Have you ever felt disconnected from your own culture? It’s okay if you have.

The majority of both sides of my family lived in Southern California. My mom is Mexican, while my dad is a mix of English and Irish. While my Latinx family grew and expanded together in California, my parents moved to the East Coast. Instead of growing up surrounded by my hispanic culture, I was raised in a small, mostly white, mostly conservative, and mostly Non-Hispanic town. I was never taught Spanish language until it was a requirement in high-school. This unknowingness of this major aspect of my family, who I would not be able to visit often, made me feel separated from my culture. My immediate family still taught me about some traditions such as Cinco de Mayo, Día de Los Muertos, and making certain dishes, but all I really knew was that I was “Mexican”.

Think: Do you ever remember a time when you were talking with your friends about each other’s heritage? Were you at all intrigued to hear what others had to say? How about when it was your turn to speak about it?

Saying that I was Mexican finally meant something when I started taking Spanish language courses. I was becoming more aware and knowledgeable about my culture and how I could become more involved in Mexican traditions and customs. It was in these first years of high school that I had sparked the inherent passion that was somewhere within me. Throughout these years I had also begun to take my Spanish-speaking more seriously. My Spanish teacher became a great influence; encouraging me to take courses in college, travel, and study abroad. I was already accustomed to travel through my families curiosity of all places and cuisines. If someone had told me I would travel to 3 countries before high school ended, I would have laughed. During the last two years of high school, my Spanish teacher fought for and managed the first abroad trips the school district had ever provided for students. I was able to travel to Spain, France, and Greece for about two weeks each. These experiences only inspired me to educate myself and find more oppurtunities in cultural settings.

When it came time to declare my major(s), I declared a double major in Psychology and Spanish. My main passion is helping children and adolescents through psychotherapy, but my more personal agenda is to become fluent in Spanish and use my bilingualism in pair with my Psychology career to help young minorities. My educational journey thus far has led me to improve my technical skills, grammar, and search for future positions in Spanish-speaking communities. I am now in the midst of my Junior year of undergrad and I have been approved to travel abroad to Valencia, Spain for the Spring 2022 semester. I am enrolled in courses that will help me satisfy my secondary major in Spanish and become fluent in the language through an immersive experience.

I feel that without the help of my teachers, family, and my own ambitions, I would not have been able to achieve my Spanish major and long-term travel goals. My interests still grow as explore deeper into my culture and into the modern day topics that have developed within Latinx communities. I am so grateful that I now have the cultural appreciation I wish I had grown up with. My upcoming adventures abroad have excited me to be able to utilize my skills when I return.

One day I hope to visit my far away family and speak our language, together.