It’s not surprising the world we live in is crippled with injustice, and we have created a culture of disrespect towards minorities. The Latino community is among many groups who continue to face the complicated stereotypes and suffer the brunt of social mistreatment. This can cause rifts between communities of different panethnic backgrounds but also between the Latino communities themselves.

Denise Soler Cox, one of the co-creators of the 2016 documentary “Being Enye,” explains her story and opens up about the complex identity issues she faced through her childhood. Through mutual friends, she crossed paths with Henry Ansbacher, an Oscar-nominated and Emmy-winning director. He too had similar experiences growing up in a German family.

Cox’s life story gave a name to the first generation Americans of Latino backgrounds: the Enye Generation. The Enye Generation encompasses children who are born in the United States having at least one parent born in a Spanish-speaking country.

The documentary describes Cox’s life as a child growing up in a Puerto Rican family and the bullying she had to face as a result of her ethnicity. From her apartment in the Bronx to a house in the suburbs of Westchester, Cox faced a major culture shock in New York and began to understand the unspoken truth about deep-rooted prejudices.

Along with sharing her story, she gives a voice to others dealing with the same identity issues. Each interview is unique per experience and their place under the umbrella of the Latino community. I noticed a spark in everyone’s voice that is humbling and inspiring. Through all walks of life, the generation offers a general consensus of the issues that are often unspoken.   

So, why is Cox’s and 16 million peoples’ stories from this 2016 documentary important? Identity in general is not an easy thing to establish for any person; however, it’s relevant to the Enye Generation who struggle to find common ground between being an American but staying in touch with their Latin roots equally. Society can reinforce the need to adapt and lose pride in who you are due to stereotypes.

“There’s a degree of shame that comes with being called out for not knowing the language fluently, not dancing the basics or not cooking the traditional dishes,” said Cox in an interview with Latina Magazine. “I think this project can provide them with some healing.”

I found her story very powerful, and the film eerily reflects my experience as being a Puerto Rican-American young woman who has clung to the idea of only being one or the other, making it easy to forget my roots. No one should feel the need to compromise their identity for approval, and Cox’s emotional testimony is among many who struggle to keep their head held high.

Cox’s documentary is a must-watch if you want to enlighten and teach yourself about the Enye Generation and the movement of American minorities establishing their identities.  

Cox and Ansbacher encourage the generation to speak out and follow the movement via Twitter @ProjectEnye and their Youtube channel Project Enye [ñ]. Visit their website for more information or to get involved in the Enye Project.