When you think about someone who is Hispanic what do you think of? If you are like most people you probably think of someone who has darker skin, black hair, brown eyes, and loves spicy food. Don't feel bad if that was your first thought, it's really common for that to be someone's image of a person who is Hispanic.

I have news for you that's gonna blow your mind. You see the two girls in the photo below? You probably guessed that the girl on the right is Hispanic, but actually they both are. This is my friend Aly. Her mom is Mexican and her dad is American. The other girl in the picture is me. My mom is Argentine and my dad is American. We are each 50% Hispanic but we look very different. Obviously, I (the girl on the left) am much more pale than my friend and my hair is much lighter. That is because people from Argentina tend to have pale or olive skin and have dark hair, although light hair is also common.

Another difference between my friend and I is our taste in food. One of the most common reactions I get when I say "I'm half Hispanic" is "but you hate spicy food!" It's true, I'm not a fan of spicy food. But that is actually not too surprising considering that we do not eat a lot of spicy food in Argentina. While Mexico is known for tamales and enchiladas, Argentina is known for Asado and dulce de leche. For those of you who may not know, Asado is a barbecue dish that consists of beef and usually some other kind of meat and dulce de leche is a traditional dessert made of caramelizing sugar in milk.

Possibly the most significant difference between us is our accent. We both speak fluent english and even though I am not fluent in Spanish, when I do speak Spanish, it is in an Argentine accent. When Aly speaks Spanish, it is in a Mexican accent. The best way I have found to describe it is to think about America and Great Britain. Even though they are both English-speaking countries, the accents and even the vocabulary are completely different.

All Hispanic/Latina countries are different from each other. From Mexico, to Argentina, to Columbia, to Puerto Rico, to Spain, to Venezuela and many more, each country is beautifully unique. The culture, the accent, the food, and the traditions so different that they can hardly be compared to each other. It is this diversity that makes Hispanic culture so beautiful.

Being aware that not all Hispanic people look the same or have the same preferences is invaluable in a society that values being knowledgable of other countries and cultures. Every country is different and every culture is unique.