Camila Ruiz Vega is a junior women’s tennis student-athlete majoring in biomedical engineering at University of Rochester. Born in Argentina, she grew up playing tennis and soccer in Puerto Rico. The co-captain has earned 32 wins in her first two seasons.
The UAA “Conversations About Race and Racism” series seeks to lift the voices of people of color and recognize the challenges faced in both athletics and academics at the collegiate level. By sharing personal stories, we hope to elevate the conversation about race to raise awareness and bring about change.
English as a Second Language
When she was 12 years old, Vega competed with her Puerto Rican team in a tennis tournament against teams from states across the U.S. “My first language is Spanish. I learned English in elementary school after moving to Puerto Rico. Most of my teammates spoke both languages, but we communicated in Spanish,” she explained. “Our first match was against a team from Florida with several Latinas on the team, but then we played an all-white team from North Carolina. We won a point and said, ‘Vamos!’ (‘Let’s Go’ in English). It all went downhill from there. Their kids on the sidelines would say it to mock us. Whenever we said something in Spanish, they would use the word(s) for their own team.”
“My mom told me not to listen to it. I had never been mocked for speaking Spanish before and it was hard for me to understand. I had to speak Spanish with my parents in public places to communicate with them,” Vega described. “The referee came over and told our team we were not allowed to speak Spanish, that we were required to speak English. That was awful to be told not to speak your language.”
She found her accent played was viewed negatively even at the academic level. “I was in a meeting and the person asked if I would rather just submit an application instead of presenting orally so I could be understood better. At first, I thought maybe that was a good point because I don’t speak the same way as a first language English speaker would,” she conceded. “Then I realized it was very disrespectful because I can still communicate well and would be attending an institution of higher learning in English. I definitely make the effort to have others understand me so why can’t you make more of an effort to understand me? My dad told me to stand there and say what I have to say. I am proud to be able to communicate.”
Fortunately, she has found that her peers at Rochester have been much more accepting. “A language barrier is a big difficulty. Either you know it or you don’t and you can’t counteract that if you don’t know. Most of my friends in college do not speak Spanish, but they make the effort to understand,” remarked Vega, who says that often it is just a matter of finding or recalling the correct English word. “I couldn’t find the word for hanger so I said, ‘This thing you hang on in the closet” and my roommate told me what it was. Most people close to me never had any issues communicating with me. How do adults make me feel uncomfortable? It just takes empathy to understand and not be offended if you don’t speak their language. I try to explain to people to be more conscious, especially on a campus with so many international students.”
Although being told she speaks English so well can have negative connotations, she takes pride in having learned the language. “It could flatter me when people say that because I learned English late and struggled with it. I always exceled at reading and writing in Spanish and enjoyed it so much. Suddenly, I had to learn to do it all over in another language,” she articulated. “I felt like I lost that magic because I was starting from zero. Doing my best, I couldn’t always find the words or grammar to show that magic in English. When someone compliments me, I say, ‘Thank you. I put a lot of effort into it and my parents spent so many hours working with me to get to this point.’”
Questions About Status and Puerto Rico
“A question that comes up more than you would think is people asking me if I am ‘illegal’ or ‘illegally in the country.’ First of all, no human being is illegal,” she said emphatically. “I get a lot of questions about how I ended up here, if I am on a visa or have a green card. It’s annoying and breaks up your identity because Puerto Rico is its own country with its own customs and language except that it is managed by the U.S. federal government. We get treated like international students because of cultural differences.”
She knows that her experience is not unique. “There are a lot of Puerto Ricans in the U.S. I met another Puerto Rican in orientation my first year at Rochester and someone asked her if Puerto Rico was in Mexico,” she recalled. “That happens a lot. We usually get confused with Central American countries, particularly Mexico and Costa Rica.”
Because Puerto Rico was listed as a hotspot for COVID-19, Vega needed to quarantine for 14 days when she arrived back in Rochester for this semester. “I asked a friend if I could stay with her and her roommate said she didn’t want to risk her health with an international student,” she stated. “I want to ask why do you think that? Talking about my backstory may not change someone’s point of view, but perhaps something can shift in them. Often, no one has educated them before.”
Vega is disappointed in the views many people have of anyone who came from outside the mainland U.S. “People assume the reason you left your country is because you were running away from something. My dad was transferred to Puerto Rico for a better job opportunity that benefited us as a family. Argentina is still my home and I find myself defending it,” she revealed.
“Violence and political issues can happen in any country, including mass shootings. It doesn’t define where someone comes from.”
The Latinx Woman Stereotype
In spite of the frequent questions about her immigration status, Vega finds the stereotypes associated with being a Latinx woman even more common and frustrating. “I am constantly being referred to as feisty, sassy, or spicy, especially when I get angry. It’s very condescending, especially when a male tells you that. It invalidates your point,” she illuminated. “You are seen as being hysterical. Taken to another extreme, some people actively try to make you angry so you will become spicy, which can have sexual intentions with it. It is a way to sexualize you as dominant and hyper-sexual.”
Vega uses those opportunities to spur on dialogue. “I do not let people off or give them a pass when they try to assign me those traits. What I am telling you is what matters, not the way you are perceiving me,” she expounded. “People close to me say, ‘Oh, I’m sorry, I never thought of it that way.’ It is a stereotype that happens a lot.”
She sees a correlation between the way Black women and Latinx women are policed for their responses and tone. “Black women are not allowed to have a bad day or they are labeled as an ‘angry Black woman,’ while Latino women overreact about everything,” she communicated. “We are told we snap all the time and curse everyone out. Black women are forced to bottle things up. With my Latino upbringing, when something bothers me, I can respectfully say that I didn’t like the way you talked to me. Argentinians tend to be direct. If I am straightforward and honest with my parents, I should be able to say these things to my peers. Both Black and Latino women are told to be more silent.”
Representation
“It can be hard finding representation of people I can relate to as a Latina student-athlete. I am the only one on my team and you don’t see that many Latino student-athletes at my school,” she explained. “You don’t feel represented so you become that representation of what a Latino student-athlete should look like. You have tons of weight on your back that you didn’t know existed. It really shapes how you are seen, and how you portray yourself and play. What can be seen as passionate in one person can look like the sassy, overreacting stigma for me.”
Representation played a key role in Vega’s experience in her first year. “We had another Latina, Camila Garcia, who was a senior and captain, and we got along so great from the beginning. There was a compatibility in how we were raised,” she recollected. “When I first got to college, I wasn’t as quick on my feet in English as I had been speaking Spanish all the time. I would recognize a word, but not exactly what it meant and Camila would tell me. She told me that there were so few Latinas in tennis and that I needed to be ready to be treated differently.”
Having the first semester of her first year to learn from Garcia had a lasting effect. “It really changed how I prepared myself for the second semester. I had never thought about any of this as I grew up playing against other Latinas,” she recounted. “We ended up being doubles partners and that was shocking to some people. The spotlight was on us and I loved that.”
Now Vega sees herself in similar roles Garcia held. “I want to help recruits and be able to answer their questions. I also work alongside admissions for international students and Puerto Rican students in the dean’s office,” she said. “It is on me now to be there for others the way Camila was for me.”
Advice for Other Student-Athletes of Color
“Get to know yourself, what things will harm you and what things you can let go,” she suggested. “The most important lesson is to have patience with others as they may just not know. Don’t hang on to what someone said or pointed out. It could be stuck in your mind for a while, but you have to be patient with others and yourself for your own mental health.”
One of the key things Vega has learned is when to speak up. “You have to choose when to let something go and when to stand up for yourself. You can’t always let it pass. If you never say anything, it will eventually be blown up out of proportion,” she said. “If it is a joke that you let go before, others will think it never bothered you before. Don’t think you have to feel uncomfortable to keep others from feeling uncomfortable. You have to choose the moments.”
Vega finds it critical to know that it is not incumbent upon her and other student-athletes of color to teach everyone. “You have to understand that whether or not you decide not to call someone out or say something, it is not always your place to educate others. You don’t have to sit down with someone every time something happens,” she communicated. “You can call it out without having to explain everything. There are so many resources available to inform, learn, and change. You don’t have to be the only advocate. It is exhausting to take responsibility for how others react.”
Role of Allies
“Educate yourself. That’s the best thing you can do. Everyone has to keep learning. I am aware of racist comments toward me, but not as a Black person since that is not my firsthand experience. It is my job to stand up for them, knowing what my privileges are and are not,” she expressed. “Choose to educate yourself, but you can also educate your brother or sister, someone close to you.”
Another thing allies can do is to speak up when they hear or see something inappropriate. “Calling someone out can be helpful, someone saying it for me. When my Puerto Rican friend was asked if he was from Mexico, my friend from Hawaii said, ‘Bro, she’s not Mexican. She’s from Puerto Rico.’ Even though the assumption was not directed at him, he spoke up and made me feel comfortable and validated,” she vocalized. “If you don’t feel comfortable calling someone out, then back me up when I do. It is not about pointing fingers or saying someone is a bad person. It is about changing behaviors.”
“I am most relieved and at ease when someone validates and acknowledges my stories and my personal experiences,” Vega added. “Where you come from or are raised gives you certain points of view that are culturally based. Take the time to understand why someone sees things the way they do. There are things I wasn’t taught about U.S. history so I need to ask about them.”
Teammates and Coaches
When the Rochester tennis teams went to Puerto Rico for spring break, Vega thoroughly enjoyed being with her teammates. “The thing I liked most about my teammates was they would ask rather than just assume. They would ask, ‘How does this work?’ instead of just assuming or asking if it was okay to try to speak Spanish with me,” she recalled. “It was great to see them get involved with an identity and culture different than their own. Learning it and applying it are different. We need to all be sensible and conscious about the choices we make regarding other cultures. Get involved with the real person and learn how to rely on one another.”
Being able to play and share her music has been one of the ways Vega has felt most comfortable with her teammates and coaches. “One of the best things about the program is the way we celebrate and uplift other cultures. A simple way Coach (Matt Nielsen) has done that is to allow everyone a chance to play their music at practice,” she stated. “The other women liked it and even added Latina music to the team’s playlist.”
In contrast to her experience playing against a team from North Carolina as a junior player, Vega speaks Spanish regularly. “Coach allows each person to speak in their native language. I learned tennis in Spanish so that’s what I speak. Sometimes no one knows what I am saying in the team cheer,” she laughed. “Coach never makes you feel wrong. He is open to learning. He has had a great deal more experiences in life and we respect that.”
Vega also sees her culture celebrated by assistant coach Margarita Kotok, who is from Ukraine. “One of my favorite things about her is not just that she accepts different cultures, but that she teaches us about the things she has learned in the U.S. as well. That can even include television references that we don’t understand,” she said. “One time we were in the airport returning from a trip to California and I mentioned that pretzels are not really a cultural thing in Puerto Rico so I had never tried one. She said, ‘You’ve never had one? You have to try it.’ She went and got me one and it made me feel really good that she wanted to share that part of her culture with me. Both coaches are so good at finding a way to talk about different cultures.”
The team culture set by the coaches and previous players have impacted Vega greatly. “Camila, Masaru (Fujimaki) and Abigail (Reinhart) really changed the way we trained and lifted in the offseason and how we competed. I want to keep those traditions of different cultures and the team work ethic,” she commented. “I want to make people feel the way they made me feel.”