Identity

When I discussed with Lisa the feedback of my concept testing, she introduced me to the concept of Intersectionality, coined by black feminist scholar Kimberlé Williams Crenshaw, and there it was. The AHA! Moment! This was the last piece that would make it all come together: my journey, what I want to do, what I want my impact to be.

Turns out it was all about identity, how it’s built not only on what we think of ourselves, but also on how other people think about us, how it changes, and the effect it has on how we see other people and interact with them.

Before, I didn’t want to be identified as Latina, but people in the US identified me as Latina. Back in Colombia, it was not a relevant form of categorization, but here in the US, it is. It was hard for me to empathize with the Latino community in the US because I saw them as different from me and, in a way, harmful for my interests. Back in Colombia, this wasn’t very important, because my main classification characteristic was social class, and I was part of the elite. But here in NYC, I couldn’t do that anymore.

I got out of my comfort zone, I met new people, I learned from them, I questioned what I believed, and that is why my percepcion about all of this has changed. That is why today I identify as Latina, I’m proud of it, I celebrate my culture, and I advocate for us.

My identity changed, and I acknowledge how important it is to understand how other people see me, not using that to try and fit in, but as a way to advocate for me and for an inclusive society.