What is YOUR Culture?

What is YOUR culture? Did you grow up in a placea different "culture" than a Puerto Rican woman who
where you held rituals and ceremonies also held in thegrew up in low-income housing in New York. I've
countries from which your ancestors came? Did youinterviewed both types of women as part of my
grow up speaking Spanish, listening to a certain kind ofPowerful Latina interviewees, and although they are
music, eating certain foods, and believing certain mythsboth Latina, they also both inhabit their "Latina- ness" in
and superstitions?very different ways.
Is YOUR culture an urban culture or a rural culture? Is itTake a moment to think about what YOUR culture is.
imbued with religious symbolism or none at all? Did youWhat is important to you, and how did you learn those
grow up in a neighborhood where everyone knewvalues? And even more important -- how do you
their neighbors? Were your immediate family closecarry on those values and teach them to others?
by?Our "culture" as Latinos is becoming an interesting
Although there are stereotypes about what "Latinocultural-racial- ethnic and SITUATIONAL mix... Where
culture" is, in reality we have many cultures, and manywill we go from here? It is up to us to decide.
varieties of culture. In addition to different traditions,However it is important that we first identify and
sayings and histories from different Latin Americandecide what *our* culture is for ourselves.
countries, we also have a unique blend of culturesThere are many things that, in looking at Latinos as a
when we come to the U.S.whole, can be generally said about the "Latino" culture
There is no "one" Latino culture; in fact, we have-- a strong work ethnic, strong family structure, a belief
unique blends. Your culture is even different from thatin the importance of communities, etc. However, these
of your parents, in part because you grew up at acharacteristics do not fit across the board for *all*
different moment in time. Your historical journey isLatinos, and even when they do, the way in which
uniquely situational and overlaid with the political milieuthey play out is different.
that surrounded your growing up years, and continuesWe get to choose how we embody Latino culture
to surround you even now.today, and what we show to OTHERS about what it
A Latina who was born and raised in Argentina, wentwill mean for the future. Take a moment to reflect and
to college and graduate school in South America, andbe thoughtful about your place in this dynamic world.
then later came the U.S. to work and raise children has