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I attended a staff meeting yesterday at work, which consisted of about 30 people crammed into a little conference room. I looked around the room and realized I was the only Latina/Latino there. And I wasn't generalizing, after about 1.5 years in a company you eventually know who's what.
To put it into perspective I am 1 of 2 Hispanics on my floor. I know this because when I joined my company, an email was sent out to everyone announcing my arrival. My last name is very Hispanic and common. As soon as that email went out, a lady ran up to me and asked, "are you Latina?" We got to talking and she mentioned that she is Cuban and has been working with the company for over 40 years. She knew every Hispanic in the company because there are so few of us.
It's so sad to be living in a metropolitan city and have a 1 to 50 ratio in a large company.
It got me thinking about my last name and whether to hyphenate it or not after the wedding. Fiance's last name is American (and a very beautiful one, I must add). Though it is an honor taking his last name, I am torn. My last name has been with me for 27 years, it's a part of me. And going from a Gomez to a Jones, per se, is very hard for me to wrap my head around.
I've mentioned to fiance about hyphenating. He's not surprised because I am a modern woman, and very proud of who I am.
I still have plenty of time to decide what to do. But just to be safe, I opened up two email accounts, (my name)+(his last name)@gmail.com and (my name)+(my last name)+(his last name)@gmail.com.
Saludos!
Miss Cafe
Friday, May 8, 2009
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Miss Cafe, this is another great post. I too am in the same situation. I am the only Latina in this 40 - 50 person company just outside of Philadelphia. I am also marrying a white man but with an Irish/Scottish last name. For a while now I have said that I will be taking his name because of the honor but lately I have been questioning whether to hyphenate or not. It seems like most of my newly married family members are hyphenating or not taking his name at all and they are marrying Latinos. So I am somewhat torn. Well keep us posted on your decision.
ReplyDeleteGood luck!
I really enjoyed reading this post and can relate to so many of your posts! I am in the opposite situation as you though because I have a very Italian last name and a very white first name so people never assume I am Hispanic. I'm marrying a Dominican so now I am going to have a very Hispanic last name which I am pretty excited about because people's perception of me is going to completely change... I definitely understand the music problem as well because my family is half Italian and half Mexican and his family is Dominican! So we are struggling with English, Spanish, merengue, Mariachi, etc... :)
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