Pocha according to Urban Dictionary means: A Mexican-American female (Chicana) with a limited Spanish vocabulary and speaks with a clear Americanized accent.
Basically an Americanized Mexican girl, with immigrant parents.
Quite frankly I am a POCHA. And I'm proud of it. I grew up in the suburbs in a white dominated area of a small village in Waukesha, Wisconsin. Being part of one of the only Mexican families living there, life was weird and I was faced with a lot of racism growing up. I'd like to tell you I didn't encounter any, and that everyone was kind but that just wasn't the case. To be honest, I used to be incredibly embarrassed to be Mexican. I was embarrassed at the fact I spoke two languages, I was embarrassed of my appearance, and embarrassed at the fact I had to constantly translate everything for my parents. The list could go on for days. I moved to Hartland when I was 8 years old, and the culture shock was a huge slap to my face. I transfered from a school in Milwaukee that was diverse af to a school in Hartland where blue eyes dominated the school, and tan skin and brown eyes was a rarity.
I remember when I was in 3rd grade. That was when people first found out I spoke Spanish and they went crazy asking me a bunch of questions. It was overwhelming and extra. Like I just wanted to be seen as equal and for a while I was and then some people looked at me in awh and the others with hatred over what I represented. And no one is born racist but they can be taught to be, you know?
I remember in 5th grade when we were learning about the colonies, and how America came to be I really wanted to be one of the people that helped conquer America. Unfortunatley my classmates kept pushing onto me being Sacagawea. Not that it wouldn't have been an honor, but the fact that because of my long, dark thick hair and my tan complection I'd be the best match I guess. Which wasn't right. I mentioned it to my teacher and he wasn't pleased and stood up for me. At that time I didn't thing anything they had said to me was wrong, but now that I'm older I think about it. And it wasn't right. And the fact that innocent children had made comments like that made me question how today's generation are growing up seeing all the mistreatment of the colored races and that white supremacy is a thing.
Middle school was where two schools combined into one and I found that there were more hispanic and people of color and all was well. But all hell struck when I went to high school. I remember there was this guy on the wrestling team who would daily ask me for my green card and call me "Consuela" and tell me to go clean his house. He literally bombarded me for 4 years with questions on my residency status and always looked at me in disbelief when I would try to get him to understand that I was born in the United States. And anyone who wanted to be my friend constantly nagged me to tell them all the swear words in Spanish for some odd reason English ones weren't enough. I remember I'd bring tortas to lunch, put avocado on everything, or eat frijoles, and drink horchata stuff like that and everyone would look at me weird. Like I was eating worms or something. I grew up on this food. I wasn't going to stop then. It's my heritage, it's my culture.
The moment I had started accepting my heritage started the Summer before my Sophomore year of high school. That was when I had my quinceañera and it was one of the most beautiful experiences. For winter break my family decided to visit my aunt in Vegas for a couple weeks and during those couple weeks rumors were wild at the high school I went to about how I went back to Mexico and hopped the border in order to come back the legal way. LIKE WHAT?! Where were these rumors coming from? I was enraged because it was far from the truth and I remember making this huge status about it and that was the moment I realized I was proud of who I was and what I stood for.
And at school wasn't the only place where I encountered racism. I remember going to the grocery store with my mom and a cashier yelling at her saying she didn't understand what she was saying. My heart broke and I instantly got mad at the same time and couldn't control my anger that I blacked out and have no idea what I said. Seeing my parents constantly disrespected in general but specifically because they aren't from here, is literally my breaking point.
My dad's an entrepeneur, owns his own business, and works his ass of seven days a week to make a living. But we're taking your jobs. My mom takes ESL (English as a second language) classes and goes to school to be more succesful in this country. BUT THE HISPANICS MAKE NO EFFORT? RIGHT?!
My parents came to this country with hopes of a better future for their families. My dad sends money bi-weekly to my grandma back home, and I'm here working and getting my degree. Mexicans or any other Latino are not bums. STOP SAYING THEY ARE. They work hard for what they have. And they take pride in that.
It's like people look for something to bitch about and go around and tear families apart in the process. "But they don't belong in this country." Well, yea. Neither do you, but you're still here living peacefully, while people like myself live in fear every day, even if I am a U.S. citizen. LOL our president wants to revoke my citizenship eventhough I was born on our nation's soil.
I'm honestly dissapointed in myself because at a young age I could've started advocating for my people's rights and equality or at least equity. And do it for my parents. And for myself. But it's never too late to start and I'm going to start now.
Because I am POCHA Y ORGULLOSA. And nothing is gonna stop me from proving it every single day and advocating for my rights, not only as a Latina; but as a woman too.
