Yes! We Are Latinos: Poems and Prose About the Latino Experience
What Makes Someone Latino There are more than fifty million people in the United States who call themselves Latinos or Latinas a population larger than that of many countries Have you ever asked your self what makes someone a Latino Latinos and Latinas come from diverse backgrounds Some are descendants of the first Europeans who settled in what is today the United States Spaniards who created cities like Saint Augustine Florida Santa Fe New Mexico El Paso Texas and Los Angeles California Many descend from fam ilies that lived in Texas Arizona and Colorado when the United States took those territories from Mexico as a war prize Others immigrated to the United States at different times from Spanish-speaking countries Did you know that Latinos and Latinas live in every state They do in both urban and rural areas Some Latinos are highly educated professionals doctors scientists and artists Some are entrepreneurs starting and running their own 6
businesses Others work in farms or factories doing hard manual labor Most Latinos and Latinas have mixed origins they are mestizos whether by blood or by culture Their heritage in cludes roots from indigenous African and Spanish people as well as the many others who have settled in Latin America over centuries This book offers only a sample of what Latinos and Lati nas may look like If you have Latino ancestry it may raise questions about your own rich heritage If you do not have Latino ancestry we hope it will interest you to learn more about Latinas and Latinos May you find wonderful friends among them Whatever your background this book is an invitation to look inside yourself What would your story tell us about you 7
My Name Is Juanita I am Mexican I live in New York I am Latina Get up Juanita levántate m’hija My mother’s voice is impatient Come on it’s getting late I’ll miss my bus I don’t want to upset her so I get up I sit at the table where breakfast is already waiting My brothers devour steaming tortillas and huevos rancheros eggs cooked just as they like them We leave the apartment together Dios los bendiga m’hijos May God bless you my mother calls out rushing to catch the bus that will take her to work Between the tall buildings of the never-ending street 8
I can see a thin strip of sky On the sidewalk my feet crush dead leaves that announce soon the days will be cold My brothers long legs leave me behind Ramón and Ramiro will be at their middle school soon and I will still be crunching leaves with my new sneakers 9
