Latinx Student Interviews

Itzel Medina

What do you identify as ethnically?

“Ethically, I identify myself as Latina (Hispanic).”

Are there any special holidays relating to your culture that you celebrate and would love to share?

“Yes, there are some special holidays that relate to my culture. One of them is Dia de los Muertos. This holiday is from October 31 to November 2. Dia de los Muertos is an Aztec tradition that honors the dead. My grandmother and I would make conchas for our relatives who are no longer with us. Another special holiday would be Virgin de Guadalupe. This holiday is more common in the Mexican/Catholic culture. It’s a religious feast day that’s celebrated on December 12. This holiday celebrates the belief that a man encountered the Virgin Mary. My family and I would go to the church and drop off some candles and flowers. These are [just some] examples of holidays in my culture. There are so many more.”

Is there any specific aspect or tradition of your culture that holds a special place in your heart? Why?

“Yes, there is a specific aspect or tradition of my culture that holds a special place in my heart. That is Virgin de Guadalupe because that is the same day my beloved parents got married. My parents mean so much to me, and if it weren’t for them, I wouldn’t be the person I am today. I am so thankful to have them in my life.”

What makes your culture unique in your opinion?

“In my opinion, the food makes my culture unique from the rest. I love Mexican food, especially the enchiladas, tacos, flan, conchas, chilaquiles, tamales, mole, etc. You wouldn’t get [these foods] in a different culture.”

What would you say is the most commonly held misconception about people of your culture?

“I would say ‘All Latin American immigrants are poor, uneducated and untrained’ is the most commonly held misconception about people of my culture. In all aspects of culture, anyone can come from a different cultural background and still have a better education than others do. Some don’t have the opportunity to attend colleges or apply for jobs. Many Latino workers are determined to accomplish things ‘till it’s done right. They do not ever give up. Just because people are Latino doesn’t mean they are poor. Some can be high class or middle class.”

Are there any final thoughts, opinions, or experiences relating to your ethnic background that you’d love to share?

“Most people in my culture are selfless enough to have left their own life behind to allow their children to have a better life than they did. They make so many sacrifices for us that not a lot of people appreciate. Without them, the United States would be different.”

Lea Rodriguez

What do you identify as ethnically?

“Ethnically, I identify as Hispanic.”

Are there any special holidays relating to your culture that you celebrate and would love to share?

“For the most part, we only celebrate dia de los muertos, dia de Reyes and semana de pascua. Dia de los Muertos is really well known, but my family does do it differently. We set up a small ofrenda (or like an offering table) with some goodies and a picture of our past relatives. We always include my great-grandma and on my half-cousin’s side, you can see her tia and cousin. We spend the day praying and wishing them safe travels and telling stories about them. Dia de Reyes is the day of the three kings. It’s typically seen as the day the three kings, from the Bible, came to see Jesus. We have this large cake with three baby Jesus dolls placed inside and then we cut the bread. Whichever family gets the bread with the baby inside has to hold a dinner/party. My tia and tios always give us a small gift. For semana de pascua, which is basically Easter week, we celebrate Good Friday. This is when we commemorate as Christians, typically Catholics, the crucifixion death of Jesus. Seeing as we aren’t Catholic, we usually don’t fast, but it’s . . . common for us to go to church, throw plays of the crucifixion, pray and host dinners.”

Is there any specific aspect or tradition of your culture that holds a special place in your heart? Why?

“I really enjoy Dia de Reyes. It really brings my Hispanic family together. I always get to help cut the bread and it’s always so fun seeing the worry on each other’s faces as we cut the bread. I believe—and this is excluding my mom’s side of the family seeing as they are in Mexico—we usually have 20-30 people in the same room at the same time. I always get to see cousins I haven’t seen in a while, and I think that’s why it’s so embedded in my heart. Being such a big family makes it hard for us to all come together, but for Dia de Reyes, so many of us are able to come together and really celebrate our heritage.”

What makes your culture unique in your opinion?

“Ah, personally I think it’s the fact we are all family. In our culture, we are close to everyone, and we welcome people with open arms whether they are blood or not. It’s our faith and core values that are what makes our culture so unique. Family is always such a big thing, but to Hispanics, we are so close and treat everyone with love. I have tias and tios who aren’t really aunts and uncles, but because their friendship is cherished, they become family. It’s somewhat funny, because an easy way to explain our uniqueness is by something that most refer to as the five F’s. Family, faith, fiesta, food, and Futbol. All of us focus on something different, but our family, faith, and food are the biggest things to stand out. Our abuelas pass down generations of cooking, and food always brings the family together. Worshiping God makes us spiritually closer, but in the end, it all revolves around family.”

What would you say is the most commonly held misconception about people of your culture?

“Hm, that’s a slightly harder one. A lot of people assume that we are all Mexican when many of us are Puerto Rican, Cuban, Portuguese, Dominican, etc., which then feeds into a lot of people assuming all immigrants are Mexicans, and that they are all poor, uneducated, and untrained. Many of us are [either] third or fourth generation. Though there are people who are immigrants, that does not immediately make them poor or uneducated. Mexico is a pretty well-off country, and people don’t only flee because of economic issues, but also political [issues], and it’s not only Mexico they immigrate from. Also, the stereotype of all Mexican immigrants are illegal—which is also not true. Though some are here illegally, it’s not only Mexicans, like I said.”

Are there any final thoughts, opinions, or experiences relating to your ethnic background that you’d love to share?

“Ooo, my great-great-uncle is a famous Hispanic artist. His name is Raul Mora, and a lot of his art is displayed here in Stockton. His parents came here from Mexico when they were between the ages of 12-17. His house is so beautiful and is decorated with so many artifacts, including a huge nativity scene for Christmas. On my mom’s side, my great-grandma is Mayan, and she knows how to make all types of homemade food, which is always tons of fun! In Mexico, my family owns a decent amount of land in a small-ish town, and on top of that [we] have houses and family everywhere in Mexico. In my personal opinion, I believe that our culture is just so beautiful and loving. There are very few flaws. I will say though—each Hispanic family is so different. On my dad’s side, it was very . . . I don’t know how to word it . . . whitewashed, I supposed. But my mother’s side was very, very Hispanic. And even then, the smaller families in our family all celebrate things differently.”

Jaeden Conrad

What do you identify as ethnically?

“Well, mainly Puerto Rican and Filipino.”

Is there any specific aspect or tradition of your culture that holds a special place in your heart? Why?

“Probably the food. Food’s a big part of our culture, and whenever we visit my grandma, she makes a feast! [There are specific kinds of foods from my culture,] but there's not a name for them. The weirdest one is pig’s feet though.”

What makes your culture unique in your opinion?

“Maybe the language? We have a different dialect. Language and food, [mainly]. We have different words for things [compared] to typical Spanish, and our food isn't like typical Latin food. [Like, banana, for example.] Like, usually, Latinos say ‘plátano,’ but we say ‘guineo.’”

What would you say is the most commonly held misconception about people of your culture?

“Probably that we're either Mexicans or black, ‘cause we're always mistaken as either of those.”

Jamil Velazquez

What do you identify as ethnically?

“Ethnically, I identify as Hispanic. Mexican boi!”

Is there any specific aspect or tradition of your culture that holds a special place in your heart? Why?

“There are holidays relating to my culture, [but my family and I] don’t really celebrate any.”

Is there any specific aspect or tradition of your culture that holds a special place in your heart? Why?

“My culture really values family, and I really like that.”

What makes your culture unique in your opinion?

“I think our sense of community is unique. Hispanic people are very friendly, and we can make friends with anyone no matter what.”

What would you say is the most commonly held misconception about people of your culture?

“I’d say the most common misconception is that we’re thugs and gangsters—I don’t know.”

Are there any final thoughts, opinions, or experiences relating to your ethnic background that you’d love to share?

“Not really, Mexicans are [ . . . ] funny doe!” 

Dahyana Arroyo

What do you identify as ethnically?

“I identify as Mexican, but to be more specific, as a Chicana. Both of my parents are immigrants who were born in Mexico, which makes me Mexican, but unlike them, I was born in the United States. This makes me a Chicana since I come from Mexican descent.”

Are there any special holidays relating to your culture that you celebrate and would love to share?

“One major holiday that my family celebrates is el Dia de los Muertos, which translates to Day of the Dead. It is split between three days, but the third day is the one most people celebrate. On October 31, it’s el Dia de los Inocentes (Day of the Children), November 1 is el Dia de Todos los Santos (Day of all the Saints), and November 2 is el Dia de los Fieles Difuntos (All Souls Day). This holiday gives families a chance to remember their loved ones that have passed on. People believe that on their designated day, souls can return back to earth. This is why the families make altars, known as ofrendas with their relatives’ pictures and favorite foods for them to feast on.”

Is there any specific aspect or tradition of your culture that holds a special place in your heart? Why?

“A tradition that holds a special place in my heart are Quinceañeras. I was fortunate enough to have had one when I turned 15 years old. A Quinceañera is a coming-of-age ritual in which a girl is marking her passage from childhood to womanhood. There is usually a dance that takes place in which the Quinceañera’s father takes off her flats and replaces them with heels, signifying that she is now becoming a woman. This is usually followed by a father-daughter dance. That particular tradition, I believe, is why Quinceañeras hold a special place in my heart.”

What makes your culture unique in your opinion?

“Something that I think makes my culture unique is how diverse we all are. You can look at two Mexicans from the same Mexican state, but they could look and speak completely different from one another, partly due to some having more or less indigenous blood than others. This, however, doesn’t make any of them less invalid because they don’t ‘fit’ society’s idea for how someone of Mexican descent should look.”

What would you say is the most commonly held misconception about people of your culture?

“I think the most commonly held misconception about Mexican culture is that there's one set group of things—such as our customs, traditions, outfits, or festivals. I don’t really like [it] when people picture Mexicans in a sombrero, a poncho, and with tacos, because it’s a stereotypical, one-sided view of Mexican culture. A lot of Mexicans don't really even dress like that unless they’re from pueblos or they live on ranches. You can go to one state in Mexico, such as Baja California, and find it to be completely different from another, such as Michoacan. This is exactly why, however, I find my culture to be so beautiful.”

Are there any final thoughts, opinions, or experiences relating to your ethnic background that you’d love to share?

“I’d like to finish by saying that I’m glad to have grown up in a city as diverse as Stockton. This city allowed me to grow up around people of different ethnicities, but also many Latinxs. I was able to find a sense of community within people in my culture which allowed me to relate with them in ways I couldn’t really do with others. I found many other Chicanos and Chicanas who had the same problems as me, allowing me to form bonds with them. If I didn’t have all this in my life, I don’t think I would have been so passionate and proud of my ethnic background as I am today.”

Maya Villalpando

What do you identify as ethnically?

“I identify ethnically as half white and half Mexican.”

Are there any special holidays relating to your culture that you celebrate and would love to share?

“One holiday that I really enjoyed was the Day of the Virgin of Guadalupe. While this was a more religious holiday, it was still very fun to me. I remember waking up super early in the morning around 5 A.M. or so, and going to church with my dad. They would hold a short mass talking about the background of this day and how a man named Juan Diego had an encounter with the Virgin Mary twice. I remember afterward, dancers would come inside the church and then lead the church-goers outside, and [then] they would perform a traditional Aztec dance. I remember drinking hot chocolate and being mesmerized by the bells and trinkets wrapped around the dancer’s ankles. The dancing would continue until the sun came up and then we would all go back to our cars and go back home. I don’t know why, but I’ve always loved this holiday even though I’m not as religious as I used to be.”

Is there any specific aspect or tradition of your culture that holds a special place in your heart? Why?

“I guess one special aspect of my culture that holds a special place in my heart is how much family is valued and caring for one another. I remember every time I came to visit my abuelo and abuela, they would always be ecstatic, and my abuela would always pinch my cheek and talk about how big I was getting. She would always cook food for us every time we came to visit, and my abuelo would ask how I was doing in school. Whenever someone gets sick in the family or something happens, people are always concerned and make sure they get better. People work hard for their families to make sure they are having a good life. I think that’s a very special part of my culture.”

What makes your culture unique in your opinion?

“I think what makes my culture unique is probably how colorful and beautiful the art is, from dancing, music, pottery, literature, paintings—just everything really. When you come to Mexico, you see all the vendors trying to get tourists to buy art, because they know it will attract them. I’ve always admired Mexican art.”

What would you say is the most commonly held misconception about people of your culture?

“The most commonly held misconception would probably be that we are lazy. I feel exactly the opposite about this. I feel that people work so hard just to provide for their family and their lives.”

Are there any final thoughts, opinions, or experiences relating to your ethnic background that you’d love to share?

“I have always had mixed feelings about my ethnic background. Sometimes, I feel like I’m not Mexican enough and [sometimes I feel] that I’m too white. I’ve always passed as white, so people always assume I’m white—except for my last name. I’ve had people guess that I’m Italian or even Hawaiian for some reason—just based on my looks and my last name. However, I keep in touch with my culture always, and I think that I’m alright with being biracial.”

Gonzalo Alvarado

What do you identify as ethnically?

“I identify [as] Latino.”

Are there any special holidays relating to your culture that you celebrate and would love to share?

“Some holidays that we celebrate that are special to my culture is All Saints Day, where we celebrate our relatives that have passed.”

Is there any specific aspect or tradition of your culture that holds a special place in your heart? Why?

“Some special aspects of my culture that hold a special place for me is how we are all family oriented. All [of] the Latin community is like that.”

What makes your culture unique in your opinion?

“What makes my culture unique is that we celebrate things that other cultures don’t—like a quince, saint days, and more.”

What would you say is the most commonly held misconception about people of your culture?

“I think that most misconceptions about my people and the culture is that we are [associated with] crimes, which is false. We are all hardworking, and we work for everything we have. We’ve earned what we have.”

Ashanti Ambriz

What do you identify as ethnically?

“I identify myself as Latina due to my Spanish origins.”

Are there any special holidays relating to your culture that you celebrate and would love to share?

“A special holiday relating to the Hispanic culture would be Día de Los Muertos. Even if our family members who passed away are not here with us, we’re able to acknowledge all the memorable moments we once had with them. We usually have photos of those who passed away and put out favorite foods and drinks of the one being honored to have a sense of them still being with us as one would when they were alive. To add on, ‘Dia de Los Angelitos’ is also special because this one focuses more on the children who have passed away.”

Is there any specific aspect or tradition of your culture that holds a special place in your heart? Why?

“A specific tradition that holds a special place would probably be ‘Las Posadas.’ It's celebrated about 9 days before Christmas. [Oh, and it’s] more of a religion lesson in Latin culture! We learn a lot about the story about Joseph and Mary on their journey before Jesus was born, and family members usually act it out, and it's one big play. Along with that, there's also a feast of traditional foods.”

What makes your culture unique in your opinion?

“I would definitely have to say Quinceñeras adds something unique to our culture, because it marks an important part of a girl's life. It’s seen as a young girl entering womanhood, [and it’s] both a religious and social event. All the people gather at church, and once the ceremony is over they go out and have fun. The people coming together to celebrate, the music playing, as well as what it symbolizes makes it unique to me. Family is always coming together no matter what. We’re very united.”

What would you say is the most commonly held misconception about people of your culture?

“According to our current president, our culture is full of drug lords and rapists, but that could not be further from the truth. Our Latinx community is very hard-working, loving, and accepting. And everything Latinos have been put through has made us a very empathetic community. Another misconception could be that all Latinos are poor and uneducated, or not trained as well as others. Many Hispanic workers are talented in many different aspects, but they don’t officially qualify for better positions due to the lack of formal education. Yes, many come here for better opportunities. Therefore many should see that there's a difference between getting formal education and occupational training.”

A Note from the Team: Thank you to everyone who participated in our Latinx Student Interviews series! For the entire Deadline team, this has been an amazing and educating experience, and we hope to continue segments similar to this in the future.