I have never really been interested in finding out what my “identity” is, or “who I am”, because in my opinion, it’s not just one thing. There are many different aspects of my identity that make up me. That doesn’t make my identity any less confusing, though.

I‘m biracial, half cuban and half white. However, I‘ve always felt weird when it comes to my Cuban half, because I can’t speak Spanish and I don’t look Cuban at all. I love drawing, but I‘ve never really considered myself an artist. I have strong political beliefs, but they can also change a lot because I learn more every day.  Overall, my identity is extremely vague and always changing.

This especially applies today, in a time where nothing is normal. I have learned so much about myself and the world, and thus my identity is becoming even more complex. 

 That’s why I decided to do a self-portrait, but the picture is overlaid on itself 3 times. I felt that was a good representation of how I feel about my identity; it is not one specific thing, but a lot of different things. The drawing was confusing to create, and confusing to look at. I feel that is a good analogy for how I feel about this whole subject. My identity is not a series of boxes that can be checked, but an amalgamation of everything I have learned and become over the years. 

[Part of a series showcasing the work of VADA Sophomores in their English 10 Classes. More information can be found here.]