I am not a Mexican! Ladies and gentleman, please stop referring to me as Mexican. My name is Phillip Brandel. I am a 22-year-old male born and raised in the South Bronx. I am a descendant of a 100 percent Cuban mother and a 100 percent Israeli father. I am not Mexican.
I listen to “Hispanic” Music that includes artist from Puerto Rico, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Columbia, Spain, and so many more. My recommendation is to listen to some Prince Royce (American-born with Dominican roots), Romeo Santos (American citizen with Dominican and Puerto Rican roots), and Aventura (Dominican and Puerto Rican root band), to name a few. So stop saying I listen to Mexican music!
I eat Latin American-influenced food. This includes arroz con pollo, shrimp paella, platano maduro, sandwich cubano, pernil, and soooo much more. If you want to know what those are, then look them up. Stop saying I eat Mexican food; it’s not all Mexican.
I like drinking mojitos, Coronas, rum, and sangrias. These are Hispanic, not just Mexican, drinks. So stop calling them all Mexican.
Finally, I speak Spanish with other Spanish-speaking people. I don’t speak Mexican and the people I speak Spanish with aren’t always Mexican! The people I speak Spanish with might be Mexican, but they could also be Canadian, Dominican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Venezuelan, Honduran, and African American. Half the time we aren’t even speaking proper Spanish but in fact a dialect of a type of Spanish developed over time in our specific nations. So stop saying we are speaking Mexican and that we are all Mexicans.
This is my message to the non-Latino people: Stop labeling us. Start learning about our heritage and where we are from. I’m tired of having to hide my accent or turn my music down in order to prevent being misplaced or labeled. I’m tired of listening to my people telling me about being oppressed in the classrooms or in dorm rooms. While walking down the hall, I have overheard someone saying, “I can’t believe they let them [dark-skinned Hispanic] in here.” I’ve seen my people get written up just for talking too loud. Well I’m sorry, some Hispanic cultures tend to be more vocal; this is not something bad nor should it be punishable. I’ve been told multiple times to turn my Mexican music off because it’s not welcomed here. The worst part is, my people don’t feel safe enough to properly report these individuals and incidents, due to lack of infrastructure established in this community. There is no one in this community that can relate to our cultural background and safely guide us, besides our peers. I’m telling you, this is not enough!
To my Latino brothers and sisters: don’t be discouraged by our peers; be brave. Stand up for what is right and don’t be afraid to use your Latino voice. Flood this campus with your heritage through art, music, food, poetry, and – most importantly – La Corazón. Make things happen and break those boundaries and labels established before our time. Tell people what you want and strive to make it happen. Remember: Sí se Puede!
My name is Phillip Brandel and I am a senior, majoring in Recreation Adventure Travel and Ecotourism, with a minor in Business Administration. I was born and raised in the South Bronx of New York City. My roots trace back to my Israeli father and Cuban mother. I believe in taking risks and trying everything at least once. In doing so, I’ve learn to love engineering, kayaking, woodworking, stand-up paddle boarding, snowshoeing, traveling, road biking, and trying new things. I’m a big advocate for inclusion, and giving Hispanic people a voice in areas that they normally would not have one.
well done! Spanish-speaking immigrants have contributed a great deal to our nation and enriched it immeasurably. in fact, after the Navajo and the Apache, Spanish speakers were in the Southwest before the pilgrims got to Plymouth Rock. Our nation and economy are stronger because of immigrants who, by the way, have lower crime rates than the rest of the population. It’s shameful some spew lies about these people to gain political power.