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Karen Corona

English 115

Professor J. Rodrick

5 December 2018

Latinos Born in America: How has America Helped them to be Performative?

When it comes to shaping one's identity, society, the people who surround them on a day

to day basis, the culture they practice, and the environment they live in, all play a critical role.

This will either cause one to conform due to pressure or to be performative. Being born and

raised in America by Latino immigrants definitely has its struggles as would any minority;

however many Latino-Americans have found a way to overcome these struggles. Due to their

cultural traits, their physical traits, and stereotypes that they are labeled with, they are able to

perform and prove wrong those who constantly doubt them.

Cultural traits allow Latino-Americans to be performative by outperforming those who

are not bilingual, although it may sometimes be tough. While some parents encourage their

children to speak Spanish, other parents do not. A lot of Latino immigrant parents are afraid of

having their child be discriminated or treated differently, simply because they are speaking

another language other than English. In an interview filmed by NBC News (2018), “Defining

Latino: Young People Talk Identity, Belonging”, NBC interviewed young latinos ages 18-34, as

they talked about their American experience and how living in America has helped shaped their

identity as a Latino. One of the interviewees, Berenize Garcia, shares how her father, who is a

Mexican Immigrant has pushed her to be more American, while her mother encourages her to
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speak and practice her Spanish with her Mexican relatives. Garcia explains how this has made

her confused, however on the other hand she dreams of becoming a doctor and help out patients

who have a language barrier, using her mom as an example. She explains that her mom is unable

to express her pain to the doctor, since she does not speak English well. Many times, the children

serve as a “translator” to their parent, whether it be a visit to the doctor or a meeting at school.

However, Garcia explains how she would love to help and “empower” her spanish-speaking

clients that have the same language-barrier as her mom. In this case being bilingual serves as an

advantage and allows Latinos to be performative.

Being bilingual also opens up more job and career opportunities. In an article, written by

Suzanne Gamboa, “Young Latinos: Born in the U.S.A., carving their own Identity”, Gamboa

writes about Hispanics who are following their Latino culture, whilst living in America. They

also share their views on how being Latino, has shaped their views on being American. A young

Latina, who was interviewed, shared her thoughts, “​We’re stripped in a lot of cases of our

Spanish tongue...told it’s really important that you only speak English and to speak English well,

otherwise, you’re going to face hardship...because of the prejudice that this country holds​”. What

she meant by this, was that even though being bilingual can serve as an advantage, many people

in this country can make one feel ashamed, if one were to speak English with an accent. She then

mentions the importance of speaking Spanish and how one should not be ashamed. I for

example, grew up Mexican-American and Spanish was my first language. I am very proud to be

bilingual and use my Spanish when needed, such as assisting a customer at my job, who does not

speak English well. I work as a receptionist at a car dealership and when there are Spanish calls

they are often connected to me, since the other receptionists do not understand the language. This
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makes me feel proud, since I have made it easier for the customer to communicate and had them

directed to the correct department. Speaking spanish is part of the Latino-American culture,

whether it is spoken fluently or inarticulate and one should not be embarrassed.

Latino-Americans should also not be embarrassed of their physical traits.

The physical traits of Latino-Americans allow them to be performative since they are all

different skin-tones. This has caused confusion to others who are not part of the Latino

community, as well as those who are. This allows the Latino-American community to educate

them and break the stereotype that they are all “brown”. In the same article written by Gamboa,

she mentions, Alma Flores, who is a light-skinned Latina. Flores shares that she is questioned

when she identifies herself as a Chicana because of her light complexion. She also mentions that

they have called her “white-washed”. I am able to relate to Alma, since I am also light-skinned

and was even teased by own peers who also happen to be Latino-American. I was told that I was

not “Mexican” enough simply because I was not their skin color. What a lot of people do not

understand however, is that Latino-Americans all have different skin complexions; some darker

than others and some lighter than others. This does not in any way make us less or more “latino”.

Gamboa also wrote about Leyanis Diaz who is an Afro-Latina born in Cuba. Diaz shared how

she first had self-esteem issues, when people would tell her that they did not know that there

were black people in Cuba. She then took advantage of this opportunity to teach the people that

surrounded her, about her Cuban/Latino culture. On another note, it is sometimes difficult for a

lot of Latino-Americans when it comes to filling out forms or surveys that ask for their race.

These forms do not include Hispanic or Latino and they are either forced to choose

Caucasian/White or a different option that they do not identify with. I for example, always
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wondered why my high school records identified my race as Caucasian, until I realized that there

is not an option for Hispanic and/or Latino. The solution to this would be to provide an option

for the Latino community that they do identify with, unlike Caucasian. Being different skin-tones

in the Latino community allows a Latino to outperform others by educating those who think that

all Latinos are “brown” and educating them on their country of origin as well.

Lastly stereotypes. Even though there are many situations, where one might sink into the

stereotypes that are labeled on to Latino-Americans, they are able to surpass many of them

causing them to outperform majorities. A lot of Latino-Americans grow up in low-income

neighborhoods and are raised by parents who did not complete their schooling. This becomes a

challenge; not falling into the stereotypes America has labeled them with. In Stephen Balkaran’s

article, “Hispanic Heritage Month: How Hispanics Are Defining and Redefining America” he

talks about the influence that Hispanics have had in America, as well as how Hispanics are seen

by many. Balkaran explains, “Hispanics are envisioned as migrant workers, cheap laborers with

leaf blowers, non-English-speaking individuals...”. This in my opinion sounds harsh, however

Balkaran wanted to give an example on how a lot of people see Latino-Americans. Many parents

of Latino-Americans, came to the country not knowing how different the culture is from their

own, challenging them to raise their children in a country where they are expected to fail.

My parents, who were Mexican immigrants (they now have their citizenship) raised me

with the idea that I had to go to college, in order to be someone in life and that school would be

the way out of my “ghetto” neighborhood, Pacoima. They raised me by not “handing” me

anything, but rather explained to me that I had to work for what I wanted. As a result of this, I

was able to get a job when I was 16, worked two jobs my senior year (while passing all my
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classes) and was able to get a brand new car on my own, with my savings. My parents knew that

my sister and I had to work harder than others because as Latino/a Americans we are either

expected to become young parents, high school dropouts, and to continue to live in poverty. In a

research study, “Between Two Worlds: How Young Latinos Come of Age in America”, by Pew

Research Center, they focus on Hispanics regarding topics such as; economic well-being,

education, and family. They explain, “they are much more likely than other American youths to

dropout of school and to become teenage parents. They are more likely than white and Asian

youths to live in poverty. And they have high levels of exposure to gangs.” This shows how

something that is statistically proven can lead to stereotyping. It is difficult to not fall into a

statistic when the numbers for Hispanics are so high. On

the other hand, this can urge them to not be

another statistic, but exceed in whatever it is that they are doing, whether it be work or school.

This encourages them to work harder and outperform those who are already expected to succeed.
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Even though Latino-Americans are put down as a minority due to our cultural traits,

physical traits, and stereotypes that are given to them, they are either expected to conform to

rules or fail. They are never really quite seen as performative, however they are. They embrace

both their Latino culture and American culture and want to help break the labels that are put on

them by outperforming majorities.

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Works Cited

Balkaran, Stephen. “Hispanic Heritage Month: How Hispanics Are Defining and Redefining

America.” ​The Huffington Post​, TheHuffingtonPost.com, 19 Nov.

2014.​www.huffingtonpost.com/stephen-balkaran/hispanic-heritage-month-b_b_5848568.h

tml.​ ​Accessed 18 Oct. 2018

“Between Two Worlds: How Young Latinos Come of Age in America | Pew Research Center.”

Pew Research Center's Hispanic Trends Project.​ 1 July 2013.

www.pewhispanic.org/2009/12/11/between-two-worlds-how-young-latinos-come-of-age-

in-america/​. Accessed 24 Oct. 2018.

“For Young Latinos, a Difficult Passage to Adulthood”. ​Pew Research Center's Hispanic Trends

Project.​ 1 July 2013. Accessed 24 Oct. 2018.

Gamboa, Suzanne. “Young Latinos: Born in the U.S.A., Carving Their Own Identity.”

NBCNews.com​, NBCUniversal News Group. 14 Sept. 2018.

www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/young-latinos-born-u-s-carving-their-own-identity-n908

086.​ ​Accessed 22 Oct. 2018.

Movieclips, director. ​Twice as Perfect, Selena Scene (1997).​ ​YouTube​, YouTube, 27 June 2017.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=HIBYaeYQF0k​. Accessed 24, Oct. 2018.

NBCNews, director. ​Defining Latino: Young People Talk Identity, Belonging.​ ​YouTube,​

YouTube, 14 Sept. 2018. ​www.youtube.com/watch?v=QePAmImu2wA​. Accessed 24,

Oct. 2018.