Breaking the Barriers of Brown

Elizabeth Soto walked across the limestone campus of Indiana University on a chilly winter afternoon.  Her classmates saw an average American woman approximately five-foot-nothing, wearing a pink, patterned blouse, heeled black boots, slimming skinny jeans, and winged eyeliner so sharp it could cut diamonds.  She walked with a confidence that became her.  There was no missing her shimmery blonde highlights or her glittery grin.  Her demeanor asserted: “I am here, this is who I am, take me or leave me.”   

Suddenly, her phone rang.  Elizabeth, still only an average American college student, opened her mouth.

“Hola?” she answered. “Qué pasó?”

Like white blood cells attack a virus upon discovery of its presence, stares swarmed Soto as those around her recognized her roots.  This girl was a Mexican!  She spoke fluent Spanish.  Despite the gawking of those around her, Soto continued speaking in her native tongue.  Spanish was part of who she was, and she refused to apologize for her identity.

Elizabeth Soto grew up in Monticello, Indiana where she was frequently a victim of racism, sexism, and stereotyping due to her identity as a Mexican-American woman.  She now attends Indiana University (IU) on a full ride scholarship, where she is pursuing her dream of working in the field of fashion merchandising, and being a spokesperson through IU for people of Mexican heritage.  Elizabeth believes being a voice of truth by courageously expressing her identity affects change.  However, Elizabeth wasn’t always so dauntless.

Originally from Michoacán, Mexico, Soto’s parents immigrated to America in 1992 in hopes of accessing college educations for their children.  This dream was largely driven by Elizabeth’s father, Rogelio Soto, who always desired that his children be well-educated.  Elizabeth credits her determined approach towards education to her father.  Education was more than a responsibility in her home; it was the only result that could ever justify the sacrifices her parents made by moving to America.  

Soto’s pursuit for knowledge began in kindergarten.  For most, going to kindergarten was an exciting time, filled with friends, crafts, and learning.  For her, kindergarten was like entering a hurricane on the high seas without a radio: she could call for help until her voice grew hoarse, but nobody would hear her pleas.  Spanish was Soto’s first language, a language absent in the classrooms of her youth.  She distinctly remembered the fear and anxiety she felt leaving her mother’s side when school began.  

Soto was clumped together with other Hispanic children in her grade.  All were ushered away to an English as a Second Language (ESL) class, where they were tested incessantly on their English proficiency.  Most Hispanic children could not understand a single syllable their instructors spoke.  Few understood the games played, clothes worn, behavior exhibited, and food eaten by their white classmates.  For familiarity’s sake, Soto and the other Hispanic children formed friend groups.  They gravitated towards one another not because of a distaste for American culture and language, but for the comfort of companionship in a bizarre environment.  Attending school made the truth abundantly apparent to Soto: she was different.

Soto continued to learn English and immerse herself in American culture throughout her elementary years.  It wasn’t until Middle school, though, that she began to identify as American.  Her taste in fashion grew, as she began to purchase her clothes from popular American department stores.  She partook in American pop-culture, mastering the Twitterverse and reading celebrity gossip.  Even her food choices expanded from tortillas to cheesy fries.  Soto progressed intellectually, as she was put in accelerated math and English courses and was first chair clarinet in band.  Most people believed that being Mexican meant she was bound to struggle.  Yet, despite this stereotype, Soto transformed into a thriving American teen in all respects.

Soto entered high school and grew into a young woman, which meant, in her traditional Mexican household, she was not allowed to participate in sports, dating, or marching band.  Her family – specifically her mother – felt these activities directly opposed the duties of a woman, which included getting married and producing offspring.  Angered and hurt by her mother’s archaic beliefs on gender roles, Soto searched for social involvement outside of her home.  Her hunt lead her to her local food pantry.  

Soto’s time at the food pantry ultimately led her to win the Lilly Scholarship (a full ride scholarship to any Indiana college or university) based on her academic achievements and her commitment to serving her community.  She not only internalized the value of giving back to her community, but she gained a family of volunteers and beneficiaries who supported her pursuit of a college degree despite her reservations.

As an upperclassmen, Soto had teachers who saw her beyond racial and gender identities.  “I wasn’t labeled in their classrooms,” said Soto.  “I was just Elizabeth and I was kicking ass.”  Elizabeth’s community involvement, grades, and self-confidence grew rapidly.  Her senior year she won the Lilly Scholarship, which was personal proof she had broken enormous racial and gender barriers in her quest for education.

Soto found a home at IU.  She is earning a top-quality education not only in mind, but in heart.  She is a success story for conquering racial and gender stigmas, defining her own identity, and inspiring her community to change by example.  She believes in speaking out about all she’s been through.  “People need to know the realities of being a Mexican-American and the struggles we face,” said Soto. “People don’t get what we have to go through until we talk about it. [All] they see [is] the mask [we’re] showing to the world. We need a voice.”

As a spokesperson for IU, Soto is that voice.  She feels especially called to voice her struggles in the face of President Donald Trump’s attitude towards Mexicans, his intent to build a wall on the Mexican border, and his most recent executive order banning immigrants from entering the US.  “[President Trump] is trying to put up a literal barrier between Mexico and America.  I don’t want to accept him as president because he is openly racist, saying that Mexico is ‘not sending their best,’ rather they are sending ‘rapists.’  People get offended [when I am open about my views on social media], but [Trump is] attacking who I am, and I am going to speak out.”  

Soto believes people ought to be judged and viewed based on their values.  Her deepest desire is that barriers for all types of diversity be destroyed.  She will continue to battle the stigmas that surround her skin and her sex.  The blonde haired, fair skinned, pink clad American college student will continue to proudly shock the world when she publicly answers her phone in fluent Spanish.  No amount of stereotyping or judgement will stop Elizabeth Soto from living her truth.  “I think we all struggle to over-identify with certain parts of ourselves,” Soto said. “We don’t need to divide ourselves into pieces. [It’s time we] accept one another as a whole because that’s what we are, and that’s what I am: a person.”