When I was in Miami two weeks before Latism, I answered an email from a reporter asking me if I thought Brazilians were Hispanics. I said that is a tricky question; If you ask a Brazilian, living in Brazil, they will say NO! Because Hispanics, for Brazilians, are synonyms of somebody who speaks Spanish (as a native language and carries the whole package of tacos and enchiladas) and we speak Portuguese as our native language (and we sadly don’t make tacos in Brazil). But, after being labeled as Hispanic on my green card, having networked, learned and enjoyed company of so many amazing Hispanic friends, I can assure you, we are as Hispanic as it gets and I will tell you why! But to fully understand that, come and join my journey through the Latism Conference, because that gave me the confidence to undoubtedly answer that question. The clues were all over!
I signed up to attend Latism hoping to connect with fellow Latino bloggers and brands and get to spend some time in an old dream place, the Waldorf Astoria. I had no idea I was in for such a big treat! I connected with amazing Latinos, learned so much but the biggest take was finding my own identity as a Hispanic woman and a writer.
When I moved here, I had the Latina spirit, but was always on the fence about the whole Hispanic identity, I know, I must confess! After a few years and especially after blogging and seeing all our dishes and cultural proud possessions showcased as a Hispanic Heritage, I realized our language and geography could not keep us apart. Think about a multiflavored cheesecake, each country is a slice, but we all have the same mixture, same base, same foundation, same cream cheese in it!
Starting with my wonderful roommates Zulmara and Cristina. I was supposed to be rooming with somebody else, who dropped out of the room last minute and left me with those amazing women, one of them, guess what? Brazilian!! Not a coincidence!
Our meals and keynotes were filled with passion and Latino spice, but my favorite was the Johnson and Johnson luncheon and the speaker who invited us to stand up and dance and the place turned into a big fiesta!
Our love for music and dancing which was visibly celebrated during our meals, our passion for arts, which was demonstrated during the guest performances.
After the second day, I had that amazing confident feeling, we’re all the same, I belong in here, I’m not only a Latina, but also a proud Hispanic! Feeling amazing after this identify check, it was crowned by the unforgettable Brazilian performance, which set our lunch on fire!
Above all, that conference and past months assured me I’m working with a loving, caring community which supports and encourages my growth! I fully embraced my Hispanic Heritage and it gave me confidence to grow more and have the comfort of belonging!
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You can consider yourself hispanic, but there is a different historical background. Brazilians even consider themselves Latinos, they prefer to identify themselves as Brazilians only. Latino or Hispanic are important identities for immigrants in the US like you, but it is not so strong in Brazil or Spanish Speaking Countries. It is important for Brazilians to preserve their culture and uniqueness.
I agree with you Tiago! But living here for almost 20 years, I see myself more and more identifying with Hispanics! I don’t like labels in general, I honestly think we’re all Latinos and have a lot in common! Thank you for commenting and reading my post!