The experience of 1.5 generation immigrants, a term used to describe people who arrived in the U.S. as children and adolescents, is a unique one. Unlike their first-generation parents or U.S.-born siblings, their identity is split. That in between. Los que hablan más inglés que Español o que a lo mejor no saben mucho acerca de la cultura de sus padres.
Emmy is part of this generation. He was brought to the Midwest as a little boy by his parents who had a visa to establish churches in the region. Emmy, now 31 years old, wants to connect more with his Dominican heritage and pass this knowledge along to his daughter Charlie, who is 9 months old. El solo le habla español and says it’s important to him that his daughter knows what at some point he was ashamed of showcasing - his Latino heritage. Emmy tried to fit in for many years.