Corina Calderón: "My Mission Is to Make Sure the Younger Generation of Latinos Continues to Value Who They Are"

Corina Calderón is an actress with past roles in Suicide Squad and End of Watch.

When asked questions about my family history, there's only one person I call. This time when I called I said: "Grandma, I'm writing an essay about our immigration story and background," and she stopped me and said, "Immigration story?! We're not immigrants! Me and your grandpa are from right here in Texas! Even our parents and grandparents are from right here in Texas!"

Many people assume that because you're Latino, you must be from somewhere else. This assumption makes me realize how important it is to know my family's history so that I can challenge this stereotype. In my case, our history is deeply rooted in Texas, far back enough to before the state was even part of the US. My maternal grandparents, great-grandparents, and even great-great-grandparents were all from Texas.

My mom's parents were born and raised, met, and fell in love in Crystal City, TX. They were migrant workers who moved to Illinois to work in the fields picking and planting crops like onions, spinach, and cotton. That's where they started a family and I came into the picture; I was born in Moline, IL, and later, after my grandparents retired when I was about 9 or 10, our family followed them back to Texas, where I grew up.

On my dad's side of the family, unfortunately, I have very limited information because they were never in my life. My dad was from Matamoros, Mexico, and came to the US when he was 2 years old, so there is an immigration story there, but I don't know it.

I come from a really big family and we are close. We have a deeply rooted and connected emotional bond and it's always been important that we know and appreciate our Latin roots and background, especially in our homes. From speaking Spanish to eating certain foods to keeping traditions like quinceañeras to the way we celebrate birthdays, weddings, and even Christmas and other holidays, these traditions and rituals have been passed down from generation to generation. I was forced to speak and learn Spanish in my home and it was impressed upon me how important it was to know the language. I'm so grateful for that now, as I really understand the importance as an adult.

What does it mean to me to be Latina? To me it means valuing tradition and staying close with my family. It's being a hard worker, having pride in who I am. It's knowing more than one language. It's making my ancestors proud for all the struggles and hardships we've faced and overcome and proving that it hasn't been for nothing. It's embracing my beautiful culture. Being Latina is having an important mission, realizing it, and living it out. My mission is to make sure the younger generation of Latinos continues to value who they are and are never ashamed of it.

We, Latinos, have had a huge hand in making this country better for years. We are a powerful force and it's important we continue to know that. I myself want to keep working hard to show, especially the young ones in my family, that they can do anything they put their minds to.