Noelle wrote on 04/21/10 4:19 PM

Latino to me has no singular meaning- it means everything! Being latina is just the summary of myself, the culmunation of my spicy personality & my valued opinions, my strength as an independant woman, and the family and friends who are the center of my life, with the culture that reminds me to stay grounded through all the tribulations I experience. You cannot simply describe what Latino means, it is something that you live, that I live every day with a smile on my face.

adriana sosa wrote on 04/21/10 4:21 PM

i believe being latino is a great thing. we have a little bit of each culture in us. from the dancing to the music its all great. being latino means representing flavor, representing respect. we have great leaders of our own such as cesar chavez to celia cruz, emilio zapata to selena. its an honor to be a latino also because of the food. we got so many flavor our food for sure satisfy anyone. visit mexico and you fall in love with it, from its beaches as acalpuco to its forrest of veracruz. being a latina is more than a word, its a sense of accomplishment, knowing that many generations have made it to the usa to give me a better uture and now i pay them back by becoming something in this world.being latina is bieng Lovable Admirable Talented Inpsiring Noble Authentic.

eymy murillo wrote on 04/21/10 4:36 PM

how do i register so i can have a chance to win

lilly andrade wrote on 04/21/10 5:01 PM

for me being Latino means something more then what people think, for me it means that my parents risked crossing the border at a young age while my mom was pregnant with my older sister for us to live a better place and time, every time they tell me that story, i always think about maybe one day i can accomplish something for my parents to be proud of, only because I'm Latino doesn't mean i cant make it in life like what people portray. i try my hardest in everything i do, many Latinos in generations before me made it like Selena to Cesar Chavez and they made a difference in the world whether it was from dancing and dancing to who someone made a difference in his march, either way it touched a lot of people and they still follow their example to this day. for me Latino means determination, respect, love and having the heart and time to make a difference. no matter what people say Latino doesn't mean the wonderful food we have, or the ethnicity we have, being Latino means believing in what u believe and never give up because if u work for it then u get your goal that u have set. that's what being latino mean to me in my mind and heart.

tanya muniz wrote on 04/21/10 8:32 PM

te me bieng latina means being proud of who you are no matter what people say cause no one should just let other peopl talk down on them you should always standd up for what u beilve in even your race some people think just because they are a certain race like latino they cant do much but we can do more. being latina is a great thing and nothing to be ashamed of be proud of who you are. we are fighters and believers.we love respect greast dancing and amazing food that everyone loves so much we are the people and we stand proud for those who dont!!!!!

christy hall wrote on 04/21/10 8:37 PM

I myself am italian, but my children are half latino. I love everything about the culture-- the food is awsome, espacially the men lol. Dancing to latin music is my favorite. My kids even love it. I have to say la la your one of my favorites, I even got ma moms listening to you !!! much love always.

Julia A. Pereira wrote on 04/21/10 10:59 PM

Being Latino. Its hard to put my finger right on it, and I think that's a good thing. It's something special about us. Being Latino is not just the blood that flows through your viens, it's not just a lable. It's a legacy that each and every one of us carry in our hearts. It's passed on from parents to children through stories, customs food, dance, history and everyday life. Our culture is so rich. Latinos have everything when it comes to music! Cumbias to salsa, merengue to mariachi, our own folkloric dances and hip hop scenes. We are a mix of peoples, indigenous, African and Spanish. Our history is so rich and we have made so many contributions in agriculuture, science, and mathematics. We are united through a language, an unbreakable bond....And the food! Menudo, mofongo, tacos, tostones, you name it. On a more serious note. We have struggles and have overcome many of them. Still, everyday, many of us face discrimination and opression. Racism bleeds society but will not taint our pride. Because the pride we have in knowing where we came from, and who we are will help us overcome these struggles. In conclusion, being Latina is celebrating who we are, who we will always be, and proudly carrying that legacy of our beautiful heritage to pass on for generations to come. -I got brains, beauty, guts and ganas, even better when its mixed with sangre Mexicana :)

itzel wrote on 04/21/10 11:12 PM

Being Latina. . .hmm being Latina can mean many different things to me. First of all it means the way I am, my culture, background, my family and my race. My race and culture are very important because that’s where I come from, where my ancestors are from. I grew up in Mexico but I don’t live there anymore I moved when I was 6 out here to California and it wasn’t easy adapting to the new place and language. Its hard growing up as "foreigners" (even though California was Mexican territory). But I am happy that the Latino community is known to work hard for our families well-being, education and rights. I am proud of my heritage, my heritage means a lot to me because with out it I think I would be nothing but a simple person. I thank my culture for everything they have done for without them I don’t think I would be here right now. I am happy to know that we earned what we have with honesty by working hard and keeping our head up, we don’t miss a day of work even if we're sick, we'll go to work even if its raining, sleeting or hailing, using everything we got and we'll throw our backs out if it means that we get at least a cent richer knowing in our hearts that we are doing it to support our families and friends and their future, trying everyday to be better even if the odds are against us proving everyone that says we cant wrong. Our raza is strong and proud we have a great background with some of the most honored and recognized people. Like LaLa said "MI BARRIO ES MI FAMILIA". Another thing is the music! our music is heard around the world, plus we got so many different types of music that a person at least has to like one genre whether its reaggeton, corridos, salsa, nortenas or durangense among many others. I can go on and on but all i can say is I AM VERY PROD TO BE LATINA... VIVA LA RAZA!!! :) like my homeboy sleepy says: "BROWN BY HONOR, PROUD BY CHOICE!"

PATRICK "SLEEPY" HOLGUIN wrote on 04/21/10 11:38 PM

TO ME BEING LATINO CAN MEAN MANY DIFFERENT THINGS. WELL FIRST OF ALL BEING LATINO IS BEING MY RACE KNOWING MY CULTURE AND SHOWING LOVE AND RESPECT TO WHO AND WHAT I AM. FOR ME GROWING UP AS A MEXICAN PUERTO RICAN AND CUBAN IT WAS HARD BECAUSE SOME PEOPLE TREATED ME DIFFERENT. I NEVER REALLY CARED BECAUSE I WAS PROUD THAT I WAS LATINO AND NOT WHAT THEY WERE BECAUSE BEING LATINO IS AN HONOR TO ME. MY SAYIN IS "BROWN BY HONOR PROUD BY CHOICE!". GROWING UP AS A LATINO WAS HARD BECAUSE MOST PEOPLE SEE LATINOS AS FOREIGNERS. BUT IM PROUD TO SEE THAT THE WORLD HAS COME AROUND AND ACCEPTED THE FACT THAT NO MATTER WHAT THERE WILL ALWAYS BE LATINOS AROUND. BEING LATINO IS ALSO BEING A HARD WORKER, WE WORK FOR WHAT WE BELIEVE IN NO MATTER WHAT THE CIRCUMSTANCES ARE WE WILL WORK HARD FOR WHAT WE DESERVE. BEING LATINO IS JUST ABOUT THE FOOR OR THE GIRLS OR THE MUSIC, ITS ALSO ABOUT YOUR CULTURE YOUR BACKGROUND AND MOST IMPORTANT YOUR HISTORY. LATINOS ARE PROUD OF THERE SELVES LIKE MYSELF BECAUSE WE OVER CAME ALOT AND WE ARE FINALLY BEING ACCEPTED AROUND THE WORLD!!! :) AND AGAIN I SAY IM BROWN BY, PROUD BY CHOICE!!! :)

concepcion wrote on 04/22/10 1:29 PM

love and i am lation ,, for everything like the food,singer like sexy lala,frankie j,mc magic and ect ,families,parties,,, lations make feel home ,, no matter we r broken we r always there for people also rain and shine ,we give flavor touch to everything ,,,, i cant wait to see u again knotts i want vip ,,go lala is the best

Mindy Romero wrote on 04/22/10 1:34 PM

Being latino means a lot to me! :) itz everything i can ask for! i dont care if the gringos make fun of me or dont respect me, i'm still proud to be latina! We latinos get made fun of be we are strong and brave enought to hold in our tears and fight back! We are latinos and we can do wat we want... WE ARE MEXICANS, NOT MEXICAN'TS!!!!!!!!!!!

concepion'''CONNIE''mejia wrote on 04/22/10 2:10 PM

i love lation for its food,poeple,familie, singer like sexy lala,fankie j ,mc magic and more,,we r so partypeoples,,always up read for anything how we got raised up when growing up as a kid love it,,we could speak spanish ans english,,,lations always party to the biggest we never hating our root or forget ,,, i love lations forever,, we have alot nice place that everyone go vist,, when u go to some one house for the first time they make welcome u as they know u forever they r every loving i love u LALA,MC MAGIC, FRANKIE J FOREVER

letty wrote on 04/22/10 3:17 PM

thats sooo cool...great responses>>>your parents must be so proud> thank you for standin proud for your people and sharing your culture with the world.

sonya wrote on 04/23/10 2:44 AM

What does it mean to be Latino? The first thing that comes to my mind is pride "orgullo". Latinos have this sense of pride that is instilled in us because we have a very rich culture. From our very beginnings we are taught hard work pays off. For example, Cesar Chavez he was a migrant farm worker who was jailed many times and went on many hunger strikes because of injustices and with his hard work and strong will he prevailed. That goes to show the will and determination we are brought up to believe in Si, se puede. It is hard for a lot of us to follow our dreams and as Latinos there are some people who would like to see us fail but with the Si, se puede attitude we keep pushing. So basically what it means to be a Latino is to always strive to do your best never given in to failure and always follow your dreams.

jenna wyman aka sad gurl wrote on 04/23/10 6:28 PM

To me being latina is very important its not just about the food the music or the people its about the culture and your history and who you are. I'm proud to be latina and I love who I am. My lil brother is always sayin viva la raza and and brown by honor proud by choice... I agree wit that to the fullest I am proud not because I'm forced to but because I want to. latiNos have a good reputation around the world and I'm proud to say dats my race dats Wat i am! And that's Wat bein latina means to me.

b hernandez wrote on 04/30/10 2:50 PM

being a latina to me is the best feeling in the world . some people have their money , their diamonds &pearls . i would never trade who i am or what i am for anything in this world . everyday i wake , i wake up a proud latina girl . a lot of people don't see the struggles we go through . but they would think twice if they were put in our shoes . everyday , morning &night something prejudice on the news . but it's okay , we'll be alright we've got our families &our friends . latinos stand together , we'll stay strong until the end . i love my culture , the family bonds &the good times we have . the people putting labels on us , are just hating because they're mad . mad because we've got something that they don't . respect , pride , dignity &hope . as long as we have those , our spirits will never be broken . this is how i feel about my culture , heart open . as i finish writing this poem , i hope you've come to see why being latina is so important to me . -britni hernandez

anna jimenez wrote on 05/01/10 6:34 AM

hey, well to me being a LATINO mean to always try to accomplish the impossible if someone tells you that your dreams are impossible and that they will never be reach b/c of the fact that you are LATINO prove them wrong and do anything that it takes to make sure that you will reach your goal!im very pround to bee latina especially now a days that most of our latino brothers and sisters are afraid to say that they are latino b/c they are afraid that someone might asume that they are illegal because of that. i am 15 years old and i didnt have a QINCEANERA party like most of do because my mother didnt have enough money do make me one.. yes its kinda sad que i didnt have one like all of my friends and cousins pero i told my mom to not worry porque she has already gave me the best gift of all which was risking her life to cross the border and walkin for days through the dessert to provide me,my sister,and my brother with a better lifestyle then she had when she was little .....yes my mom is a single mother but that is nothing to be ashamed of because most latinas are and that just show how strong we are that we dont need no ones money or that we dont need a man in our life to be able to race a child. i came to america when i was only 3 years old and yeah i might not know alot of how life is in mexico but i do know that im pround to be a latino and for all those who dont like us and want us to go back from where we came from i juzt what to say "THAT THE HOUSES THEY LIVE IN AND THE BUILDINGS THEY WORK IN AND AND THAT MOST OF THE UNITED STATES WAS BUILD BY LATINOS" so literally we made all of the united states and we still do because we do the hard jobs that no one else wants to do ...and we do it because we are hard working latinos. The latino culture is beautiful the foods and clothing and simpley our cultures are different in every country but they are all beautiful and colorful and they all have a special meaning and when we celebrate them that just shows that we are not embarressed to say that we are latinos. LATINOS we are PROUND.INTELLAGENT.HARDWORKER.ALWAYS TRYIN TO HELP THE NEEDED,ALWAYS TRYING TO PUT SMILE IN YOUR FACE EVEN IF WE CANT LIGHTEN UP OUR LIFE,BEING A LATINO IS EVERYTHING TO ME AND YES IM VERY PROUND DO BE A LATINA EVEN WHEN OTHER PEOPLE CALL ME A "BEANER" "WET BACK" AND ETC. I DONT CARE WHAT PEOPLE SAY ABOUT ME AND THAT JUZT SHOWS THAT THEY HAVE TO MAKE SOMEONE FEEL BAD ABOUT WHERE THEY CAME FROM SO THAT THEY CAN FEEL PROUND OF THEIR RACE. BEING A LATINO REALLY DOSENT HAVE A DEFINITION THAT CAN COVER EVERYTHING THAT WE ARE!EVERY DAY IN THE MORNING I PRAY TO LA VIRGIN DE GUADALUPE TO PROTECT US ALL AND TO LET THE CONGRESS KNOW THAT WE ARE PART OF AMERICA JUST LIKE THEM!I HEAR KIDS AT MY SCHOOL TALK ABOUT MR AND UNDER ESTIMATE ME B/C IM HISPANIC THEY SAY OH MEXICANS ARE ALL STUPID AND THAT THEY NEED TO STOP WASTING THERE TIME IN SCHOOL, ANYWAYS THERE GOING TO END UP WORKING IN A FAST FOOD RESTERAUNT SERVING ME MY FOOD, WELL I JUZT WANT TO SAY THAT THERE IS NOTHING WRONG ABOUT WORKING IN A FAST FOOD PLACE IT IS AN HONEST JOB AND WE ARE JUZT TRYING TO WORK TO BRING MONEY TO OUR FAMILY TO PROVIDE THEM WITH A BETTER LIFE. WELL ANY WAYS I WANT TO MAKE THOSE NEGATIVE STEROTYPES GO AWAY THATS WHY I GO TO SCHOOL EVERY DAY WITH A POSITIVE ATTITUDE AND I GET A'S AND B'S ON MY REPORT CARD WHICH SOMETIMES ARE BETTER GRADE THEN THEY HAVE TO ONLY TO PROVE THEM WRONG BUT TO MAKE MY MOTHER PROUND OF ME AND BECAUSE WELL I GROW UP I WANT TO BE SOMEONE IN LIFE THAT WILL HELP MORE LATINOS TO REACH FOR THERE GOALS IN LIFE! YES IM PROUND TO BE A "WETBACK" A "BEANER" WHAT EVER YOU WANT TO CALL ME YEAH IM PROUND TO BE ALL THAT AND NOBODY CAN EVER CHANGE THAT! IM PROUND TO BE A LATINA!!!!!!!!!!!!! ESTOY ORGULLOSA DE SER LATINA Y ESO NADIEN LO PODRA CAMBIAR NUNCA

hhhhhhh wrote on 07/13/10 3:47 PM

dddddd

serving bowls wrote on 07/30/10 4:46 AM

Hope they can manage more relevant works in the future