The arrival of the newest member of our family is on the horizon, and I have anxieties just like any expecting mom. However, most of mine have nothing to do with balancing time with each kid, getting through sleepless nights, or making sure the baby is eating well. Strangely, I am most concerned about culture.
Although my son and stepdaughters can be considered bilingual, I am not sure they could accurately be called bicultural. My husband’s family expresses Salvadoran and Puerto Rican roots in the sense that they speak Spanish and eat traditional Latin foods. Beyond that, there is not much going on in the way of holidays, music, or traditions. They are fairly Americanized, which makes it difficult to present an authentic heritage to a child.
I know that I can incorporate the great resources from SpanglishBaby, such as apps, movies, crafts, and activities, into daily life with my new son, but it’s hard to envision this successfully creating a true understanding of where his family came from. Besides, the fact that I was raised in a white American household means that I can’t even understand or assume Latin culture to its fullest extent, so I’m not sure that my influence will mean as much as it would if it came from a relative with firsthand knowledge of the people and places that contribute to their culture.
Authenticity seems to be of utmost importance in my mind, but perhaps I’m wrong. I don’t want to manufacture a culture that isn’t true to who we are as family, but I also don’t want any of our kids to miss out on the opportunity to discover their roots and participate in enriching traditions. Aside from making an extra effort to plan international trips in the future and interacting with grandparents a significant amount, I’m at a loss as to what I should do (if anything).
I wonder if speaking Spanish is the best and only way I can be a model of cultural diversity for the baby. After all, kids learn more from our consistent behaviors than our overblown efforts to make them absorb anything.
Is language enough? Do our kids need all the other elements of culture or can bilingualism provide enough benefits?
{Photo by cliff1066™}
I almost could have written this. My husband is Mexican/Puerto Rican; his family speaks mainly Spanish, does many traditional foods, but only a small amount of cultural traditions. My grandmother is Mexican and bilingual, but verylittle culture and no language has made it to my generation ( though many of us have our kids in the same language immersion program, so we’re doing our best to rectify this). My husband’s family lived in Mexico for part of his childhood, and he frankly takes for granted things I know the value of, due to my family being a generation more assimilated than his. So I am taking it on myself to make days like Dia de Los Muertos special and as authentic as I can, and questioning his older sisters and parents, as well as my grandmother about traditions, celebrations, and foods that they remember from years ago. We include European traditions from my side as well, and are making our own ne ones as we go, but I’m doing my best to ensure that my kids appreciate the beauty and richness of their mixed culture.
Language isn’t enough, though if they really get native speaking time it can go a long way. I know that the accent is definitely not the only things that changes in Spanish from country to country, but the slang, euphemisms, and topics of conversation can teach culture in unexpected ways. If family culture and country culture don’t reflect their full heritage, the experiences with their heritage culture will probably always more “educational” then part of their identity, but that doesn’t mean it’s not worth while to try to give them those experiences!
Sharing the culture to the extent possible is important. Sometimes we do more here in the US than our relatives do! For ex., there are great Dia de los Muertos events in San Diego, where we go look at elaborate altars, people paint their faces, etc. My family in Mex. might simply visit the cemetary. And think about Cinco de Mayo! While these events are not necessarily replications of what happens in-country, they are still ways to celebrate and learn about different customs, right? Also, why don’t you join a group of Latina moms and kids? Having these amiguitos for your kids is great! They’ll go to parties with piñatas, etc.
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homepage (Lucile)