ABSTRACT
In Luis Aguilé’s famous song, “Cuando salí de Cuba” (When I Left Cuba), the Argentinian-Spanish singer and writer captures the feelings of Cubans who have left their island home in search of a better future. As a Latino girl from Colombia, I grew up listening to this song. Its rendition by Celia Cruz, the Cuban salsa and bolero singer, reveals the secret sentiment of her heart’s connection to her home as the lyrics resonate with her voice and her identity. As I write about my own identity, this song is playing in my mind. It reminds me of who I was when I left Colombia and of the complexity of my journey as a cultural crosser traversing different lands. I am aware that my identity is intricately linked to my language because as Gloria Anzaldúa (1987) said, “I am my language” (p. 2951).
