As a first generation Dominican-American woman who grew up in East New York it is difficult to separate my culture and upbringing from who I am. My parents both immigrated to this country when they were very young, and I have two younger brothers. As a family we towed the line between Hispanic culture and American culture, in the end the later winning. What started as watching
Cantinflas, novelas and the news in Spanish together every night eventually turned into ABC's TGIF on fridays and the
Sopranos. This shift is evident in the differences when listening to me and my siblings speak Spanish. Since I am the oldest I speak it the best and can read and write it, but my brothers are not literate in the language and the youngest can barely string together a sentence that is grammatically correct.
At this point in my life I feel a strong need to stay connected with my heritage. As a result I began writing for a Spanish language magazine,
Siempre Mujer. I currently cover topics in
beauty, lifestyle and home. You can following me on
twitter and instagram @msjesst.
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