The Beauty of Being a Kaleidoscope
I am a kaleidoscope — at least that’s what I like to call myself. Not only do I display a multifaceted personality but also I embody a multitude of identities that made for a unique upbringing.
I was born and raised in Houston, Texas, to Mexican and Spanish parents. Although, having two ethnicities with a different nationality hasn’t made for the easiest time growing up in the United States. I’ve felt my entire life that I was in-between worlds, always needing to choose one over the other, but never quite “fitting” into any of them entirely.
When I was younger, I visited Mexico frequently. That is, until my father passed away when I was four and my mother and I no longer felt safe to travel on our own. It would be another 16 years before I would visit my motherland again during spring break my sophomore year at the University of Texas at Austin.
This is the adventure of a 20-year-old girl who, accompanied by her Mexican college roommate, traveled almost 1000 miles to Mexico’s beloved metropolis capital, Mexico City (CDMX).
I took this trip for one reason only — ironically, I left with multiple revelations — and that was to get back in touch with my country, my native language of Spanish and my history and that of my ancestors.
Of course, that couldn’t be obtained into a five-day trip, but it was a start.
“¡Maldita lisiada!” (no translation) — Soraya Montenegro in María la del Barrio
From the moment we landed in Mexico, I knew I was home.
It’s a one-of-a-kind sensation to feel completely safe in an unknown environment, to be comfortable around strangers and to hear your mother tongue spoken so naturally. We mostly stayed within the neighborhood of Cuauhtémoc, named after the last Aztec ruler.
My top five recommendations to visit would be:
El Palacio de Bellas Artes (Palace of Fine Arts)
La Catedral Metropolitana de la Ciudad de México (Mexico City Metropolitan Cathedral)
El Jardín Botánico en el Bosque de Chapultepec (Botanical Garden in the Chapultepec Park)
El Ángel Monumento A La Independencia (Angel of Independence)
La Ciudad de Teotihuacan (City of Teotihuacan)
My roommate and I relied on public transportation throughout our time in CDMX. I can proudly say that it didn’t fail us, not even once!
As someone who is a daily user of public transportation in the U.S., I can’t tell you the number of times I have complained about the U.S,’s horrible reliability on car infrastructure and the lack of reliable and existent public transportation. While in CDMX, it was so refreshing to be in a walkable city where public transportation was consistent, clean and fast.
I was amazed with the various options available at all times. There were at least nine available when I visited including:
Metro (Mexican subway)
Tren Ligero, or Xochimilco Light Rail
Metrobús (bendy bus)
Trolebús (like a UK tram connected to overhead wire)
Bus (not recommended for non-Spanish speakers & people unfamiliar with area)
Suburbano (runs in the very north of city)
Mexicable (cable car)
Electric scooters (from companies like Grin, Lime, Movo, and Bird)
Ecobici (electric bicycle)
“¡Qué difícil es ser yo!” (How difficult it is to be me) — Mía Colucci in Rebelde
Though, nothing can compare to my core memories of this trip!
Adding to my complicated identity is the fact that I had been vegetarian and vegan since I was 15 years old. However, with a little bit of research, I was pleasantly surprised to find numerous options including The House of Tiles, Pan Comida, and La Vaca de Oro. Even if there weren’t any, you could easily ask to replace things with cheese and veggie fajitas!
We dedicated more than half a day to visit the Pirámides de Teotihuacán (Teotihuacan Pyramids), and it truly felt like taking a step back in time.
This archeological site, built between the 1st and 7th century C.E., is located northeast of Mexico City.
It was previously a Mesoamerican Indigenous civilization inhabited by many, but whose current name was given by the Aztecs (or Mexica) meaning “the place where the Gods were created” in their language of Nahuatl.
There you can see/walk around the:
Pyramid of the Sun (largest structure in the city, second largest in Mesoamerica, and third largest pyramid in the world)
Pyramid of the Moon (second largest structure in the city)
Temple of Quetzalcoatl (or Temple of the Feathered Serpent, third largest structure in the city)
Calle de los Muertos (Avenue of the Dead, which is the main path between the pyramids)
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Recuerdo que mi compañera de cuarto estaba completamente sorprendida por lo altas y anchas que eran las estructuras. Para mí, fue tan increíble estar cerca de la historia de mí gente. El sentimiento de poder sentirte conectado y poder caminar por la tierra como hicieron los que vivieron antes de ti es una experiencia irremplazable.
I remember my roommate being completely shocked at how tall and wide the structures were. For me, it was so incredible to be close to the history of my ancestors. That feeling of being connected and walking the same land that those who lived before you did is an irreplaceable experience.
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On one of my last days in CDMX, we, of course, had to see the historic Ángel Monumento A La Independencia (Angel of Independence).
However, to my surprise, there was an active protest occurring in the booming downtown streets. So massive, in fact, that the public transportation had closed completely. As a result, we walked about 30 to 40 minutes to the statue, but it was very much worth it because it was a day that would heavily influence my academic path at UT.
The curious journalist in me couldn’t help but uncover the reason why thousands of people were protesting. Upon speaking to them, I realized they were advocating for teacher’s rights and more funds for their school district.
This was the defining moment: being in my motherland practicing journalism, speaking in my mother tongue, connecting with my people and sharing their stories that for so long have remained untold or been silenced.
It was very political to be in CDMX; I was proud to see all the anti-women’s-violence around the city. From posters to graffiti, to people actively protesting, it was a sight to see, and I wished I was there to cover those stories as well.
When we did arrive at the Angel of Independence, it was very surreal. I felt like a kid who had seen so many pictures online and now was standing right underneath it. I can confirm: It’s real, in the center of everything with cars zooming in the roundabout surrounding the statue.
On our way back, we had a humorous language barrier shock. My roommate had been craving nieve de garrafa (Mexico sorbet), but at the time, she couldn’t remember the name. I thought she wanted shaved ice, and we walked over to a place that had that.
However, when I asked the local for a raspa, which is what I grew up calling it, he looked at me with the most confusing look ever.
Apparently, my roommate was just as confused as he was, and I would later find out that the “correct” word to say was raspados.
I even called my mom and one my cousins so they could vouch for the word I used! They were both correct, just different versions of the same word.
That day, there was a mini cumbia band playing in the middle of a courtyard near where I was staying. They were surrounded by stores and, of course, an Oxxo store, Mexico’s convenience store that is a version of 7-Eleven, that I swear was on every street corner.
It took me a couple of minutes to realize that the entire band was blind.
Despite this, we were surrounded by locals who were listening and dancing to music my roommate and I grew up listening to.
This was it for me, this felt like home, and I loved every second of it.
“¿Entre ser y no ser? ¡Yo soy!” (Between being and not being, I am) — Teresa in Teresa
This spring break trip, more than anything, made me wonder who I am at the core.
When I was in Mexico I wondered: did I look Mexican enough with my so-clearly U.S. manufactured clothes? My piel de canela (cinnamon skin color) showing I’m not white, not Spanish enough for not having the strongest connection with my Valencian roots. And then there’s my anxiety-riddled relationship with speaking Spanish making me feel as if I'm not Mexican enough.
Through it all, I’ve realized that my internal battle of 20 years with my multi-identities is what makes me, me.
I am not one, but all. I represent my three countries, my three languages and my three people.
Because of this trip, I decided to double major in Latin American Studies — spoiler, I got accepted into the Teresa Lozano Long Institute of Latin American Studies at UT!
Before this trip, I started self-teaching myself Portuguese in March, but it got more serious after I realized that I wanted to become a foreign correspondent based in Latin America. Now after nine months, I am officially at the intermediate level. I hope to study abroad in Brazil during my time at UT.
At the same time, I have been re-learning my Spanish to not forget it while I’m learning Portuguese. Funny enough, I sometimes find myself knowing the Portuguese word faster than the Spanish word — problems of a polyglot! In other news, I also started learning Catalan, or Valencian, more to connect to my heritage in Valencia, Spain. In the future, I hope to also learn Nahuatl.
I am a kaleidoscope — versatile, stunning, and endlessly complicated — and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Photos by Nadely Requena