Before traveling to the United Kingdom, one of my biggest worries was how I would be perceived as a Latinx woman in another country. I had little knowledge about Brexit and was worried about the xenephobic comments that could potentially be made. Additionally, I felt uncomfortable being asked the “Trump'' question, being that I am Mexican-American. However, when I arrived in London the only reason I felt out of place was because of my identity as “American” rather than my Latinx identity. This sensation was baffling as I felt that for the first time my American identity came first than my Latinx identity. It was interesting to be considered an American citizen since I feel I am considered a secondary citizen in my presumed “home” country.
In London, I admit that I tried to find ways to connect to my Latinx identity to feel at home. One of those ways was through cuisine. To my surprise, there is a huge Latinx community in London that primarily consists of Brazilians, Colombians, and Ecuadorians. I felt a little piece of home whenever I could visit Latinx communities and speak Spanish and eat food that my taste buds recognized. I was yet more thrilled when I found an authentic Mexican restaurant called Mestizo and ate delicious food that reminded me of my mother. On top of eating amazing food from all over Latin America, I learned about the experiences of Latinx immigrants in the UK and the similar problems that they face to those immigrants in the US. It was unfortunate to learn that the exploitation of immigrants is a global issue and primarily impacts immigrants of color.