Hispanic Culture Reflection Paper

I am a part of the Hispanic culture that is so often overlooked and disrespected. From the media and my peers, I learned what society has expected of me from a young age. In my seventeen years, I have been classified as ignorant, lazy, and told that I had no future ahead of me. These stereotypes have only further motivated me to prove that what is portrayed about Hispanics, is not true.
I was ten years old when I realized that through the eyes of my peers, my skin tone was supposed to determine my friends, clothing, and the grades I was supposed to receive. However, I did not let that decide who I would become; I made it a goal of mine to prove those who assumed Hispanics were ignorant, wrong. This fueled me to face that these stereotypes

were not going to vanish overnight and that it was up to me to decide if I would let those stereotypes be true about myself. It soon became clear to me what being a part of the Mexican American culture really entailed. It is about taking pride in working hard for what I want, even when thousands of other people are doubting me. But most importantly, taking pride in myself because I did not get to choose what skin I was born in.
My path to self-acceptance was a struggle, as I doubted my own capabilities as I entered high school. I questioned if I was even good enough to be in some of the classes that I was placed in. I reminded myself that if I worked hard enough, I too can be just as successful as anyone else. Even though I have come to embrace my true self through these lessons, one that I take great pride in is that I have become confident and thick-skinned.
I am proud to have had the privilege to be born a Mexican American. It has molded me into a person that at ten years old, I would not have imagined. I have learned that it is never okay to doubt yourself just because of your background and that anyone is capable of success. I have thrived from this lesson as I strive to prove those who have doubted me along the way wrong.