As a Puerto Rican, I feel connected to my culture and tradition. My time in America has allowed me to appreciate the differences of the people around me. At that same time, though, I realized that the world we’re maturing in is being filled with discrimination that only tries to merge everyone into one homogeneous identity.

No upsurge of hate could ever prepare me for the sting of being reduced to a single idea, almost seeming as if my entire identity could be melted down and discarded. 

I stem from a small, lively island that sits in the middle of the Caribbean; where the temperature is almost always warm, the roads roll over mountains, and the sea breezes sing a tune to my ears. I called Puerto Rico my home for a couple of years before my departure to the U.S.

It’s safe to say I have always grown in diverse spaces. Despite this factor, I still tend to find myself generalized, moreover stereotyped. Being a Latin American woman in a world filled with negativity and discrimination is difficult. I often wonder why people feel the need to change me, flooding my ears with insulting Hispanic stereotypes.

I’m sure every Latinx or Hispanic has been pestered for their origin or conventionally generalized because of the language they speak. I have my own experience walking through the halls and overhearing offensive comments. Some students will ask, “Oh, you’re Hispanic?” and follow the question with a generalized joke.

These derogatory ideas are spewed constantly. One idea that absolutely irks me is the claim that everyone who is Hispanic/Latinx is automatically from one specific country. Latinos all look different; what people need to consider is that it isn’t about where we come from,

It’s about the discrimination taking place because of where we come from, that we all get combined into one identity as if we aren’t individuals of our own.

I hear countless people combining all nationalities from around the world, then treating these accusations and assumptions as some sort of hoax. 

What people do not realize is the number of innovations (not just Latinos) and other diverse cultures that have been offered to the world. We can thank diversity for structures, math, music, literature, societies, and so much more. I question why we destroy or put down the building blocks of our nation. 

These derogative callouts (especially as a Puerto Rican) make it nearly impossible to discuss my own origin or travel. I’ve had conversations regarding U.S. travel/identification, which were followed by the question, “Have you acquired your green card yet?”

I still ponder what was so humorous about my personal departure. I’m entitled to the joy of leisure as well as the next American citizen. That being said, Puerto Rico is a U.S. territory, making us U.S. citizens alike. The ignorance of others fuels this mistreatment.

Even with that factor, people treat me as if I don’t belong. They’re trying to differentiate us as if we aren’t kilometers away. 

I constantly see people of  Latin or Hispanic origin hide their identities to avoid getting discriminated against. It makes me truly question how my generation (gen-z) has been so prone to excessively create prejudiced labels to culture, ethnicity, origin, and stereotypes as if it’s some sort of funny joke. 

I find multiple teenagers specifically associating all Hispanics with non-English speakers who have a heavy accent, associating Asian citizens as top A+ students and initiating them all to one culture, and associating non-Hispanic people of color as ghetto and disruptive. 

In my eyes, I rapidly see the world hate itself; It doesn’t make sense. We’re disrespecting each other at a time and consuming the negativity that falls off of everyone. We are all different, different religions, cultures, ethnicities, and origins. 

I adore my homeland, despite what people tell me to believe. No amount of hate could tarnish my love for my island, which expresses itself: through dance, food, language, and art. In fact, growing up with others who’ve never experienced my roots only makes me want to share that experience with them more. 

I cannot say the same for my peers. I only wish we could learn to love one another and appreciate the diversity in every corner of the world.