I would like you guys to imagine a much
younger and much dirtier version of
myself walking into a public library in
second word Houston I approached the
dusty wooden bookshelf and directed
straight for the on hot bookshelf or I
had my books on hold for weeks because
at eight and a half years of age I knew
how to use my library card order and
check out my new my own books however as
I was getting closer to the librarian at
the checkout desk she leaned over
squinted and whispered that the books in
espanol were in the right back hand
corner of the library I was so shocked
by her comment that I simply handed her
the books I had on hold and made a
straight line for the books in espanol
in the right back hand corner of the
library and took those home that lady
had assumed that I couldn’t read in
English perhaps because my eyes were too
Brown or perhaps because I still smelled
like my mother’s overly spiced Mexican
food or probably because my uniform was
stained with ketchup maybe because I was
alone I was labeled as illiterate simply
because of how I looked but today I
won’t completely focus on all the ways
labels are misinterpreted and misused
instead I’m going to share with you all
today my collection of wrappers and
stickers these are my labels but have
been stuck and wrapped around me since
that day at the library the words in
black are my sticker labels sticker
labels are ones I have more control over
and can change them with more ease if I
wanted to the ones the words in orange
are my wrappers which are the
identifiers I was born into this world
with things that wrap around me even
though it is much harder to change my
wrappers none of them have really proven
to be an obstacle to make my parents
proud one of my biggest rapper labels
has been being an older sister has been
being a student it is in fact my single
greatest accomplishment just being a
student becoming a student was
predestined for me I didn’t choose to
become a student but something I did
have control over was the fact that I
loved going to school now I know what
some of y’all are thinking nerd and you
are absolutely correct really I really
am a nerd I love learning and making
sense of the confusing world where I had
to do adult things like do my taxes
flush the toilet in the middle of the
night
clean up the leftover toothpaste in the
bathroom sink however I was not always
proud of owning up to this label but
others used with me
because of the context that they used in
I was not only labeled as a nerd but as
a try-hard and a teacher’s pet too and I
was ashamed of it I remember the
countless times during middle school I
spent my lunch times in the library just
reading by myself but thanks to my
studious Ness my work ethic and my close
relationships man Mentors
I am cow I am college bound and ready to
become a student at Carleton College
however even after I graduate with my
degrees I will continue to be a student
I will still be learning for my
surroundings and from my everyday
experiences I will never stop being a
student and that’s truly exciting if I
am a nerd I get to decide what that
looks like for my nerd community so I
choose to finally be proud to embrace
his label because I am pursuing a higher
education not only to repay my parents
for their sacrifices but also for my
better understanding of the world I live
in I am the first kid in my family I am
17 years old my brother Ernesto is the
weird age of 13 and my sister Vanessa is
a satisfying age of 11 and I reminded of
this every single day I don’t let them
forget it and I know they’re ready for
me to leave for college but I’m glad to
leave them knowing that I have shown
them how to be bossy and assertive and
take what they want I fully embrace this
label because it makes me into the
leader I am today if it weren’t for the
responsibilities I had to take as an
older sister I will not be as accepting
or as open to take on challenges
and overcoming them without too much
discouragement physically I look white
and it is also the checkbox I mark under
the race portion of every single
application I’ve been told to fill out I
am usually not in settings where I’m
surrounded by white people
so my Hispanic community uses Spanish
slang words you used to describe eglow
sanctions such as gringa and Wetty
because they think I’m American born in
a very clear example of when I’ve been
confused in my identity
because of my appel complexion but my
very spicy inside was whenever it was
time for me to prepare for my 8th grade
AP Spanish and language culture exam and
the Spanish that we get tested on during
that exam is not the same Spanish I’m
used to speaking at home it’s a Spanish
that is spoken in Spain and that’s not
the Spanish I was used to so learning
where to place the accents and how do
you conjugate weird verbs was very
difficult for me so the only other
reliable source aside from Google were
my parents at home and when I asked them
to help me out with the homework
assignments and all the tests part
material they looked at me and said when
have you become to America nice to
recognize and speak your own home
culture your own home language but to
this day I’m very accepting of this
label because it is what I look like and
it and it looks like I’m very privileged
however this rep relateable is not fully
accepting of me in return
because I do not have all the privilege
of a documented white person in the
United States of America within the
social and political status quo of the
word immigrant
it’s practically slanderous it is looked
down upon because of the negative
connotation with illegal immigration the
very president of this nation misused
the label immigrant and because of the
president’s platform and because of the
high speed of social media the public
believes spreads and propagates this
same negative connotation about
immigrants for a very long time I was
very used to using my previous label of
white and hiding inside of it
and not telling people my true origin
not every immigrant is a terrorist not
every immigrant is a rapist not every
immigrant is a criminal not every
immigrant is a drug dealer or a problem
maker because I know for sure that I am
NOT one in reality most immigrants enter
the country with wanting to pursue the
American dream establish a new home for
their family and work most not just some
immigrants are good people in my case I
too am undocumented in a daca
beneficiary I’ve been a friend from the
deferred action of childhood arrivals
policy I thought it was a joke when it
was announced that it was rescinded on
September 5th it didn’t hit me until the
day after when my college access
coordinator texted me frantically
talking about our next steps for my
college application process as if this
presentation was going to completely
change the way I was going to enter
college and enter the rest of my life
because of my legal status or lack
thereof I remember calmly replying that
I would put my faith in the small window
of time that Donald Trump granted to
Congress and I just left it at that I
was born in wonder what though Mexico
and I was relocated to the United States
of America and nine months old before I
could walk on my own or utter a single
word by myself and thanks to that more
colleges wanted me because I filled
their diversity quotas as a Mexican born
middle class and Bekah beneficiary I
wholeheartedly embrace this label
because it represents how my soul can
still be fed and nurtured by my Mexico
while I simultaneously learned how to
live and thrive in my USA people often
equates labeling with bullying when that
is not the case at all it is when the
label is used to demean and marginalize
others that the label becomes toxic a
wise man wins
said there are no better words only bad
intentions generalizing a label in its
usage has weakened the purpose of labels
and this leaves a person being labeled
feeling weaker especially if you
marginalize them for a label they have
no control over a rapper if you really
think about the question what are labels
they’re not intended to hurt you but
rather they’re meant for others to
organize you to categorize you simply
for organizational matters a label is a
sticker when you can change it and layer
it up a label is a wrapper when you are
born with it and it is more apparent the
reason why labels are so important is
because they are a simple means of
communication in the world of over 7
billion people labels are mental
organize and identify each other for
example in sports several athletes are
athletic personality test to see how
best they fit dynamics on the field or
on the court and in the office they’re
used to set statuses and to see the
organization of offices and how they
work with each other every 10 years the
federal government of the United States
sends out sends out a census to label
and organize people to have more
accurate statistics and to apply more
accurate governmental policies and
that’s simply it those are labels we all
enter this world physically looking one
way and thanks to technological and
medical advancements we can all leave
this world looking a completely
different way if you do not like the
rapper or sticker label that is being
used to describe you let it be known
that you are uncomfortable with it some
people just need to be a little bit more
open-minded and you can use yourself as
an example don’t let a rapper or a
sticker get in the way of what you can
accomplish
for example the label of being loud can
have different connotations to you then
it would have for another person to you
it might mean you be more outspoken or
more leader like or as to other people
it comes
as obnoxious and annoying so if you
don’t like the rapper that is being used
on you or the stick or the sticker that
is being used on you change it or fully
embrace it
like I’ve embraced my labels of being a
nerd or white or an immigrant or an
older sister I fully embraced all of
those and you should fully embrace yours
too at the end of the day you are the
embodiment of how you define and express
your labels these are my labels I chose
to keep my stickers I was born with my
wrappers and I am proud of how they all
come together to form me I am not only
one of them I am all of them at the same
time nine years ago I had no idea where
I would be now but if you asked me today
if I would ever want to change the way I
reacted to the new librarian at the
static or neighborhood library I would
have to say no because if it wasn’t for
how I felt
ephra after had been labeled simply
because of one of my rappers I would
have never been able to truly appreciate
my labels and what they mean to me I
encourage you all today and to continue
to learn about your labels and how they shape your identity thank you
younger and much dirtier version of
myself walking into a public library in
second word Houston I approached the
dusty wooden bookshelf and directed
straight for the on hot bookshelf or I
had my books on hold for weeks because
at eight and a half years of age I knew
how to use my library card order and
check out my new my own books however as
I was getting closer to the librarian at
the checkout desk she leaned over
squinted and whispered that the books in
espanol were in the right back hand
corner of the library I was so shocked
by her comment that I simply handed her
the books I had on hold and made a
straight line for the books in espanol
in the right back hand corner of the
library and took those home that lady
had assumed that I couldn’t read in
English perhaps because my eyes were too
Brown or perhaps because I still smelled
like my mother’s overly spiced Mexican
food or probably because my uniform was
stained with ketchup maybe because I was
alone I was labeled as illiterate simply
because of how I looked but today I
won’t completely focus on all the ways
labels are misinterpreted and misused
instead I’m going to share with you all
today my collection of wrappers and
stickers these are my labels but have
been stuck and wrapped around me since
that day at the library the words in
black are my sticker labels sticker
labels are ones I have more control over
and can change them with more ease if I
wanted to the ones the words in orange
are my wrappers which are the
identifiers I was born into this world
with things that wrap around me even
though it is much harder to change my
wrappers none of them have really proven
to be an obstacle to make my parents
proud one of my biggest rapper labels
has been being an older sister has been
being a student it is in fact my single
greatest accomplishment just being a
student becoming a student was
predestined for me I didn’t choose to
become a student but something I did
have control over was the fact that I
loved going to school now I know what
some of y’all are thinking nerd and you
are absolutely correct really I really
am a nerd I love learning and making
sense of the confusing world where I had
to do adult things like do my taxes
flush the toilet in the middle of the
night
clean up the leftover toothpaste in the
bathroom sink however I was not always
proud of owning up to this label but
others used with me
because of the context that they used in
I was not only labeled as a nerd but as
a try-hard and a teacher’s pet too and I
was ashamed of it I remember the
countless times during middle school I
spent my lunch times in the library just
reading by myself but thanks to my
studious Ness my work ethic and my close
relationships man Mentors
I am cow I am college bound and ready to
become a student at Carleton College
however even after I graduate with my
degrees I will continue to be a student
I will still be learning for my
surroundings and from my everyday
experiences I will never stop being a
student and that’s truly exciting if I
am a nerd I get to decide what that
looks like for my nerd community so I
choose to finally be proud to embrace
his label because I am pursuing a higher
education not only to repay my parents
for their sacrifices but also for my
better understanding of the world I live
in I am the first kid in my family I am
17 years old my brother Ernesto is the
weird age of 13 and my sister Vanessa is
a satisfying age of 11 and I reminded of
this every single day I don’t let them
forget it and I know they’re ready for
me to leave for college but I’m glad to
leave them knowing that I have shown
them how to be bossy and assertive and
take what they want I fully embrace this
label because it makes me into the
leader I am today if it weren’t for the
responsibilities I had to take as an
older sister I will not be as accepting
or as open to take on challenges
and overcoming them without too much
discouragement physically I look white
and it is also the checkbox I mark under
the race portion of every single
application I’ve been told to fill out I
am usually not in settings where I’m
surrounded by white people
so my Hispanic community uses Spanish
slang words you used to describe eglow
sanctions such as gringa and Wetty
because they think I’m American born in
a very clear example of when I’ve been
confused in my identity
because of my appel complexion but my
very spicy inside was whenever it was
time for me to prepare for my 8th grade
AP Spanish and language culture exam and
the Spanish that we get tested on during
that exam is not the same Spanish I’m
used to speaking at home it’s a Spanish
that is spoken in Spain and that’s not
the Spanish I was used to so learning
where to place the accents and how do
you conjugate weird verbs was very
difficult for me so the only other
reliable source aside from Google were
my parents at home and when I asked them
to help me out with the homework
assignments and all the tests part
material they looked at me and said when
have you become to America nice to
recognize and speak your own home
culture your own home language but to
this day I’m very accepting of this
label because it is what I look like and
it and it looks like I’m very privileged
however this rep relateable is not fully
accepting of me in return
because I do not have all the privilege
of a documented white person in the
United States of America within the
social and political status quo of the
word immigrant
it’s practically slanderous it is looked
down upon because of the negative
connotation with illegal immigration the
very president of this nation misused
the label immigrant and because of the
president’s platform and because of the
high speed of social media the public
believes spreads and propagates this
same negative connotation about
immigrants for a very long time I was
very used to using my previous label of
white and hiding inside of it
and not telling people my true origin
not every immigrant is a terrorist not
every immigrant is a rapist not every
immigrant is a criminal not every
immigrant is a drug dealer or a problem
maker because I know for sure that I am
NOT one in reality most immigrants enter
the country with wanting to pursue the
American dream establish a new home for
their family and work most not just some
immigrants are good people in my case I
too am undocumented in a daca
beneficiary I’ve been a friend from the
deferred action of childhood arrivals
policy I thought it was a joke when it
was announced that it was rescinded on
September 5th it didn’t hit me until the
day after when my college access
coordinator texted me frantically
talking about our next steps for my
college application process as if this
presentation was going to completely
change the way I was going to enter
college and enter the rest of my life
because of my legal status or lack
thereof I remember calmly replying that
I would put my faith in the small window
of time that Donald Trump granted to
Congress and I just left it at that I
was born in wonder what though Mexico
and I was relocated to the United States
of America and nine months old before I
could walk on my own or utter a single
word by myself and thanks to that more
colleges wanted me because I filled
their diversity quotas as a Mexican born
middle class and Bekah beneficiary I
wholeheartedly embrace this label
because it represents how my soul can
still be fed and nurtured by my Mexico
while I simultaneously learned how to
live and thrive in my USA people often
equates labeling with bullying when that
is not the case at all it is when the
label is used to demean and marginalize
others that the label becomes toxic a
wise man wins
said there are no better words only bad
intentions generalizing a label in its
usage has weakened the purpose of labels
and this leaves a person being labeled
feeling weaker especially if you
marginalize them for a label they have
no control over a rapper if you really
think about the question what are labels
they’re not intended to hurt you but
rather they’re meant for others to
organize you to categorize you simply
for organizational matters a label is a
sticker when you can change it and layer
it up a label is a wrapper when you are
born with it and it is more apparent the
reason why labels are so important is
because they are a simple means of
communication in the world of over 7
billion people labels are mental
organize and identify each other for
example in sports several athletes are
athletic personality test to see how
best they fit dynamics on the field or
on the court and in the office they’re
used to set statuses and to see the
organization of offices and how they
work with each other every 10 years the
federal government of the United States
sends out sends out a census to label
and organize people to have more
accurate statistics and to apply more
accurate governmental policies and
that’s simply it those are labels we all
enter this world physically looking one
way and thanks to technological and
medical advancements we can all leave
this world looking a completely
different way if you do not like the
rapper or sticker label that is being
used to describe you let it be known
that you are uncomfortable with it some
people just need to be a little bit more
open-minded and you can use yourself as
an example don’t let a rapper or a
sticker get in the way of what you can
accomplish
for example the label of being loud can
have different connotations to you then
it would have for another person to you
it might mean you be more outspoken or
more leader like or as to other people
it comes
as obnoxious and annoying so if you
don’t like the rapper that is being used
on you or the stick or the sticker that
is being used on you change it or fully
embrace it
like I’ve embraced my labels of being a
nerd or white or an immigrant or an
older sister I fully embraced all of
those and you should fully embrace yours
too at the end of the day you are the
embodiment of how you define and express
your labels these are my labels I chose
to keep my stickers I was born with my
wrappers and I am proud of how they all
come together to form me I am not only
one of them I am all of them at the same
time nine years ago I had no idea where
I would be now but if you asked me today
if I would ever want to change the way I
reacted to the new librarian at the
static or neighborhood library I would
have to say no because if it wasn’t for
how I felt
ephra after had been labeled simply
because of one of my rappers I would
have never been able to truly appreciate
my labels and what they mean to me I
encourage you all today and to continue
to learn about your labels and how they shape your identity thank you
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