Latino Adjacent: Navigating Identity as a Belizean-American

In this deeply moving episode of Hella Latin@, Odalys sits down with Brianna Adanna Meighan, a first-generation Belizean-American creative from Los Angeles whose work lives at the intersection of art, innovation, culture, and connection.

Grounded in her Belizean roots and shaped by her lived experience as the daughter of immigrants, Brianna brings a powerful lens to conversations about identity, belonging, and what it means to grow up in the in-between. They explore how being “Latino adjacent,” Black, Caribbean, Central American, and American all at once creates a layered, nuanced, and often misunderstood identity.

Through vulnerability and storytelling, Brianna reflects on:
✨ Navigating Belizean-American identity and the feeling of belonging everywhere yet fitting nowhere
✨ Childhood memories in LA’s “Little Belize” — music, food, Creole, community, and family gatherings
✨ The emotional complexities of assimilation, being the youngest sibling, and striving for perfection
✨ What it means to be “othered” in Black spaces, Latino spaces, and American spaces
✨ Tourism, colonization, and the grief of watching outsiders reshape Belizean land and culture
✨ The responsibility first-gen kids inherit: What will you do with the sacrifices made for you?
✨ Finding home in Belize as an adult, even while being seen as “the American cousin”
✨ Creating belonging for others and reimagining community through authenticity and connection

Brianna’s story is a reminder that identity isn’t binary — it’s layered, evolving, and deeply tied to memory, culture, and lineage. Her journey reflects the courage it takes for first-gen kids to honor where they come from while carving out space for who they are becoming.

This episode is a love letter to everyone who grew up between worlds…
and a reminder that you belong wherever you stand.

More info at odalysjasmine.com