Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month As A First-Gen Afro-Dominicano
Dominicans say “Cójelo con take it easy” instead of saying “Don’t worry.”, and I think that’s beautiful.
As Hispanic Heritage Month (HMM) comes to a close, I find myself reflecting on my own experience embracing the various ways I can identify and celebrate my heritage in the United States, including being Dominican, Hispanic, Latino, Latinx, Afro-Latino, Black, and multiracial.
In my previous blog post, My Hispanic Heritage, I detailed my family’s journey of immigrating to the United States from the Dominican Republic, and my deep connection with both my Spanish and African heritage. However, I neglected to add that growing up in the U.S., I don’t recall celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month or being celebrated for my heritage.
For many non-Hispanics, the demographic terms “Hispanic” and “Latino” may seem interchangeable, and they often, think that we all share the same culture. This couldn’t be further from the truth. While we may share the same base language of Spanish, Hispanics are comprised of individuals stemming from twenty-one Spanish-speaking countries across the Americas and Spain. Each country of origin shares its own unique dialect, jargon, celebrations, music, food, and cultura.
