What does identitad mean to me? It means perseverance and resilience. It means immigrating to the United States at the age of five to a space that did not want my family and does not want it twenty years later. Every year pierdo un poquito de mi Español and I am scared that I am losing a part of myself with it. Mi identidad means being accepted to graduate school, reaching my goals and understanding the sacrifices that were made for me so that I could get here.
Despite the struggle, I embrace it porque me a hecho mas fuerte.
Biography: Zoila Cortes is a student at Shenandoah University pursuing a Master’s Degree in Public Health. She immigrated to the United States from Mexico at the age of five with her family. She is very passionate about public health and fighting for the immigrant community.
