A question of Latino identity

As part of BBC World Service's Generation Next season, Tara Gadomski spoke to two Latino teenagers living in New York on their thoughts about one of the hottest topics in the United States today - immigration and identity.

Ms Mendoza is a top student in her high school class in Brooklyn

Adriana Mendoza is 14 years old and lives in Sunset Park, Brooklyn. Born in the US, she is what she calls "documented" - a US citizen. But many in her family are "undocumented", and don't have the legal right to be in the United States.

A lot of Hispanic people live here, especially Mexican. So here on the streets in Fifth Avenue, you hear a lot of Spanish speaking people.

This is the store where I buy my CDs. Most of the music that I buy is Mexican. One of my favourite Mexican groups is called RBD. I like their music because it's about teenagers.

I live in an apartment basement with seven other people. There's me, my mom, my dad, my brother, my uncle, my aunt, and my two cousins.

I was born here in the US, but my parents were born in Mexico. Although I'm documented, my parents aren't. When I'm 18, I will apply so that my parents can get their documents, so that I could travel with them wherever I want and whenever I want.

My 10-year-old cousin is Alan, and he was born in Mexico, and he crossed the border twice. The first time he crossed the border was to meet up with his father, and the second time was because he had gone to see his grandfather because he was ill.

He remembers being six years old and crossing the border inside a black bag with "a little hole to breathe."

When I hear about his journey to the US, I get this feeling like I want to go to Mexico.

It's really hard to trust somebody here. Also, I think, Mexico: you have more freedom there. Also, there, everyone is equal.

The immigrants who have a good record should be given official records. But some of them don't pay taxes, so it's better for them to just give them papers, because then they'll pay taxes - and they'll have more control of the immigrants.

Because without them having papers, they don't even know how many there are.

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The status of Mexicans who cross illegally to the US is a hot debate

Anna Niceto is 17. Born in the US, she went to Mexico at the age of six and returned at 10. She now lives in Brooklyn.

Personally, well, I think the United States is a little bit better, because you have more opportunities.

But then in Mexico, you have freedom. You have the freedom to go here, go there, at any time you want.

Even though it's called "the land of the free" here, I think there is more freedom in Mexico. Here, I have a curfew - at a certain time, I have to be home. In Mexico, you know everybody in the town. It's way different.

But here you have the opportunity to go to school. Here you have more opportunity to go to college and have a good job. In Mexico, you won't find that.

To be honest, I don't consider myself Mexican or American. It's really difficult. It gets confusing.

In my opinion, immigrants are not criminals. They're honest people. And I can say this because I know a lot of immigrant people, that, the first thing in their minds is: work, have a decent life.

They do not steal. They don't take drugs.

I think that people who come from another country should learn English. It's the language of the United States, and they come here.

Don't forget where you came from and the language you speak - that is the one thing that you're always going to have - but try to speak more English.

Teach others how to speak English. If you speak English, and your family doesn't, try to teach them.

I'm a Latina, and I want to be something in life. I do not want to stay just in a restaurant, or something like that - I want to be somebody.

And it's not only me. I know a lot of Latinos that want to be something in life. So watch out, because I want to show everybody else that Mexicans aren't the people you think they are.

They are smart, and they're able to succeed.