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Happy National Hispanic Heritage Month! As we celebrate, I reflect on what is being celebrated: independence, legacy and identity. As far as my own identity, I grew up, like many Puerto Ricans, hearing the poems and songs that claim that somewhere in our DNA, we are all Black.
As a Latina woman, I have learned to embrace that I am Black, Indigenous and Puerto Rican. No matter how many times people look at me as if I’m crazy, being Latin@ means we are more than one thing. We are not exempt from the prejudices that come with these identities.
Not until we fill out the U.S. census form are we forced to look at these nuances. Some resist while others argue. My friend Janice shared her frustration over a plate of mofongo the other day: “I don’t know what to put down. I’m not black or white; I’m brown.”
During this month of heritage and celebration, I invite you to explore with your loved ones the “both/ands” of your own identity.
This message is excerpted from “The beauty and tragedy of the mestizaje mindset” by Kristina Diaz in the September 14, 2025, blog of the Women of the ELCA. Today is the first day of National Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15-October 15) in the United States.