what defines me...

[Pablo Jose de la Torre]

what defines me as a person? Is it where I was born? the way I dress? my upbring? ummm, lets see....so i was born in Puerto Rico, makes me puerto rican, right..what about taino roots, can I be both? let's dig a little deeper, I like mexican music, so am I mexican? I love the bag pipes, what that make me? I feel a strong tug to africa, love the tribal music and dance but I also feel a connection to Australia and the dream time and walk abouts...I like a lot of the celtic believe and customs, the spirt world does not scare me for I think we all walk with one foot in this world and the other in the spirit world, beside, my mother tells me I come from a long line of spiritual workers....I feel a close kinship to native americans, love the story and thier belief system, respect for the land and elders...what about my spanish roots, funny, altho I know I should feel a closer tie to spain I realy don't. What comes to mind when I think of spain is, classical spanish music, and love flamingo dancers and for some reason Gypsy's....religion, what ever helps me to connect with my true self, the self that can talk directly to God...the self that know right from wrong and the meaning of being honest and true to yourself, your family and friends...o.k. so again I ask you who am I? I guess the best anser I can come up with is that i am a Earthling. what do you think.

[scv]

it dpends, for some ancestry and culture is what defines themselves, on others it is just their individual lifeway and actions.

[Anita Pagan]

We are defined by everything and nothing. It's the individual's choice. Self identity is an incredibly personal process, and according to some shrinks, it's one that lasts a lifetime.

I think the problems with identity comes mostly from Others. Whether they place us in the same pigeon-hole we place ourselves...

[Isolina Gonzalez Rich]

Interesting question, since the answer is neither right or wrong, it all depends on personal experience. Take me, for instance, my mother and father were both born in Puerto Rico and so were their parents, and so on for many generations. I have always celebrated being "Pueto Rican". However, the one thing that bothered me most about me, was the way I look. Why was it that everytime as a little girl, I was always picked to play "Pocahontas" in the school play. Why do I look native American? Why do I always feel connected with Native Americans? My family could not answer these questions. Perhaps my great grandmother, Juana Torres, could answer this question, since she looked 100% matinee american, however she passed on over 100 years ago. It took going to a Pow Wow that made want to know for sure. I took a DNA test and the results showed that I am 20% Taino Indian. I cannot tell you how relieved I felt to finally know for sure and it also gave my spirit peace. I know who I am now and it is because of them I look the way I do. If my Taino ancestors could speak today, they would say, " don't forget about us, we are still alive because we live in you!"