Not Mexican or American Enough: Bicultural Identity Struggles | Ranchel Alvarado | TEDxSHSU

Summary

The speaker shares their journey as a Mexican-American, navigating the complexities of a bicultural identity. They recount struggles with racial and ethnic categorization, feeling not Mexican enough in Mexico or American enough in the U.S., and the hurtful comments that made them question their belonging. The narrative shifts to embracing both cultures, appreciating their traditions and histories, and finding empowerment in not internalizing others' comments. The message is one of self-acceptance and the importance of honoring one's cultural roots, concluding with the affirmation that one's bicultural identity is enough.

Takeaways

• 🌐 The speaker grew up in a bicultural household, feeling both proud and confused by their Mexican-American identity.
• 📝 Difficulty in identifying with a single race category on forms, as there was no option for Latino or Hispanic, led to a sense of non-existence.
• 🤔 The struggle of being bicultural is highlighted by the feeling of not being Mexican enough or American enough, depending on the context.
• 🗣️ The speaker's accent in Mexico marked them as American, leading to being called 'gringo' or 'americana', despite not appearing white.
• 👥 Family advice to hide the American part by speaking English in Mexico was confusing and went against embracing a blended identity.
• 🇺🇸 In the U.S., the speaker experienced a decline in Spanish fluency, which was tied to feelings of shame and guilt for losing cultural ties.
• 💔 Being told to 'go back to where you came from' by a rude customer was hurtful and made the speaker feel un-American.
• 🌟 The quote from the Selena movie encapsulates the Mexican-American experience of never being enough of either culture.
• 💪 The speaker overcame feelings of inadequacy by embracing both cultures, appreciating traditions, food, music, and history.
• 🚫 Learning not to internalize negative comments from others was crucial in valuing personal and cultural identity.
• 🗣️ Sharing experiences and talking about the bicultural journey can be empowering and helpful for those facing similar struggles.
• 🌈 The realization that being bicultural is an asset, and that one's identity is formed by the cultures they belong to, is key to feeling complete.

Q & A

What is the main theme of the script?

The main theme of the script is the speaker's struggle with and eventual acceptance of their bicultural identity as a Mexican-American.

How does the speaker describe their family background?

The speaker grew up in a bicultural household with their mom, dad, and older sister. Their mom was born in Matamoros, Mexico, and their dad was born in Brownsville, Texas but raised in Matamoros. The speaker and their sister were born and raised in Houston, Texas.

What difficulties did the speaker face regarding their race and ethnicity on school forms?

The speaker was perplexed by the race and ethnicity categories on school forms, as there was no option for Latino or Hispanic. They had to choose 'white' or 'other,' neither of which felt accurate or representative of their identity.

How did the speaker's bicultural identity affect their sense of belonging?

The speaker often felt that they didn't belong to either culture fully. In Mexico, they were seen as American and in the U.S., they sometimes felt they weren't American enough. This led to feelings of confusion and not fitting in.

What specific experiences highlighted the speaker's identity struggles?

Experiences included being called 'gringo' in Mexico, being told to speak English by their family to hide their American accent, and an incident with an older white lady at a grocery store who told them to 'go back to where you came from.'

How did the speaker's language skills impact their cultural ties?

As the speaker became more Americanized, their fluency in Spanish declined, which made them feel sad and ashamed, feeling as if they were losing an important part of their cultural identity.

What coping strategies did the speaker develop to embrace their bicultural identity?

The speaker embraced both cultures by appreciating their traditions, food, music, and art. They learned not to internalize negative comments from others and felt empowered to share their experiences and learn from others' bicultural journeys.

What quote from the 'Selena' movie resonated with the speaker?

The quote 'we gotta be more Mexican than the Mexicans and more American than the Americans, both at the same time, we never seem to be enough' resonated with the speaker as it accurately described their experience of living between two cultures.

How did the speaker's perspective on their bicultural identity change over time?

Over time, the speaker became more motivated to embrace and find value in both cultures. They stopped letting outsiders' opinions define them and actively sought to connect with and appreciate both sides of their identity.

What message does the speaker convey at the end of their speech?

The speaker conveys that people with bicultural identities are enough as they are. They encourage others to embrace and love all aspects of their cultures and to create healthy boundaries between them to fill any feelings of inadequacy.