On paper, Cecilia is an ordinary Latina. She was born and raised in Peru, given a common Latin Catholic name, and raised speaking Spanish. Her eyes and hair are long and dark, and yet when Cecilia—now a University of Texas at Austin student—attends a Latino sponsored party, she is the only one who fails to [...]

Religion can be a touchy subject, but many Latinos are no strangers to religion. Sometimes it can be difficult to separate cultural traditions from religious celebrations. For example, quinceañeras are a popular tradition in the Latina culture. The core of the quinceañera tradition is rooted in church service by marking the transition from niña to señorita as well [...]

For most of my life, I assumed I was white because I was only looking at the color of my skin. People even called me “white girl” because I had no accent and looked, well, “white” to them. I even remember the time a group of Hispanic girls formed a circle around me and called [...]

In the diverse world we live in, there is a need to know more than one language, or at least the ability to be able to hold a conversation in a language other than your native tongue. In the United States, for example, Spanish is the second most common language and in some parts it’s [...]

Marie Hernandez has lived 10 miles away from Mexico her whole life. Growing up bilingual, Hernandez says sometimes she dreams in both Spanish and English. Chelsie Torres, who also grew up close to the Mexican- American border, said she’d rather speak English. David Gamboa said growing up with Spanish-speaking parents made it hard for him to understand [...]

How do you represent your Latina culture when the native Spanish language does not run through your mouth? Last names such as Chavez, Diaz and Garcia are daily pronounced in a wide variety of accents– some emphasize “ía” while others smoothly articulate the way they roll their “r.”  While bilingualism is a common expectation in [...]

I’m a good girl, right? This is the question that many girls ask themselves frequently. For centuries, women have made an effort to adapt to society’s standards on manners, behavior and appearance. Both men and women try to conform to society’s expectations. The difference is that women have done it to gain acceptance and avoid [...]

By Elvia Navarette Carefully placing her deceased father’s framed portrait on a round table covered with a Spanish style tablecloth, Lorena Andrade neatly arranged his favorite things such as the sugar cane, bananas, tunas and lemons and a Coca Cola glass bottle. “With the candles and the scent of the flowers they can find you,” [...]

By: Marlett Mojica In Mexico, families always stay together and are very close.  Another thing about the Mexican culture is that it keeps the Mariachis alive. People around the world enjoy listening to their music. Mariachis mostly play at birthday parties or in a big celebration. Other than the music being heard. Another part of [...]

For years, Latinas have worked hard to break beauty barriers in the U.S. Now that we have managed to forge our own identity in American society, a part of me is thrilled with what Latinas have achieved and the role models that are now available for many young girls. On the other hand, I can’t [...]