cherokee Indian).
Wow you have come a long way and you look amazing!