Sixty-four percent of Hispanics in the U.S. came from a Mexican background in 2007, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. The remainder were of other unidentified Latino origin – a fact Hispanic students think others should keep in mind.

This Hispanic Heritage Month, senior Malik Louis said people should become more aware of the diversity within the Latino community and not assume all Latinos are Mexicans.

National Hispanic Heritage Month – Sept. 15 to Oct. 15 – celebrates Hispanic heritage and culture and the contributions of Hispanic Americans to the U.S.

“Latinos aren’t just a race. There are Asian, black and white Latinos within the community, and people would be surprised to see the diversity within Latinos. We are extremely diverse,” said Louis, who comes from African-American and Cuban-American descent.

Louis, a member of Students for Latino Empowerment and the Latino fraternity Lambda Sigma Upsilon, said he embraces both his father’s African-American culture and his mother’s Cuban-American culture.

“Growing up was interesting. My mother was more dark-skinned than people think Latinos should be, so I really don’t think I felt as connected to Latinos as I am now,” Louis said.

Cindy Romero, a sophomore from Dacula, said she felt she had an identity crisis growing up. She comes from Colombian and Honduran descent and is a first-generation American born in Maryland.

“My Latino friends, I think, also had that problem of identifying with one culture or another. For them it was always, ‘well I’m not from here or there,’ but for me it was, ‘I’m not from here or there or there,’” Romero said.

She said the differences between the two Latino cultures in her home were almost as jarring as the differences between Latinos and Americans outside of her home.

“There are cultural differences within Hispanics,” Romero said. “There are different cultural traditions, food and family structures.”

Even within the Mexican community, there are certain divisions that exist, said Hilda Hermosillo, a senior majoring in graphic design.

“I see myself as a Mexican-American. I don’t really identify as Chicana. I think being Chicana involves being part of that movement in California, which I am not really a part of,” Hermosillo said.

Hermosillo said she was born in Mexico, but her family moved from Mexico when she was young.

“I still see Mexico as a home, but I also see Athens as a home now,” she said.

Growing up in Athens, Hermosillo said the majority of Latinos in her elementary school were Mexican, but slowly she saw a shift as other Latinos came in.

“There are still some separations that happen, but over the years I think we’ve become more aware of the different Latinos that there are,” Hermosillo said.

Sylvia Shin, a junior from the Dominican Republic, said she considers herself Hispanic even though her parents are both from Korea.

“I lived in [the Dominican Republic] for 18 years and feel comfortable when I am there. I think how I act is more Hispanic than anything else,” Shin said.

Shin said she never really considered her race until she came to the U.S.

“I think the race issue is a just a bigger one here. I never thought it was strange that I was both Hispanic and Asian,” she said.

Hermosillo said she believes unifying the Latino community will be easier for future generations.

“I think younger people are more aware of the diversity within the community and more accepting of it,” Hermosillo said. “It used to be that Hispanic Heritage Month was just a reminder of the past, but now I think it’s more of a reflection of the present and how much our culture has changed. A lot of us have been Americanized, but at the same time we don’t forget our origins.”