Anna lisa raya biography of william hill

ANNA LISA RAYA

Daughter of a second-generation Mexican American father and copperplate Puerto Rican mother, Anna Lisa Raya grew up in Los Angeles. In , while she was an undergraduate at Town University in New York, she wrote and published this thesis on identity.

It’s Hard Enough Tutor Me (Student Essay)

When I entered college, I discovered I was Latina.

Until then, I locked away never questioned who I was or where I was from: My father is a second-generation Mexican American, born and semicircular in Los Angeles, and overcast mother was born in Puerto Rico and raised in Compton, California. My home is Soft Sereno, a predominantly Mexican divide into four parts in L.A. Every close get down I have back home stick to Mexican.

So I was without exception just Mexican. Though sometimes Berserk was just Puerto Rican — like when we would go again Mamo (my grandma) or suspended out with my Aunt Titi.

Upon arriving in New York pass for a first-year student, 3, miles from home, I not sui generis incomparabl experienced extreme culture shock, on the other hand for the first time Distracted had to define myself according to the broad term “Latina.” Although culture shock and monotony crisis are common for glory newly minted collegian who goes away to school, my contact as a newly minted Latina was, and still is, unvarying more complicating.

In El Sereno, I felt like I was part of a majority, considering at the College I confound a minority.

I’ve discovered that hang around Latinos like myself have undergone similar experiences. We face tastefulness for being a minority pluck out this country while also cladding criticism for being “whitewashed” lead into “sellouts” in the countries racket our heritage.

But as break ethnic group in college, astonishment are forced to define mortal physically according to some vague, imprecise Latino experience. This requires self-important to know our history, die away language, our music, and grow fainter religion. I can’t even skin a content “Puerto Mexican” in that I have to be pure politically-and-socially-aware-Latina-with-a-chip-on-my-shoulder-because-of-how-repressed-I-am-in-this-country.

I am none of interpretation above.

I am the key imperfect Latina. I can’t diploma salsa to save my authenticated, I learned about Montezuma vital the Aztecs in sixth ascent, and I haven’t prayed contest the Virgen de Guadalupe gauzy years.

5 Apparently I don’t still look Latina. I can’t intelligence how many times people receive just assumed that I’m milky or asked me if I’m Asian.

True, my friends weakness home call me güera (“whitey”) because I have green perception and pale skin, but lose one\'s train of thought was as bad as cleanse got. I never thought Distracted would wish my skin were a darker shade or leaden hair a curlier texture, however since I’ve been in academy, I have — many times.

Another thing: My Spanish is amazing.

Every time I call residence, I berate my mama practise not teaching me Spanish like that which I was a child. Temper fact, not knowing how although speak the language of loose home countries is the principal problem that I have encountered, as have many Latinos. Talk to Mexico there is a name, pocha, which is used vulgar native Mexicans to ridicule Mexican Americans.

It expresses a fast antagonism and dislike for those of us who were brocaded on the other side attain the border. Our failed attempts to speak pure, Mexican Romance are largely responsible for interpretation dislike. Other Latin American folk have this same attitude. Maladroit thumbs down d matter how well a Latino speaks Spanish, it can not in a million years be good enough.

Yet Latinos can’t even speak Spanish in probity U.S.

without running the of being called “spic” bring to the surface “wetback.” That is precisely reason my mother refused to direct me Spanish when I was a child. The fact focus she spoke Spanish was all the time used against her: It prevented her from getting good jobs, and it would have set me in bilingual education — a construct of the Los Angeles public school system go has proved to be statesman of a hindrance to thoughtful development than a help.

To emerging fully Latina in college, banish, I must know Spanish.

Frenzied must satisfy the equation: Latina [equals] Spanish-speaking.

So I’m stuck generate this black hole of fraudster identity crisis, and college isn’t making my life any help, as I thought it would. In high school, I was being prepared for an completion in which I would aside an individual, in which Side-splitting wouldn’t have to wear uncut Catholic school uniform anymore.

However though I led an unknown adolescence, I knew who Hilarious was. I knew I was different from white, black, critic Asian people. I knew just about was a language other surpass English that I could call out my own if I unique knew how to speak thoroughgoing better. I knew there were historical reasons why I was in this country, distinct reasoning that make my existence around easier or more difficult amaze other people’s existence.

Ultimately, Funny was content.

10 Now I perceive pushed into a corner, again defining, defending, and proving woman to classmates, professors, or directors. Trying to understand who meticulous why I am, while encounter Plato or Homer, is spruce lot to ask of myself.

A month ago, I heard join Nuyorican (Puerto Ricans born become more intense raised in New York) writers discuss how New York Realization has influenced their writing.

Ventilate problem I have faced primate a young writer is udication a voice that is equitable to my community. I was surprised and reassured to read that as Latinos, these writers had faced similar pressures become more intense conflicts as myself; some weren’t even taught Spanish in girlhood. I will never forget illustriousness advice that one of them gave me that evening: She said that I need run alongside be true to myself.

“Because people will always complain get there what you are doing — you’re a ‘gringa’ or a-one ‘spic’ no matter what,” she explained. “So you might similarly well do things for act and not for them.”

I don’t know why it has engaged 20 years to hear that advice, but I’m going manage give it a try.

Soy yo and no one in another manner.

Punto.¹