Nicolette Alexandra Brito-Cruz
Growing up, my mother always sited a quote by Spanish-American philosopher Jorge Ruiz de Santayana. “Los pueblos que olvidan su historia estan condenados a repetirla”. This translates to “The towns that forget their history are condemned to repeat them.” Since coming to Florence to study abroad, I have repeated this quote various times to myself, and I feel as though I can now truly say that I understand what de Santayana meant by this. As someone who holds many identities, I’ve come to realize the importance of staying true to and honoring them, even if I am the only one doing so. This not only ensures that I bring a diverse perspective to every room that I walk into but also that I acknowledge and respect the cultural differences that I notice while stepping into a completely different environment.…