Mi Independencia

     I decided to disrupt my learning process because I remembered that it is Mexican Independence day. I am definitely American and very patriotic but I cannot help but want to celebrate having Mexican roots. It all started last year when the absence of my family made me realize that I do like my Mexican culture. I mean for the most part I have been like the main character from My Big Fat Greek Wedding, Toula Portokalos, and wanted more than the traditions that my family have to offer. My siblings would make fun of me for being the "white one" of the family. This also deals with me being an angry feminist and hating my own culture which I will let you know more about later. Anyways, it took leaving the house and encountering people with different backgrounds and cultures for me to really try to show off that I am Mexican-American.

     I left my home and El Paso, Texas in order to work on my master's degree. I wanted to leave for a long time for many reasons. I wanted to have the real American experience when it comes to college and experience a different city by studying in a well-known school. I wanted to leave my home and feel like a responsible adult and make my own decisions. Also, I do not like El Paso. I apologize for this but I think that El Paso needs to start making bigger changes culturally and economically. It is a sizable city and it continues to lack many things like sources of entertainment.

     I got what I wanted when I reached Austin, Texas. I have met people from all over the world including China, Lebanon, Ireland, El Salvador, Malaysia, Germany, and the Neatherlands. My first roommate was Korean, therefore, I got to experience her culture head on. I love Korean food. I also like some Korean songs and remember one important phrase that can be used anytime anywhere "Coo-noon-kiya-woh." It is probably spelled wrong but I can tell you that it means "I think he's cute."

    I felt determined to show everyone the parts of my Mexican culture that I found awesome during the week that included Mexican Independence day. I cooked a Mexican dish for them, taught them some Spanish, and told them about my family quite frequently. I also tried to show them how to make an alcoholic beverage that involves pepinos, cayenne pepper, and lime. It was great! Everyone seemed to like it.

     For this year's Mexican Independence day, I learned how to make burritos. I made flour tortillas for the first time. It was exciting except now I feel stuffed. They were really good. I also wore a Mexican dress to the market. It was radical.