Well, yes I am, and when people look at me, they deny the fact that my dad's mother is straight off the boat from Japan. Not only that, but my mother's father moved to the United States from Iran when he was a teenager, and my dad's father’s family is from Puerto Rico.
All these cultures mix together and it's what makes me me, so when people don’t believe me when I tell them, I can get offended. When being in such a diverse family, I get exposed to many different cultures, traditions, languages and of course food!
I get the opportunity to hear the stories of my maternal grandfather deciding to come to the United States with his brother during his teen years and how he came with absolutely nothing. How he came over with his dreams of being successful in America and fulfilled that dream. Yet, because of what country he came from people look at him differently, and this affects me too. People look at me differently when I tell them I am Iranian and I don’t understand why. I’m proud of where my grandfather came from and so are my mother (who happens to have the most beautiful Persian name and has it tattooed on her forearm) and my sister. With being Iranian, I was able to be exposed to their traditions, such as Ramadan (which is a period of prayer, fasting, charity-giving and self-accountability for Muslims in the United States), a traditional Persian funeral and getting the opportunity to wear a hijab with my Persian cousins, which was one of the most special moments of my life. When wearing the hijab, and looking at my family members wearing it as well, I really felt a part of the family. I felt accepted into the culture that has been a part of me my whole life.
On the other drastic side of the ethnicities that make up myself, my paternal grandmother (who happens to be one of my role models and my best friend) came to America after living her teenage years in the city of Tokyo, Japan. After living through the attack of the bombing of her city with her family, she is one of the strongest people I have ever met. Not only for this, but the fact that she was able to leave her family in Japan to move to the United States in order to have a better life for her, her husband, and children. The fact that she was able to fly my sister, grandfather, and I all to Japan and show us where she grew up, where she went to school and have us meet all her siblings was the best experiences of my life. After the 16-hour plane ride when we landed, her facial expression is something I can never get out of my head. She knew that once we got off the plane, my sister and I would really understand the beauty and importance of our culture.
My last name wouldn’t be what it is without 25 percent of me being Puerto Rican descent. Gonzalez is not just my last name, but another reason people take a double take at me, especially my sister who was named after my grandfather's mother, Pilar. My paternal grandfather gave me the opportunity to not only have a crazy Spanish side to me but to also hear the amazing stories of his childhood and his mother.
The bottom line is I wouldn’t be who I am today without the history and culture that makes up my family. I am truly lucky to be able to say I am all of these ethnicities because each one is special to me. I would be nothing without the culture, traditions, food, and of course all of my grandparents.
