Neither from here nor there

My parents were both born in Mexico yet they came to the United States and became U.S. Citizens.Even with the U.S. Symbol branded on them they are more Mexican than American. Both of their parents raised them under the Hispanic culture and in Mexico, Mexicans tend to be strong followers of their culture. Therefore my mom has also though me every thing about our culture. There are somethings that really fascinate me about it but there are others that just isn't for me.

Last summer I went to Mexico ,it had been almost about five years that I hadn't been there.I got to experience so much that it made realize that my roots are really precious. For example we arrived there during the time of Peter of Saint Joseph's birthday. In Mexico it's really important the birthdays of their saints because the whole community throws a big fair in their honor. So they pray for about a week and then on the last day before there birthday, they turn on something called "El Castillo". It's a big tower that is surrounded with fire works. Once they lit it up fireworks burst and it lasts about 5-10 minutes.It's very beautiful and then on the day of there birthday they make a big parade where they put the Saint in carriage and take it around the community while people walk beside it singing. This is one of the traditions that I really enjoy because it shows our strong beliefs in Catholicism.It's very fun too because everyone in the community joins in and are happily enjoying this moment with one another. So I am fascinated with my culture because of aspects like these.

I also honor other traditions that Hispanic culture has with my mom. For example "El dia de Los muertos" or the day of the dead, we make a big altar that has pictures of our deceased and next to the pictures we place food, fruits, and drinks . On that day my mom gets up extra early to prepare the ingredients to make " mole poblano"  which is a spicy sauce that is poured on chicken and is one of the traditional plates that she makes. Mole poblano is very famous in Mexico and mothers tend to pass this recipe down to there daughters. I really love mole but the bad thing about though is that it has too many ingredients that require a lot of work to be mixed together.So even though I help my mom make it I really don't want to do it because it requires so much. So every time my mom makes it she asks me if I have memorized the recipe and I tell her no because I don't find myself in the near future making it by myself.

 I actually tend to find my self cooking more American food that Mexican food .For example she thought me how to make tortillas when I was 10.Since little my mom and dad were taught to eat tortillas with every meal they had. Honestly I don't like eating my food with tortillas and if my mom prepares something that requires eating tortillas I will not eat it and instead will make myself a hot dog, sandwich or my favorite: chicken alfredo. My dad gets mad when I don't eat tortillas and tells me that I despise my cultures food. But it's not true I do like mexican food but not all. I just eat what my tongue likes not what I'm forced to eat. Even if I don't like them I have to respect the fact that my mom makes them so I do eat them once in a while.

Hispanic culture also tends to include not only religion and traditional foods but also music. The only time I ever hear Spanish music is in parties that we go to. I don't like the music except for bachata or merengue but other than that none. I usually tend to listen to kpop which is korean pop music. Also the Hispanic culture is infatuated with soap dramas or as we like to call them telenovelas which I don't like as well but if you ask a Hispanic person about it they can go on and on about it. I on the other hand watch korean dramas. I don't know how it happened but I got to love the asian part of the world. I would have wished that I was born in Korea or Japan but no I was born in the USA ( not that I hate the U.S. or anything like that).

Emergency Couple

                                     Growl by EXO


My mom tells me that I am more Asian than Hispanic and that I should focus more on my culture. This gets me really mad because I do focus on my culture it's just that I don't always have to do  every thing a Hispanic does or like what a Hispanic likes.  It's not just that I'm trying to be another culture or someone else is just that I want to be unique. Is it wrong of me if I don't follow every Mexican tradition? Do i have to choose between being something or the other? Can't I create my identity even if it is a mixed one?
So in the end I have a created my own identity. I am someone with the heart of a mexican, with the tongue of an american, and with the unusual taste for asian entertainment.
I'm just me.

ps. I don't know korean but I do know how to read subtitles.