As a first-generation American, born to Dominican parents, I am constantly put in the "which culture do I represent today?" question. It makes me feel out of place most of the time because I cannot say I am just one. When I am surrounded by Americans, I cannot feel like I am fully one of them. Same goes for my Dominican side, I just feel like I don't belong to any and both at the same time. But one thing is for sure, I am proud to have both in me.

Being born to Dominican parents in the US and being first generation can be tough sometimes. At least for me, my parents don't speak much English. Therefore I had to learn Spanish naturally making me feel highly insecure about my Spanish and not knowing how to write it or make sure I am saying things in the right tense etc. so every time I was around Hispanics or specifically Dominicans like family or friends, I would not know much about what they were talking about. What made it even more confusing to me is the dialect that most Dominicans speak in an informal setting. But over time I was able to catch on and studied Spanish for one year in college and that alone has helped build up my confidence and connect more to my people.

Now in my American side, because I was born here, I feel more at ease surrounding myself with other Americans. I have lived my entire life here and have grown up to love this country more and more. Although I do still feel out of place when I am surrounded by ONLY Americans in a group, I have learned to not let my confusion or cultural insecurities guide me, and just be proud that I have something to represent. The best part of it all is that I have more than one home in the world to carry on with me for the rest of my life. So in the end, it's not a struggle, its a blessing.