Hispanic Heritage Month has officially begun! There are so many special things that make up Hispanic people. From language to tradition. From the love of family to the delicious dishes. I am in no way an expert on all the beautiful variances in race, beliefs, religions, ethnicities, and nationalities in the Hispanic culture. I can only speak on my experiences as the first generation in my family born in North America to parents indigenous to Central America.
Though I grew up speaking Spanish at home and at church, I learned English relatively at the same time because of my older siblings. There were many years where I would feel self-conscious speaking Spanish because words do not flow as smoothly in the language as I do in English. My sisters and I used to challenge ourselves to talk only in Spanish for a day, and I’d go most of the day without saying a word because I lacked confidence in the language. We know our way around quite a few languages in my family, and I have to imagine that, at some point, my thoughts and dreams were in Spanish, though I could not tell you how old I was, if that indeed happened.
Again, I am not an expert on all things Hispanic, and truthfully, I am learning more from colleagues, mentors, and friends in my life. There are so many powerful, beautifully diverse, and equally valid experiences we have as Americans with Hispanic Heritage. I have gathered stories from my parents to pass on in our family and the next generation will absolutely speak Spanish, along with 4 or more languages.
Let me know how you celebrate in the comments! Does it count as celebrating if we have un cafe con pan or pupusas? That’s practically an everyday occurrence!
Heritage Writing Co. 