This week I will stand in front of the entire Spanish Department faculty and my fellow peers to discuss El personaje diásporico en Dreaming in Cuban, or the diasporic character in Dreaming in Cuban. This week I will defend the process that an immigrant goes through when adjusting to life in a new country. This week, I will diminish El Líder and explain why I think that it's great that one character in the novel disassociates herself from Cuba and the other asserts her Cubanness like it's necessary. This week, I will present a 10 page paper and 15 minute presentation on something that may no longer exist come January. La diáspora.
People always ask me "What will you do with a Spanish Major?" My Answer? ANYTHING. Thousands of the people in the United States hablan español. Thousands of people immigrated from their Hispanic country of origin to have a better life en los EEUU. But how much longer will that last with Trump as our leader? There's no way for us to know.
And before you start to argue with me, yes, I am aware he wants to only deport illegal immigrants. Yes, I am aware that he has now made statements that are pro- hispanic. And yes, I don't really think that he is going to build a wall.
However, I do think that the bigotry and fear of Hispanics that he is going to bring with him into the White House will affect the lives of immigrants and citizens alike. La diáspora will no longer be the struggle of changing cultures and identities in a new place. It will be hate shed toward a person that has done nothing but try to live their life. It will become flags burning, racial slurs, hateful protests, all in favor of preventing them from staying in this country.
This week I will defend a process my father went through as a child. A process that many millennials' parents went through when they immigrated here. A process that affects not only me, my family, and my culture. But the entirety of the United States. Our ancestors were all immigrants in this country. They all walked their way up the racially categorized ladder. And right now, it's the Hispanic/Latino's turn to move up a rung or two.
Donald Trump can think my life is TacoBell and bad telenovelas, but I'll prove him wrong. I will be the change our identity needs. The change that our country is looking for. I will live to see the progression of La diáspora. I will live to see equality for my identity, a first-generation, hispanic, woman with a chronic illness. I will defy all odds, and change will come. It has to.
