It’s unfortunate to encounter others who express shock about your racial, ethnic, and/or cultural identity, so they make insensitive statements.

Sound Familiar?

“But you don’t look Latina.”

Hmmmm….really? What exactly is the “Latina” look? Don’t be fooled by the same images you constantly see of Latinas in the media. There is no one particular physical appearance. Latinas actually come in different shades, have different hair textures, and have different physical characteristics. It is offensive to question ones identity because you aren’t aware of our diversity.

“Is that your biological mother or father? You look different.”’

Wow! Why would you ask that? That’s kind of personal. Just because your biological mother or father may not share the exact same physical features as you, doesn’t mean you aren’t related by blood. Perhaps you should travel to Latin America; you will see people in the same family that range in many beautiful skin tones, eye colors, hair textures, etc. 

“You must be mixed because you are definitly not Latina!.”

Get over it! You must remember that there is diversity in being Latina. Whether you are a light, fair, medium, or dark-skinned Latina, your ancestry could reflect Spanish, African, Indigenous, European, Asian, as well as other groups.  

“Why do you speak Spanish? How do you know the language?”