Elia Espinosa explores the cultures, the music, the food that makes you who you are.
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by Elia Espinosa
I am blood of my blood and food of all cultures.
I was never a Hispamericana, a Hispanic and American combined. I was born in the dangerous city of Netzahualcoyotl, Mexico. Brought to America by needs. I grew up like most kids in poverty. My family isn’t rich, but we had a rooftop and food on the table. But the beauty of it all was the food. From a savory dish of traditional mole to the finger-licking molotes Mother made. It was the food that brought me closer to my culture every day.
Two double cheeseburgers, a side of salted French fries with a strawberry soda is the American dream.
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Most teens grow accustomed to a different lifestyle. I was brought to Los Angeles, California when I was five and I’ve been here ever since. But I despise change. I hated the language, the people, the school, the city itself, but one thing I didn’t hate was the food. Two double cheeseburgers, a side of salted French fries with a strawberry soda is the American dream. I realized in every each corner there was not only an American restaurant but also a Hispanic restaurant. America had accepted a little bit of my culture, and soon enough I had accepted a little bit of America.
I am a Hispanic by heart and an American by choice. I was born under the red, white and green, yet I represent the red, white and blue. I speak fluent English and Spanish which run through my blood. I savor the beauty of being a born Hispanic becoming a made American. To this day I am both. I eat, I breathe, and I see both the cultures that molded me.
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Photo by Dylan
My wife hates the label “Hispanic” and often asks where Hispania is located on the world map. She’s Mexican, plain and simple. “Hispanic” represents a variety of countries and by clumping them all together, we’re disregarding many heritage. Ou and I know there is a vast difference in the cultures that fall within hat label. Her mother legally came to America as migrant workers. She remembers playing in the fields while her family worked. She has a rich and beautiful culture that has been incorporated in our lives. But when it comes down to it, she’s an American and when… Read more »