Natasha Vianna's Page

While last year flew by and felt like a great 12 months of positive change, I can't help but think about what 2013 holds in store. My experience on the YEAB helped me dig a little deeper and think about my life as a young female and Latina. There's definitely a long list of challenges that are presented to me when I think about it. However, with millennial activism rising and so much great virtual support, I see progress. 

The biggest part of achieving success in 2013 for Latinas will…

For most of my life, I assumed I was white because I was only looking at the color of my skin. People even called me "white girl" because I had no accent and looked, well, "white" to them. I even remember the time a group of Hispanic girls formed a circle around me and called me "gringa" until I ran off and cried. Was I not one of them?

My struggle continued as I reached middle school. When I took tests or filled out applications, I saw few options for race and "white" felt like the…

For my entire life, I faced issues with my racial identity. Being Brazilian meant I was Latina, but not Hispanic. In this country, I felt there were very few people who knew there was a difference. It frustrated me when I would fill out MCAS tests, college applications, or paperwork that had a checkbox for Hispanic, but not Latina. In an attempt to educate the test makers, I would write Brazilian/Latina in the “other” section.

Through my racial healing, I learned that being…

Growing up as the child of Brazilian immigrants, many people assumed I was an illegal alien. Because of this, many issues crossed my path that border on the line of racism. After realizing the mistreatment was wrong (and illegal), I dug deeper into discovering the reality of racial coding and racial inequities. While many people look down upon Latinos, we have a culture that is amazing and based on happiness and a passion for life.

The Stigma.

Racism…