I am American

I remember when I filled out my application to enter the high school; they asked me if I was Asian, Afro-American, Middle Eastern, American, or Hispano/Latino, so I checked the boxes for Hispano/Latino and American. The lady that read my application said loudly “you are not American!”

I was born in Ecuador, my parents taught me Spanish, and I’m an American! For me, being an American doesn’t mean that you had to be born in the United States, America is the continent, but not the country. My surprise when I came to the U.S. was to be called Latino or Hispano, but I was never classified as an American.

People born in Europe are Europeans, people from Asia are Asians, and people from Africa are Africans. I don’t understand why somebody from America isn’t American. I was born in South America, so with me, people from Ecuador, Colombia, Bolivia, Venezuela, Argentina, Peru, Chile, Uruguay, Paraguay, and even Brazil are Americans. America is also Central America, so el Chapin, el Guanaco, el Tico, el Catracho, and el Chocho*, are also Americans. Not just the Gringos are Americans.

Being an American doesn’t mean you have blond hair, colored eyes, a white skin, you ride a nice car, you use dollars, and you speak English. El campesino+ with black hair, brown eyes, brown skin, rides a donkey, exchanges cotton for corn, and speaks Quechua, is also an American.

I don’t know why I’m called Latino, since I don’t speak Latin; or Hispano, a term that came from the word Hispania that means Spain, and I’m not from Spain.

I want to be called American, because that’s where I come from.

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