Felicia Mani is my name. Who am I? Now that is a little more complex. No one ever knows what I am. I love that you can't exactly figure it out by looking at me. people ask me all the time "What are you?" I usually exclaim "I am human!" I am diverse, I can blend into so many cultures. I actually had the opportunity to work on a cruise ship in the Mediterranean. Apparently Americans are not well like throughout the world and having the ability to blend and not look "American" worked to my advantage! 
I am actually Puerto Rican and Thai. My mother was born in Puerto Rico, my grandfather from my father's side was from Thailand, formerly known as Siam. He was a merchant marine and came into this country through the Philippines. Little is known about that side he died before I was born and my father never played an active role in my life. I was left with art, books, documents, a stamp collection and many questions. I guess you can say I most identify with the Puerto Rican side.
I was born in the Bronx, New York and lived there most of my life. From my mother I have 1 brother and 1 sister, on my father's side I have 2 brothers and a little sister. My family is my strength, I love them. My family is not how Americans would classify "family", my family consists of my grandmother, my mother, brother, sister, aunts, uncles, cousins, and nieces. We are supportive to one another and life and survival would not be possible with out them.
I always keep New York and my family in my heart. It goes with me on my journey. I'm a free spirit, I love to travel and am willing to take chances in life, including moving to Winston-Salem, NC at 34 years old to finish my degree. Puerto Rico is a common-wealth of the United States, but I would still consider my grand parents coming here as migration. My grandmother (my mother's side) has a 3rd grade education and my grandfather had a 5th grade education. My grandfather was the first to come here, because he was light skin he was able to get a job in fancy hotel in Manhattan. Little by little he sent for his wife and children, even if they came at different times. They lived in tenement slums, and were eventually moved into the projects in Chinatown located in the lower east side of Manhattan.
My mother works for the NYC Board of Education. My perspective of the main problems to watch out for teenagers might differ from others, because I'm older and am looking at it a aunt, and a god mother. I love that the United States is a melting pot of people of the world but my fear is that we will lose those cultural things that make us who we we are. I look at the youth today and I wonder if those things i hold dear will disappear, like the history of my people, the music, customs and of course our traditional foods. I've never grown my own food, although it is normal for my family in Puerto Rico. I would love to one day to have a garden to grow my cilantro and recao, among other herbs and vegetables.
You could say I have always been drawn to art in some form. I wasn't able to recognize my love for it until later in life. The advice I would give teenagers who newly arrived to the United States is to never lose sight of who you are. Your culture, your family, your experiences will help to form the unique person you are. I would like to share one of my favorite quotes:
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