I'm Mexican American. But the LA City Council audio leak reminded me that I'm Oaxacan too

LOS ANGELES — As a Mexican American, I love being from two worlds. I feel lucky to have been born in Florida, growing up in a beachside city in all the state's humid glory. I feel proud knowing how to make tamales and enchiladas and rooting for two soccer teams during the World Cup.

But recently, I've been wondering whether there's more to who I am.

My mother was born in Ñuu Snuviko, also known as San Juan Mixtepec, a small pueblo in the mountains of Oaxaca, Mexico. It translates to the "place where the clouds descend" in Mixteco, my mother's native language. Surrounded by small farms in a narrow valley, the town of about 7,000 people clings to a gravel road running from the base of the highlands to the plaza, El Centro. On Fridays, El Centro comes alive with a market.

For a long time, I did not consider Mixtepec as part of me. When people have asked about my heritage, I have said I am Mexican American.

And then came the audio leak that still reverberates in Los, then City Council president, mocked Oaxacans as . She said she didn't know "what village" they came from, as if they were too primitive for the city.