Somewhere I belong

First of all, I need to shower and hit the sheets (TMI I know I just wanted to write that lmaoo). Anyway, it's really strange being Dominican American and moving to Dominican Republic. I'll explain. OK so, when I'm in the US and they ask me what's my culture, what's my background, what's my ethnicity, where I or my people are from, I say Dominican without hesitation. I mean, I consider myself Latina, more specifically Dominican of course. I think in the US, because it's a country made of immigrants, and NYC especially, where there are people from literally every single corner of the globe, we all refer to our direct cultural root, what country you, your parents, grandparents, even great grandparents are from, and we're all very proud of that (if you're not tsk tsk). So it's confusing at the very least, to come to DR and find that here I'm considered American. I promise I'm not being dramatic. I mean, they purposely single me out as an American, even a "gringa" (which was formerly reserved for white Americans only), and when I don't know which bus to take to Iberia (the supermarket), or understand the meaning of a common obscured phrase (like I'm supposed to know aaaall things Dominican growing up in the Bronx forever), they don't miss a beat to say, "it's cuz she's American, don't you see that girl can't understand what you're talking about, etc." So in America I'm Dominican, and in DR I'm American. So what am I finally? Sometimes I feel like both places are trying to exile me sheesh. I'm sure many of us children of immigrants, especially Latinos, experience this because we are bicultural and bilingual, and people that are monolingual and monocultural (think that's a word), both in the US as well as outside of it, don't fully understand what that implies. Well let me clear it up for you eeeediots! (Eventhough if you're reading this blog, you're most likely bilingual/bicultural yourself). Being bicultural and bilingual means I can dominate two cultures and two languages, both EQUALLY well. It means I understand each culture and each language perfectly (and it doesn't mean I have to know every single little particularity of them each either). Let me just get this off my chest. Ahem. For those Americans who make fun of immigrants or the children of immigrants (like somewhere down the line your family didn't immigrate to the US too dummy), don't be mad because I'm gonna get the job you want because I speak Spanish (and Italian thank you very much), or because I can talk smack about you in your face while you're still super confused as to why I look black and speak Spanish (smfh). And for those Dominicans (feel free to insert your country of origin), who make me feel like I'm a dumb American who doesn't read (this goes for my UBER annoying ass neighbor) or like a terrible person because I'm American (like I was the one who declared the war on oil), don't be mad because I came from a more advanced and wealthier country here to get a nice title on my name, and then reaping the benefits of all I aquired in your backyard, back in the country where the $$ are (don't hate the player hate the game playa LOL), and don't be mad because I can take a plane if I please and change my scenery. BOOM! Ok I'm done now, sigh lol. So like I was saying, being bicultural and bilingual makes me smarter and cooler than people who can only navigate in one culture and one language. En fin, it's a very special thing, and I will always be proud of it (as should we be all that fall into this category)! I will never hide my Dominican roots in the US or hide my American culture in DR. It would be like negating a part of myself on either occasion. As a matter of fact when I began writing this blog I was still trying to figure this all out, but writing it all out makes me sure of where I stand now... haterssssss lol.