No Hablas Espanol: How to be Hispanic in America

Querido Tommy

2012-06-19T21:36:00.000-04:00

Hello Everyone!!

I just joined Hispano Bloggers. I was asked to listen and watch a video by Tommy Torres called "Querido Tommy". To be honest I was slightly reluctant, just because my Spanish isn’t that great and I was worried I would not understand all the words. After some thought, I decided I'd listen to the song.

My husband is driving while I am sitting in the passenger seat. I plug in my auxiliary cord into my iPhone and the sweet sounds of Tommy Torres come pouring out of my car speakers. I'm listening and watching the video. I LOVE the video. For some of us who are still practicing and learning Spanish. This video is for Us. I love how the words just float through out the entire production. I like listening to Tejano music, my fave is Selena, but I don't listen to much Spanish Pop music. I think Tommy Torres has changed my mind about Spanish Pop. I typically don't listen to it because I struggle trying to keep up with the lyrics, but this song just flows.

The video is so sweet. The words are flowing over various items, from a room to outside. Every lyric is up for display which is amazing for us who are still working on our Spanish skills.

As I was listening to Tommy's Sweet voice, I turned to my husband and asked... "Honey this reminds me of a band." Soon after "Meet Virginia" by Train begins to play. I thought BAM thats it!! Tommy Torres's voice and music reminds me of Train. I LOVE TRAIN!!

I STRONGLY recommend checking out Tommy's new song Querido Tommy. It may strike a cord with you and will definitely be a song I will be adding to my iPhone shuffle list.

Congrats Tommy Torres on another GREAT Song!! I hope this will win you your next Grammy!!

Leaving Your Coat at the Door

2012-06-14T21:47:00.001-04:00

I was driving home with my hubby this afternoon, just checking out twitter. When I first started blogging, I had a mission. I wanted to try and talk about what it felt like to be Hispanic and American at the same time. I kinda forgot about my reason, but I'm BACK!

As I was reading my twitter feed tonight @nohablasespanol-- I am following lots of Latino causes, media, etc. I began to think... Do Latinos check their "Coat" at the door? Are we put into situations where we have to literally can't be who we truly are. I know I've been in situations where I felt that I couldn't be who I really am because I was "Ashamed" or "Nervous others wouldn't accept me". When I first met my husbands family (BTW He's a Gringo) I think I did that. I've fallen victim of this before. I was afraid they wouldn't accept me. Fast Forward 7 years later and I don't have to do that. They accept me for who I am. I think we get so caught up in our minds worried about being accepted.

Maybe we subconsciously do it, we just "psych" ourselves out. Paranoid of what others may think. Could it be that we are the only ones who feel we must be different to fit in?

This is just my rambling thoughts.... Has there ever been a time where YOU felt you had to do just that....

Thanks for Reading!! Please leave me a comment or two!

Que Rico...

2011-10-23T20:54:00.001-04:00

Hello!

I've been spending most of my off time flipping between food network and HGTV. Watching the chefs cook some amazing meals has gotten me energize to cook more. (My hubby likes my new found energy). Its a chance to be creative with types of flavors and seasonings. Growing up the only real spices we used were.....

Garlic Powder
Cumin
Onion Powder
Lemon-Pepper-- Once in a blue moon.

That was it!! Now as I've gotten older I find myself still using these same staples in all food I cook...

My topic of the day is watered-down food....

What does this mean? Well, the hubs and I eating dinner one night, his fave meal spaghetti.

(I grew up eating "American Food" Hamburger, Hotdogs, Spaghetti, and Chinese Food. It was awesome some of my favorite meals my mom cooked were not Mexican dishes.

PS My mom makes the BEST HAMBURGERS on the PLANET!!! )

Well I looked at him and said I am tired of ALWAYS making YOUR FOOD! I'm going to start cooking MY food too! The only Mexican food I cooked was tacos. I love tacos. They are a quick and simple thing to cook. I was tired of just making tacos, I wanted to make enchiladas, chalupas, fajitas, tacos al cabon, and carne picada, which is one of my faves.) I was always afraid of cooking these foods because I wasn't sure if he would like them. I started off slow with fajitas... HE LOVED THEM! I then introduced enchiladas... He liked those. Over time I started cooking what he liked and what I liked. I was so afraid of cooking things that were very comfortable to me and shared what I grew up eating.

Its awesome to see that he likes the what I've cooked, or just doesn't have the heart to tell me he hates it.. Whatever the case maybe its a great feeling!!

Picture Provided by: http://img.foodnetwork.com/FOOD/2008/08/27/Cinco_Enchiladas_e_s4x3.jpg

Disconnect

2011-10-21T23:47:00.000-04:00

Hello!!

Its been a while since I've blogged. School has been occupying most of my time. Its like I come home only to eat and sleep to be back up and doing it all over again. I love being busy and the hours of driving I'm doing allows me some times to think and reflect on life.

While I was home, I had an interesting convo with my little brother. He is a 16 years old high school student. He plays football, baseball, and does shot put and discus in track. He is in the marching band and is in the process of learning a second instrument. He is very intelligent and is in all Advanced classes. Can we say.. NERD ALERT!!!

We had a chance to catch up. The convo started when he told me, "Rosie... I want to move in with you and Will." I then followed up with.. "Why?" He went on to explain to me how he feels different from the family. All they care about is how well he is doing in sports, but when it comes to band or school it really doesn't matter. I told him I know exactly how he felt. I was always a nerdy kid. I'd rather be inside reading a book or watching TV than outside playing sports or in the dirt. I've always prided myself on doing well in academics!! As we were talking I thought WOW maybe this little boy who got on my nerves as a child is more like me than I originally thought!! Maybe I'm not so WEIRD after ALL!!

I felt different around my family this time around. I'm not sure if its because I'm educating myself or its that I'm becoming more aware of my surroundings, since I'm in a Social Work Program. When I first started writing this blog I thought that school was driving a wedge between myself and my family. I still think this has some validity. Could it be rather than just staying in my own cultural box, the more education I attain the more I broaden my horizons and start embracing other boxes, so eventually I become one HUGE BRIGHTLY COLORED BOX?

Any Thoughts?????? Have you EVER felt a little bright in YOUR family?

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Sacrifices

2011-03-13T16:27:00.009-04:00

Hi Everyone,

Its been a long few weeks and this week is SPRING BREAK! WOO HOO!!! I am so excited about having SOME time off and catching up on Ugly Betty. I know the show is cancelled and I am really sad about it. :( As I was watching this show I couldn't help but empathize with what was going on. There is one episode where Betty is so busy doing work stuff and she was "neglecting" her family.
Growing up we were taught that your family comes first before anything else. Since you know your family will be with you through the end! I cherish those teachings, but when is it ok to sacrifice your family to attain things that they may not have been able to? To push yourself so you are can do better than they did. This is a very try to balance.

I miss my family so much and I sacrificed staying home and going to a junior college to move to Georgia to be closer to the love of my life and at the same time doing something for myself, like finishing school. When I was home visiting, I remember saying Good bye to my Uncle and I told him how hard it was to leave. He told me that you had to leave, because had you not you may not have been able to do what you've already done. I'm so grateful to have a fiance who has supported me in everything I have accomplished.

It is so hard to find a happy medium. Your parents push you to become anything you want to be, which may be , if you have to leave home.... and you may have to deal with guilt. This is something that we all may struggle with.

History tells us that Hispanic families tended to stay together for economic reasons. I disagree with this. I think Hispanic families stay close together because we are taught that su familia es primero. I miss my family and know how Betty felt when she had to make the choice to either stay in NY or move to London to pursue her dream.

This was one of the TOUGHEST decisions I have ever had to make.

What do you think about this? Have you ever had to make a sacrifice to pursue your dream?
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A Blast from the Past

2011-03-04T23:11:00.010-05:00

Hello!!

Its been almost a month since I've blogged, due to work and school. I've taken a position working with Spanish speaking clients, which has been a challenge. I do speak some Spanish but I am FAR from fluent. I think by working with these clients I have found admiration for people who have left everything that is comfortable to them to start a life in a new county where they don't know the language. Their children enter our school system and start to learn English, which they in turn become interpreters for their families. Most of them are from Mexico. Many of them have a hard time adjusting to American Culture and end up getting wrapped up in the legal/family services system just because they don't know the rules about living in America, or they can't communicate well with authorities.

You are probably wondering about the title huh?? Well I say Blast from the Past because as I am helping these families I can't help but think about what my grandpa went through. He knew English but my great-grandpa didn't. He became the interpreter for his family, he went with his dad to the bank, to pay bills etc. I have so much respect for my great-grandpa, he came here to make a life for him and his family and now I'm a 4th generation American. I am very blessed. For my cultural-competency assignment for one of my classes, I've decided I'm going to explore the education system and ESL/ESOL/English Immersion/Dual-Language Programs to see which are better.

While living here in South Georgia, the emergence of Immigrant families is a new phenomenon to them. They are struggling with how to adapt/cope with this new population of children attending their school and not speaking English, or families going to supermarkets and can't speak English. I think there is some hostility toward them.

As I was thinking abou this, I could not help but think about history. Italians, Irish. etc. immigrants went though the same thing. It took time for Americans to finally adjust to these new populations, and I think generationally Americans will start to adjust to Hispanic immigrants as well.

OMG I'm marrying a WHITE GUY!

2011-02-08T15:09:00.007-05:00

I know the title is not very PC. Many people don't think about what happens if you marry an "outsider" I grew up very culturally diverse (I tried to be at least) and even though historically Hispanics are considered White, doesn't mean we are the same. There are two different cultures. Hispanic versus White. When you combine the two, its Magical.... lets hope! After I met my Will, I was so happy and in love then it HIT ME! OMG!! Our kids are going to be Half White and Half Mexican. I didn't think anything negative, but it was like a realization, they aren't going to be my entire ethnic composition. Please do not think this is a bad thing, because its not. It was just that reality set in. I guess I assumed, before my realization, that our kids would be brown, like me. Well they may end up being a lighter brown closer to White. Not only am I talking about our children's appearance, I am also talking about how we are going to raise them. Lets be honest Will and I were raised quite differently. When you raise children, you tend to incorporate some of what you were taught into raising them.

Chemistry-- Mixing two chemicals may lead to an EXPLOSION!!

I grew up fairly Americanized, aka White, and I didn't think much about Will's skin color when we met. But as we started to grow as a couple, I started to realize that our perspectives on things are very different. Even though I moved away from my family, I told Will I wanted to move closer to them. He kept telling me, well it all depends on where I get a job at. I was adamant about moving home. His view on family is that you leave them and do your own thing. My view is you stay close so you are able to be near them and visit. So that was an explosion. Over time I think he is starting to see where I am coming from. This was one of the most major explosions/realizations I've had about marrying a white guy. I'm sure there are more to come, but for now that's it.

Happy Tuesday!!

Pictures Provided By:

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Racism

2011-02-02T08:06:00.006-05:00

Yesterday in class we had a group discussion, Public Conversation Project, on Racism. Let me give some background on my class. We all get a long very well. We all have class together though the entire week. The racial make up of my class is 8 Whites, 6 Blacks, 1 Hispanic (Thats ME!). Where I am located in South Georgia, there isn't much of a Hispanic influence. There are not many Hispanics here and I feel the only real exposure people have to Hispanic culture is when they visit their local Mexican or Cuban Restaurants. When I speak about Hispanic culture in class, I feel like I am teaching my classmates something they have never heard about before. Its a very interesting feeling. We were at the curious question portion of the project. My instructor asked me a curious question, she asked "Rosie, I remember when you were speaking you stated you were a Mexican and not a Mexican-American, why is that?"

My reply was, I feel that I have to say I'm a Mexican since the term Hispanic is an generalized term for, Cubans, Puerto Ricans, Colombians, Mexicans etc. and the term Mexican I use that to specify which subgroup I am under. The reason I don't say I'm Mexican-American because when you start to hyphenate things, people in your subgroup start to think you are turning into a "Gringa" and that you are straying away from your roots." I went on to say that the more generational American you are the more you start blending the two together.

I also discussed the funny looks my fiance (Who is White) and I will get from both Whites and Hispanics. I don't consider us a in interracial couple, but society may. Back in Texas seeing a White and a Hispanic person together is very common. Here in South Georgia, it is a different story.

Tell me what you think about my response? I'd like your opinion and if you have ever been in a situation where you had to be an "Expert" of your own ethnicity?

Thanks!!

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Different Color

2011-01-17T20:37:00.007-05:00

Happy Monday!

I've lived in South Georgia for going on 4 years. I like it here. The pace of life is different, its more laid back and I LOVE COUNTRY FOOD! Its soo GOOD! But besides that there is something I have noticed since I've lived here. Its that there aren't many people that are the same color as me. Most that are the same color do not speak English. This has been interesting because most people who see me, start making assumptions especially about the language part of it. As stated earlier my Spanish is somewhat limited. When I go into stores, there have been times when the clerk has not said a word to me. However, once I open my mouth and say "Hello," they will start to converse with me, but its like I have to prove that I speak English first.

Not only has the language thing been an issue but also "what I am" has come into question. You are probably wondering "What?" Let me explain... When you first meet someone we automatically start putting people in categories like..

* Male/Female
* Heterosexual/Homosexual
* Race--- Which is funny because this sometimes is tricky.. Not everyone is Black or White, we do have some in-betweens, like Hispanics/Asians..

So when it comes to the Race part I confuse people, and people will go though great strides to FIGURE ME OUT! So great that they will just plain out ask you. I've been asked if I was Hawaiian and Native American. I quickly tell them "No I'm Mexican"

When I lived in Texas, this wasn't the case, I was never asked what I was, I mean SERIOUSLY! It annoys me that I have to explain who I am. Not only have I been asked but I get LOTS of stares. I will walk into a restaurant and my fiance is White and we get looks, as if we are some "Freak Show". That bothers me too. I hate being stared at. I realize I am Brown and am a little different but I am not much different from you. I may be Brown but I grew up as American as you can get, I love American Food, I listen to English Music--Pop, Rock, Top 40's, Christian etc.

I'm not sure if I am singling out myself on purpose or if there is genuinely an issue at hand.

Thoughts??

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Hermanas/Sisters

2011-01-15T20:33:00.007-05:00

OH MY GOODNESS! Has this been a week! I posted earlier this week about having a stressful week and let me tell you it has been ROUGH! I moved 45 minutes away from school, so now I'm having to commute and I'm still trying to adjust having to leave 40 minutes earlier than I am used to. I lived 5 minutes from campus previously... The things we do for LOVE!My middle sister celebrated her birthday earlier this week ( LOVE YOU DREA!) and I called her to wish her a HAPPY BIRTHDAY! I miss my sisters so much. She just turned 20 which means I'm turning 27 this year.. YIKES!!! My baby sister is just 15 years old.

After I called her I started thinking about sisterhood, sisters do not have to be blood relatives, they can also be best friends. I was taught growing up that your family is everything, you sacrifice everything for your family and I hold this to be true for my sisters. Since I am the oldest, I definitely feel this need to protect them. When I was younger, my mom was diagnosed with a Hyperactive Thyroid and so she would come home and just fall asleep. Since I was the oldest, became my duty to take charge and make sure that my sisters and brother were fed, bathed and ready for bed. My summers were dedicated to babysitting my siblings.

I adapted to this role, very easily considering the age difference between us. I did these tasks, with no argument, as I knew that I had to help my mom and so I did it because you do what you have to do to help your family. By my watching my younger siblings I would save my parents money so they didn't have to pay a babysitter. Sometimes it wasn't the most fun, because I would get invited to go with friends to the mall or the movies during the day and I couldn't go because I had to watch my siblings. Looking back at this time in my life I appreciate doing that for my family because it taught me responsibility and also I was able to develop a relationship with my them.

I went home this past Christmas Holiday and my baby sister and brother were home from school, and it was funny to see me jump back into the role of the "Older Sister". We were straightening up the house and I was dictating to them what to do and my brother told me "Why is it that you come home and start telling us what to do..." It was as if I just slipped back into my role as big sis!

I miss them soo much and am sooo thankful for my 2 sisters--Andrea and Adrianna and for my brother-- Anthony too!

Take Care and Until Next Time,

Craziness!

2011-01-12T15:19:00.002-05:00

Hello! I haven't had a chance to post a new blog up I plan on posting one this evening. This has been a CRAZY week with school starting back up. I have a 45 minute drive home to think about what to post up!

Hope you are having a GREAT week!!

Spanglish

2011-01-08T23:34:00.004-05:00

I grew up not speaking Spanish, I took it in Middle School, High School and College, and I am still not fluent, No Nintendo! I was born and raised in Texas and moved to Georgia 4 years ago. Since living in Georgia, I’ve been asked multiple times if I speak Spanish, not just by native speakers but by others. My usual response is “I am not fluent but I speak a little.” I guess I’d rather be asked then assumed that I do speak Spanish. I think I’ve become more sensitive about this topic since I’ve moved to Georgia. In my part of Texas(Central) , the culture is different. There are more people who are Hispanic and speak English only than there are who speak Spanish only in that area. Here in Georgia its feels as if it is almost assumed that because I am Hispanic I speak Spanish. In a sense here in Georgia I am more of a minority since I am not a first generation Hispanic and I don’t speak Spanish fluently. I wish I was fluent.

Not only am I stereotyped by some non-Hispanics, I am also stereotyped by some Hispanics! Today was spent traveling from Texas back to Georgia. We stopped in Mississippi and there were a group of Hispanic Men, and I was walking up to my fiance, who--is White, and I spoke in English and I felt their eyes on me. I wanted to tell them to STOP STARING, but I didn’t have the guts to do it. This event isn’t just a one time occurrence. A different time, was during our Christmas Break in Texas, my fiance and I went to Hispanic Food Store, called La Michoacana, to buy fajita meat for New Year’s( Since they have this AMAZING seasoned fajita meat!) I had to wait for my number to be called, once it was called I went up to the counter and placed my order in English. After I gave them the initial item I wanted the guy behind the counter started laughing with a co-worker and was looking at me. I felt so weird! I’m not sure if they were laughing at me and maybe I am being too sensitive about it.

This topic goes back to that quote from Selena, I quoted in my first blog post. “You have to be more Mexican than the Mexicans and More American than the Americans both at the same time.” Its hard having to balance between both of these cultures. If you assimilate too much then you are un blanca and if you are too Hispanic then you not an America. Is there a balance without losing too much of each part? I love being a Hispanic/Latina woman,and wouldn’t change it in the world, but at the same time I want to try to find a happy medium.

Hispanics on Television

2011-01-08T00:50:00.008-05:00

I was watching Ellen yesterday and I saw that Rico Rodriguez was going to be on her show. Rico Rodriguez plays “Manny” on Modern Family. If you have not seen this show, it is a MUST SEE! It’s hilarious!! Rico is from my home town in Bryan,TX. His father owns a tire shop and it is still in operation. He said on Ellen’s show that he gets a $20.00 allowance a week. I think its awesome that the family is willing to try to keep their kids “grounded”.

I am writing about this not as an extension of what I wrote yesterday, but the number of Latino actors who are becoming more mainstream. Its amazing how far TV has come since the days of I Love Lucy. Its as if Hispanics are becoming more accepted into the world of entertainment. Its like Ricky Ricardo was a pioneer of Latino entertainment. George Lopez raised the acceptance level further; I would call him a modern day Bill Cosby. Its amazing. (I LOVED and still watch the George Lopez show)

Growing up I always wondered where the Latino shows were, besides on Univision or Telemundo. I didn’t speak fluent Spanish and if I tried to watch the Novellas on those channels, I wouldn’t understand what they were saying. It was like the total extreme. During my middle school days the movie Selena debuted. I watched that movie so many times in my freshman in high school Spanish class. Here was this woman who able to break though to Mainstream music. AMAZING!!! Not only that her movie really helped bridge two cultures together. She was able to balance both being Hispanic (Non-native speaking) and American.

Shows like George Lopez or Modern Family aren't so much about Hispanic families, as they are about families who happen to be Hispanic. This, in my opinion, can help increase the acceptance of Hispanics in the United States as well as give young Hispanics role models to look up too, who happen to look like them.

Pictures Provided by:

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http://www.mediacircus.net/selena________3.jpg

Staying Grounded

2011-01-06T00:25:00.003-05:00

I grew up in a lower middle class family, and there were some hard times. I don't think nearly as hard as what our country is facing now. We struggled as a family, but though those hard times we stuck together and were able to get out of it together. During those times I would get upset and wonder why our family has to go though these times, WHY? As I look back I appreciate them more. I feel that I have learned and grew as a person for those times. I appreciate what I have SO MUCH!!

Growing up my mother once told me "Never forget when you come from," I responded "Of course Mom." I gave her that response because what my mother said was the law, but at the age I was at (which was 12ish, I think) I didn't really understand that concept. As I've grown up this statement makes more sense. I've been blessed to have been able to go to college and finish. Once you graduate from college you get this new found confidence that you didn't have before. I told my fiance when he graduated with his Masters Degree, that this was something that Not ONE person could take away from him. Granted when you receive a college degree doors open, you can apply for different types of jobs, ones that usually do not require too much physical labor. Sometimes this "confidence' can get to your head and some people may start to think they are better than others. Others may try to assimilate into culture quickly since they are able to live a life of luxury that others aren't able to. This the time that I really came to understand my mom's old advice. I think that in any case we have to be grateful for what we have, since one day it may all be gone and all you have left is su familia, and you will truly be reminded of where you came from.

I have an uncle and aunt on my dad's side who are immigrants and worked hard for what they have and pretty successful now. Instead of being grateful and humbled by their success, they often behave as if they are better than everyone else. This really annoys me because,you have been blessed with rather than flaunting it, be THANKFUL for what you have! I realize that most of the time this primarily deals with money but money does not buy happiness! I know that I would rather have my family than all the money in the world.

In closing I say follow the advice of my mother "Never Forget Where You Come From." If you forget you may spend your entire life trying to find it again.

Take Care & God Bless!

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Patriotism or is it Patriotismo???

2011-01-04T22:49:00.001-05:00

I was born and raised in Texas. I LOVE TEXAS! When I see a Texas flag anywhere I feel this sense of pride like 'that's my home!' If anyone mentions anything about Texas, my face lights up. The first words out of my mouth when I meet people is "Hi I'm Rosie and I'm from Texas." Its crazy!!

So today my fiance and I were going to Washington on the Brazos, the birthplace of Texas. I have been there before(Yay for school field trips!) and I loved learning about the history of my state. I always feel a sense of patriotism for this state and country. But I started thinking... Should I be this patriotic? I get teary eyed when I sing the Star Spangled Banner for crying out loud!! I feel a sense of pride when I hear about our forefathers. Is that weird? To my knowledge my family doesn't really have any direct/marital ties to the founders of this country. So should I feel this way, since my family didn't really contribute? Don't get me wrong I am blessed to live in this country. I feel almost like I get looks when I sing the Star Spangled Banner or shed a tear when I see a fly-over. Should I just sit back and enjoy the ride?

I have justified why I feel this sense of pride in being a Texan. There is a chance, albeit slim, that my family may have actually helped in fighting for Texas Independence. It may be more likely that they were on the opposite side! Isn't this true for any cause. We, as a society, have to feel a sense of connectedness to the environment in which we live. If we lack that connection, we fell like an alien in our own home.

If we look back to the in history our country was built by immigrants. While my families first view of America may have been a muddy river rather than the statue of liberty, I'm sure my ancestors felt the same stirring of pride as all the new American as they crossed the border for the first time.

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Leaving Home

2011-01-03T21:58:00.002-05:00

Growing up my grandparents were just a few streets away, my uncles were near by so that if anything were to happen they were only 10 minutes away. It was great since sometimes they would stop by and say “Hi”. We often had family gatherings, some were very random, mom would make dinner and they would happen to stop by and they stayed and ate dinner with us. (I LOVED IT!) So I grew up knowing that my family was always close. Some research indicated that this is due to socioeconomic status, relying on each other and being close was just economically feasible. I honestly never thought that I figured it was just because my family was close and they loved each other.

In 2006, I met the love of my life. He lived in Georgia and I lived in Texas. I decided I would move to Georgia to be with him. I transferred jobs and schools to be closer to him. He came and helped me pack up my items and drove us to Georgia to start a new life. I hated the first year. I felt guilty for leaving my family. When is it ok to leave the nest? I still live in Georgia, I graduated and am working on my Masters. When visit usually during Christmas and in the Summer, I long to be home, but I also want to stay because I feel I have my own identity. Many parents lose their children because they live in different parts of the country. I have a niece that I only see three times a year and I don’t want to be that aunt that she only occasionally sees. From my experience I feel that its important to be there for your family which means you are a close, but at the same time is it really selfish to leave and live out your destiny. I think that you have to decide that on your own.

I decided to talk about this first because I am going though this now, I came home to visit my family and every time I leave I end up crying all the way home because I really miss them and can't wait to see them again!

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Morning!

2011-01-03T10:56:00.001-05:00

Good Morning!!!

I woke up this morning excited about this new blog and thinking about what all I should talk about. I came up with a small list last night and will use that list as talking points. Not only will I talk about this list but I will also talk about daily life and how I view it. I am really excited about this.

I've been trying to promote the blog by putting it on feeders and such, I also am trying to customize it and working on twitter.

Take Care and God Bless!!

The picture is of Chorizo and Egg, a staple at my house!! YUMMY!!!!

The picture was provided by http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/photo/Chorizo-Scrambled-Eggs-105908

Trying this out...

2011-01-03T00:05:00.001-05:00

Hello!!

Let me introduce my self....

My name is Rosie and I'm originally from Bryan, TX. I'm a recent graduate of Valdosta State University in Valdosta, GA with my B.A. in Sociology and Anthropology. I am currently working on my Master's in Social Work at Valdosta State University. I live with my fiance and two wonderful puppies (Taylor and Reagan). I am have a graduate assistantship as the Managing Editor of a a journal titled Teaching Sociology. I love my job!!

My father is an immigrant from Mexico. He came here in his early twenties. He was able to pull himself up by learning to pour concrete, and eventually started his own business. My mother is a third generation American. She did not learn Spanish until adulthood. My parents divorced when I was a child and I lived with my mom and did not learn Spanish until I took it in Middle School, High School, and College. (On a side note-- I always find it interesting that people assume you speak Spanish because you are Hispanic!! "No intende"). My grandparents didn't speak Spanish to me but they spoke it to each other.

Why did I decide to do this?

I decided to start blogging about what it's like to be a Hispanic woman in America. I hope that people will be able to relate and also possibly see what is is like to be Hispanic in America. Have you seen the movie Selena? Her father gives us a great quote that sums up how I feel, and I think that most people feel when thinking about being Hispanic in America. "We have to be more Mexican than the Mexicans and more American than the Americans, both at the same time! It's exhausting! No one knows how tough it is to be a Mexican-American. "

FeedBack

I hope you enjoyed reading this and please comment and give me feedback on your own experiences and insights! I'd love to hear them!!

Take Care and God Bless!!!