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Breanna Macias
English 115
Professor Lawson
10 December 2016
Identity Essay: Final Draft
Words: 1,064
My Looks Do Not Define Who I am
We live in a society with different ethnicities, religions, genders, and sexualities. We all
create stereotypes based on what we see, hear, feel, and experience. Being surrounded by a
variety of options to identify ourselves with may be confusing. Ultimately, an individual has their
own way of identifying who he or she truly is, but others may not see it this way and make
assumptions. When a person discovers their truest self, regardless of what others think, it will
help shape their identity. Born and raised in the United States, I identify myself as being part of
Hispanic culture as its tradition, music, literature, food among other things has been a part of my
life ever since I was a little girl.
It is important to mention that a person should not be defined by the way he or she looks,
speaks, or dresses. Our society is filled with vast numbers of stereotypes that are given by
ignorant people about how people of certain appearance should belong to certain cultures. I have
been categorized as being of a certain ethnicity/culture that I am not a part of based on my
appearance. The question I get asked frequently when meeting new people is Are you Asian?
They are always surprised to find out that I am not. Certain aspects of my appearance,
specifically the shape of my eyes, could be seen as being of Asian origin. During my senior year
of high school a few of my peers would give me narrow-minded remarks about my appearance

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that would make me feel uncomfortable as they were based on stereotypes of Asian culture. I
would always try to inform them that they were wrong to say these things as they were hurtful
and insulting. Others made assumptions that I am a part of the Asian culture based on my
appearance, but it is wrong because it is a form of discrimination. I do not belong to the Asian
culture I belong to the Hispanic culture.
When people think of Hispanics and the culture associated with them, they automatically
think of stereotypes and negative connotations that have been presented by the media. Drug
dealers, gang members, rapists, uneducated laborers trying to steal jobs to others we seem to
cause the most trouble, but we are just like everyone else. We deserve to be respected because we
are humans too. Being a part of the Hispanic culture has shaped me because it helped me
understand the struggles my family has been through and to take advantage of the opportunities
that are given to me. My grandfather always tells me, Mija, be proud of who you are. I am
proud of who I am and the culture I belong to because there is so much to admire and learn from.
Learning how to speak Spanish at a young age was a challenge for me because words were
pronounced differently. Even though I struggled, I had my mother, grandparents, aunts, and
uncles to teach me the correct way. My family has taught me to value everything in life my
ethnicity plays a huge role in my identity because it represents who I am.
Instead of living the American Dream, I am living the Mexican Dream because I
experience every Hispanic tradition and holiday. My grandparents are traditional as they were
born and raised in Mexico. They have taught me important aspects and traditions of their culture.
My grandmother made sure that I understood why specific foods were made on certain
occasions. My family celebrated various Hispanic holidays, but the one I remember the most was
Mexican Independence Day. My family would get together at my grandparents house to

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celebrate their independence. What I love about this celebration is that every single-family
member would bring a traditional plate. I was surrounded by different kinds of dishes: tamales,
enchiladas, pozole, (pork soup), bistec con chile (steak with red chile), rice, beans, and chiles
rellenos (poblano chiles stuffed with cheese or meat). Seeing all the traditional food place upon
the table looked like a buffet. Being involved in these celebrations made me realize how
important they are to me and my family. I will continue to celebrate Hispanic traditions because
they will always be carried on with me.
A person should not be defined by the music he or she listens to either. There are many
different music genres to listen to and each has their own cultural identity associated with it, but
what I listen to the most is Spanish music: rock n roll, banda (band), and hip hop. It reminds me
of driving around my grandparents pueblo (town) or sitting outside of my uncles ranch.
Whenever I listen to my favorite rock n roll artist, Alejandra Guzman, her music puts me in
such a good mood. when I attended my first concert, it was for one of my favorite bands, Banda
MS for me, it was like being at Coachella. I sang until my voice was gone and I danced all
night.
In the eyes of others, we may be ignorant, but we are humans who are proud of their
culture and we embrace it. We celebrate our cultural traditions with our families to create
memorable moments. Our physical appearance should not say that we are not uneducated
individuals who want to take jobs, we are hard-working individuals just like anyone else. The
music we listen to should not categorize us as drug dealers. The negative connotations will not
affect me now nor in the future because they are false statements that do not define the culture or
the people. Regardless of what others may think of me, the Hispanic cultural traditions, music,

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literature, food and the other qualities of the culture define who I am. Our society needs to accept
us as who we are and not discriminate.
The society we live in contains a multitude of individuals with different identities and
cultures. One must not be identified based on their religion, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, or
appearance; we must accept everyone for who they are and not be biased or judgmental.
Although, I have been confused with an ethnicity that I am not a part of. Living in this society, I
have identified myself as belonging to the Hispanic community and culture, both of which has
made me the person I am today.

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