As a multicultural and biracial familia, I was pretty clear about wanting to raise a bilingual child. Ah yes! It would be simple! I would speak to our child in Spanish and my husband would speak to him in English. Sound familiar? Yes, we were going to use the OPOL (One Parent One Language) method. However, things are not always as easy as they seem, right? You see, I had the desire but not a plan. I fell into the comfort of just speaking to our baby in English from the day he was born. After all, everyone spoke in English too!

During our son’s 4-year-old annual check-up, his pediatrician excitedly asked, “Is he bilingual?” Those three words weighed heavily on me. Other than counting his numbers and the basic colors that he learned from Dora in Spanish, no, he wasn’t bilingual. That’s when reality hit me! I started to panic! Literally to panic! I felt that the precious years for my baby to learn another language from birth to 5 was quickly slipping through my fingers. What was I going to do? Was it too late?

I started to strategize and make a plan. I started slowly by using the Language Boundary method from the book 7 Steps to Raising a Bilingual Child by Naomi Steiner. In this method, you use the target language during a specific situation, such as, time of day, location, or depending on an activity. I used this method during our bedtime story–speaking and reading to him in Spanish and then translating into English.

Then I had the opportunity to enroll him in a weekly preschool Spanish language immersion program. He was learning Spanish with other monolingual children his same age. He was excited and eager to learn Spanish. This is when I went into full Spanish-speaking mode with my child. At home, I started using the OPOL method. We read books, sang songs and played games, all in Spanish. I created opportunities for our child to speak Spanish, such as volunteering at his preschool summer camp a Spanish-language program and he was my little assistant. We also had the opportunity to spend two weeks in Puerto Rico during the summer immersed in a 100% Spanish environment.

Today I reflect on this past year and our journey into bilingualism. Looking back my only regret was not having started his language learning sooner. Nevertheless, speaking from my own personal experience, I can tell you that it’s never too late to start your child’s language learning.

My now 5-year-old speaks and understands Spanish very well. His language learning is still a work in progress, but if someone asks, “Is he bilingual?” I can happily respond, “Yes, he is!”

Frances is a part-time blogger, mommy and wife of a beautiful multicultural familia. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration with a certification in Human Resources. She blogs about heritage, culture, bilingualism, multicultural children’s books, and discovering the world through her son’s eyes. You can follow her at Discovering The World Through My Son’s Eyes.

{Photo by Que ma en}

In the world of children’s books, we often speak about the window and the mirror. It is of course important for our kids’ books to serve as a mirror and for them to see themselves in what they read. On the other hand, books must also provide a window into experiences and cultures other than our own. My kids are surrounded by books. Books we own, books from the library… suffice it to say, books are everywhere. Okay, okay, we own a company that helps families discover books, but we are not unlike many other families in our neighborhood. For us, books are in abundance. And yet, throughout the U.S. and in many other countries around the world, there are kids growing up with no books in their homes at all.

Waiting for the Biblioburro gives a window into many things for our kids. First, we are introduced to rural life in Colombia, where a teacher moving away means no more school or access to books for local children. Ana, the main character of the story, reads her sole book over and over again, until she and her village friends are one day surprised by a biblioburro, a teacher from the city who acts as a mobile library for children throughout the countryside. Ana’s deep appreciation for her books, and the love she has for reading and writing, resonate with child and parent alike.

The best part about this uplifting story is that it is based on the real life Biblioburro, which gives us a meaningful opportunity to talk with our little ones about the value of reading and books, and what it means when they are not easy to obtain.  At Zoobean, we have created English and Spanish reading guides to accompany the book and enhance your experience while enjoying it. We hope you love the story as much as we do, and would love to hear your feedback on the book and guide. ¡Qué disfruten!

Special for SpanglishBaby members, enter SPANGLISH at checkout to receive 50% off the first month of a new subscription on Zoobean!

English Guide Here

Spanish Guide Here

The Giveaway!

We’re giving away one copy of Biblioburro to THREE lucky winners. All you have to do is leave us a comment letting us know who you’d like to win this giveaway for. Then, enter the Rafflecopter below.

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Jordan Lloyd BookeyJordan Lloyd Bookey is Chief Mom and Co-Founder at Zoobean, a discovery platform and service that handpicks book and app selections for each individual child. Every book or app from Zoobean is curated by a team of experts…who also happen to be parents and librarians! These curators also provide reading guides with literacy tips and fun activities for the books selected for each child. Jordan leads Zoobean’s marketing and curation efforts, looking after the content and creative direction of the site. Before she decided to make the leap as an entrepreneur, Jordan served as Google’s Head of K-12 Education Outreach, where she was responsible for the company’s worldwide programs that expand access to technology and computer science kids. Prior to that, Jordan led the Diversity & Talent Inclusion efforts for Google’s Midwest and East Coast offices.Jordan earned an undergraduate degree from Wesleyan University in Latin American Studies, spending time in Venezuela and Cuba, and graduated with an MBA from The Wharton School of Business. Before graduate school, Jordan taught middle school Social Studies and Language Arts at the Seed School of Washington, DC, and served as a program director at a literacy‐focused nonprofit.Jordan is originally from Des Moines, IA, and now lives with her family in Washington, DC. You can usually find her at 1776 DC, working on Zoobean with her husband and Chief Dad, Felix, or exploring the city and trying to keep up with her children, Cassius and Florence.

We felt fortunate to have the pleasure of chatting a bit during a roundtable with the talented and funny actress, comedian, voice artist, producer writer and now mom of 2 young boys, Amy Poehler. Amy is the starring voice of Jenny, a strong female turkey character and natural leader who falls in love with Reggie (the main character turkey), in the movie “FREE BIRDS.”

During the interview we got to know a little more about Amy and a side of her that we don’t usually get to see, being a mom. Free Birds centers on Thanksgiving and the holiday season, so we asked her about her plans for the holiday season, and also asked if she or her family have any traditions they keep or new traditions they have recently started. Amy’s response, “I like to cook. I don’t get to do it as much as I’d like, but I like it. I feel like holidays in general–correct me if I’m wrong, are becoming really loose in a good way. I feel like everybody’s deciding how they want it to be. Especially when you have your own family, you kind of get to decide how you want to spend your holiday, like what suddenly is important. I like watching movies with my kids on Thanksgiving night. That’s always a really fun thing, especially showing them a movie they’ve never seen is always really fun.”

When asked about her career and motherhood and how she feels is the best way to “juggle” between each. Amy replied by saying, “Just kind of figuring out what is good for you. What works for you is what works. Everybody’s thing is different. And especially as you go on, you learn what things are important to you, what things fall away, and that you shouldn’t listen to anybody’s advice, and don’t worry about what anybody says. Do your thing. Whatever works for you and your family is the right thing.”

Amy then opened up and honestly told us about her most embarrassing “mom fail.” “Oh, Gosh. Sometimes, I forget where I’m driving them to. That happens, right?”

Our last question focused on reading to her kids. We asked, “Are there things that you like to read to your kids, or is reading something you like to do for yourself?” Amy replied, “We read all the time. They love books. It’s fun to read to them. Especially when you’re a working mother, it feels like a really good day to connect at the end of the night, to talk to them without forcing them to talk to you.”

Don’t miss Amy’s animated performance in FREE BIRDS from Relativity Media and Reel FX Animation Studios in Theaters on November 1, 2013. And check out our interview with Woody Harrelson and Owen Wilson!

You can also visit the official website Like FREE BIRDS on Facebook. Subscribe on YouTube and Follow @FreeBirdsMovie on Twitter and Instagram #FreeBirds

Carla Gutierrez was born in Lima, Peru. She is the founder of Notas De Mama a Spanish blog created for Hispanic moms living in the United States. At Notas de Mamá Carla shares her daily life, family outings, recipes, product reviews and DIY projects. She enjoys crafting and decorating her home, while challenging herself to do it on a budget. Carla loves being a wife and a mom, and raising her 3 year old son in sunny California. She loves teaching her son about the Peruvian and American cultures, and is proud that at age 3 he is fully bilingual. Connect with Carla @notasdemama .

The new animated film “FREE BIRDS” is landing in theaters on November 1^st.  The film arrives just in time to save a few turkeys before Thanksgiving.  SpanglishBaby had the opportunity to attend a “Free Birds” roundtable interview with Jimmy Hayward (Film Director) and male voices Owen Wilson (Reggie) and Woody Harrelson (Jake), along with being able to attend a preview of the movie.

The movie is sure to be a “Fall favorite.”  This hilarious, adventurous comedy is for audiences of all ages.  The premise is that two turkeys from opposite sides of the tracks must put aside their differences and team up to travel back in time to change the course of history in order to get turkey off the Thanksgiving menu for good.

Director Jimmy Hayward shared the main message of the movie. “You’re absolutely part of something bigger than just yourself.  It’s not about turkey or being a vegan or anything like that, because we all know that turkeys don’t talk–well, at least not to us.  And they don’t fly in time machines named Steve. Reggie is selfish and lazy, and Jake is this driven guy — Reggie really learns that he’s part of something bigger.  Just because you get rejected in your life doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t strive to be part of something that’s important–which is being part of the flock.”

I also got a chance to chat with Owen Wilson and Woody Harrelson.  The chemistry between these two actors is undeniable, which explains why they work so well together in the movie. I must admit, at points during the interview it was hard to tell if they were actually joking or not, except when they started talking about their kids which peaked the interest of the “mom”  in me.

Owen Wilson on what kind of dad he is:

“Well, they say that the number one thing is to be consistent, and I guess I try to do that a little bit.  But, I actually remember you (to Woody) saying that a big thing, right before Ford (his son) was born is just to hug your kids a lot, and I do that, which comes very easily because he’s very hug-able.  And so, it sounds corny, but you can’t hug your kids enough or give them that confidence that they’re loved.”

Woody Harrelson on a “Dad’s fails”:

“My “Dad’s fails” have to do with if I’m working and can’t go to a play they’re in, that drives me crazy.  I have one coming up where my daughter Ophelia is in Hamlet.  It’s a problem, but I think I’m going to work it out.  I think I’ll be able to go.”

This November 1^st don’t miss this funny and adventurous comedy for audiences of all ages.

To learn more, Like FREE BIRDS on Facebook, Follow @FreeBirdsMovie on Twitter and Instagram. Visit the official website. Subscribe on YouTube #FreeBirds

Carla Gutierrez was born in Lima, Peru. She is the founder of Notas De Mama a Spanish blog created for Hispanic moms living in the United States. At Notas de Mamá Carla shares her daily life, family outings, recipes, product reviews and DIY projects. She enjoys crafting and decorating her home, while challenging herself to do it on a budget. Carla loves being a wife and a mom, and raising her 3 year old son in sunny California. She loves teaching her son about the Peruvian and American cultures, and is proud that at age 3 he is fully bilingual. Connect with Carla @notasdemama .

Editor’s note: Last week, we brought you a guest post outlining the pros and cons of online tutoring for bilingual kids. Today, we have a follow up by the same author with tips on how to actually find a Spanish tutor online.

The way we started our search was just by Goggling “Spanish tutor online” (or “Spanish tutor via Skype”).

A lot of schools popped up, many of them were based in Guatemala and Ecuador. We have changed three schools and three teachers since our first time, and here are 10 things we learned from our experience:

1. Look for a school that has experience working with children. It sounds obvious, but you will really need to emphasize it when booking the first lesson. There are a lot of tutors for adults, and you need to find one who specializes in children’s curriculum.

2. Take advantage of free trial lessons. In fact, some schools will offer you another free trial lesson with a different teacher if you were not impressed with the first one.

3. Ask if they have a system of teaching, basically a curriculum. We had a tutor who was a very nice lady but who had no system or lesson plans whatsoever. The way she always started the lesson was “What do you want to learn today?” It sounded like a very personal approach, but we quickly realized that without a system the pieces they were learning did not build on one another.

4. Check the pricing. Usually prices vary from $9 per hour (if you buy multiple lessons in bulk) to $30 per hour, but it can differ widely between schools.

5. If your child is already bilingual, look for a tutor who knows very little of your child’s majority language (you can check it in the teacher’s bio on the website). That way your child does not have the option of relying on both languages and code-switching during lessons. The reverse is also true: if your child is just starting in a new language (like mine with Spanish), look for a bilingual teacher so that the instructions will be very clear.

6. Incorporate digital flashcards. We found that not too many schools have a good online system for a student to go back and review learned information. Usually it is trapped in the Skype conversation or PDF files. My son is 9, and I make sure he enters all new learned words and expressions into digital flashcards, which are easy to review and are available on every electronic device. If your child is younger, share the digital flashcards account with your tutor, so she can help create cards for your child.

7. The personality of the teacher is very important. We look for a fun, cheerful, but firm approach. When kids are bored they are not learning very effectively.

8. Try to be with your child at least for the first several lessons to establish good discipline and habits. It’s harder for a teacher to keep firm discipline when she or he is not physically present in the room, and your presence will help.

9. If your teacher likes to use websites like YouTube to demonstrate new words in the video or to motivate a child (like offering Spanish cartoons), ask her to assign them as homework rather than using them during lessons. I found that watching videos distracted my son’s attention and it was hard for him to get back into a learning mood.

10. If you are not fully satisfied with the teacher, don’t be afraid to move on to the next one. Your child’s education is very important!

Olena Centeno a Ukrainian who lives in USA, a happy mom of three wonderful kids ages 2 to 9 and a wife to a great man. She speaks three languages herself and is raising her kids to be multilingual in English, Russian, Ukrainian and Spanish. She founded Bilingual Kids Rock where she helps families on their bilingual journey. She also enjoys photography and video making as a way to preserve precious moments of life.You can connect with her at bilingualkidsrock.com

{image by  kellyv}

I’ve always been a shy child. But I’ve always been extremely proud of speaking another language. Here are five ways being bilingual helped boost my own self-esteem:

1) It has given me strong communication skills

Remember the first time you tried out your newly-learned language skills and managed to get out a full sentence and get a reaction that wasn’t confusion, but rather an answer to your question or a response to your request? Remember how confident you felt? The realization that you can talk to people and feel understood can give a great boost to your self-esteem and further motivate you to learn the language even better. For your child, it is similar. I love seeing the look on my daughter’s face when she realizes that she can communicate in another language. It’s about believing in your abilities.

2) It has allowed me to help others

I still remember how proud I was to help German tourists find their way in my hometown of Warsaw. I usually enjoy helping people, and through my knowledge of languages, I could help other children at school if they didn’t speak German so well. The knowledge that your kids can help people just by speaking another language can give them a powerful tool for helping others and make them feel more confident that way.

3) It helped me be proud of my differences

I always felt proud to speak another language so proficiently, even as a child with confidence issues. I knew this set me apart from other children who weren’t bilingual. I knew it was good to be different, and I really think that my strong knowledge of German in childhood made me a more resilient adult.

4) It helped me feel like I belonged

My knowledge of German got me into a better school than I could have hoped. It was a school with a strong German language program. There, I met like-minded people, and finally made friends. We knew that our school and our class set us apart from other schools, but it also made me feel welcome. As parents, we sent our child to an international school because we wanted her to feel normal speaking so many languages, but at the same time, make her understand that the mixture of language she is speaking is absolutely unique.

5) It brought me closer to my family

My parents are both multilingual and it allowed us to have a very special family language that nobody understood. A good relationship with my children is extremely important to me. With my eldest, we have our little Polish jokes, but at the same time, I also speak all languages she does. I believe that a good relationship with their parents can boost a child’s self-esteem. And I know that one of the ways of connecting with my children is through my and their multilingualism.

I know that these are just a few ways of boosting your child’s self-esteem. There are many more. But I also believe that this is even more of a reason to raise your child with multiple languages.

Olga Mecking is a Polish woman living in the Netherlands with her German husband. Together, they raise three trilingual children. Olga is also a trainer in intercultural communication, translator and blogger at The European Mama, which is a blog about multilingualism, expat life and parenting.You can find Olga over at her blog, her Facebook page, or follow her on Twitter.

{Image courtesy of Olga Mecking}

My husband and I don’t speak Spanish, but we still wanted our three kids to speak it. After years of searching for a good option (babysitters, playgroups, learning groups, etc.) we finally settled on having them learn Spanish through tutoring. We searched nearby cities (our town is tiny: only 1,141 people) and tried several teachers, but we were not satisfied with the return: after long hours of driving to the lessons, our son did not progress beyond the point of basic counting and learning hi ABC’s in Spanish.

I was almost ready to give up when an idea came to me: I talk to my family abroad via Skype, why can’t we learn Spanish via Skype as well? So we started to look for an online tutor.

Is it worth looking for Spanish (or other minority language) tutor online? Here are the pros:

1. If your child is already bilingual and speaks Spanish (or any other minority language) finding a tutor who only speaks that language is a great way for child to find himself in the monolingual mode. Speaking exclusively in Spanish requires him to really push his skills.

2. When time comes to teach your child literacy skills, having a tutor is almost essential. Even if you can technically teach your child to read and write on your own, having another person helping you is a great way to eliminate some stress. You child can turn down reading time with you by saying “no, I don’t want to read now,” and if you force them it will be very frustrating. But magically, they are much better behaved with a formal teacher, and they understand that scheduled lessons can’t be skipped. It also means the child is getting regular literacy lessons even when you’re too busy for reading time.

3. There’s no driving required! This is a big improvement on meeting tutors in person, especially for rural or small town parents (like us). It’s also more relaxing for the child to learn in the comfort of his own home.

4. Because it’s a one-on-one lesson and there’s no travel time, you can fit the lessons into your schedule however you want. You can’t take gymnastics, swimming or ballet classes online. But you can practice the language online, and you don’t need a physical space or a time that works for everyone in a large class to do it.

5. There are a lot of teachers to choose from. Because you can work with anyone in the world that has an internet connection, you have more freedom of choice. If a tutor isn’t working out, you’re not stuck with him or her.

6. A private tutor can take a much more personal approach with your child than a teacher with many students.

What are the disadvantages, you might ask? Here are the cons of online tutoring:

1. There’s an age limit. Usually you can’t use an online tutor with a child younger than 5 years old. A child younger than that will have a hard time sitting still in front of a computer for 30 minutes or an hour at a time. They also may not have the skills necessary to use the computer yet, or you may not want them accessing the internet that young.

2. The lesson happens in front of the computer. This may be a concern if you watch screen time closely in your family. If you child only gets a certain amount of computer time each day, you will have to make extra allowances for lessons.

3. The lessons are heavily dependent on internet connection. Technical issues on either end can interrupt a lesson.

4. Some portion of the human interaction is lost simply by the tutor not being physically present. It may seem small, but your child will miss certain nonverbal cultural clues that occur in real life encounters.

Olena Centeno a Ukrainian who lives in USA, a happy mom of three wonderful kids ages 2 to 9 and a wife to a great man. She speaks three languages herself and is raising her kids to be multilingual in English, Russian, Ukrainian and Spanish. She founded Bilingual Kids Rock where she helps families on their bilingual journey. She also enjoys photography and video making as a way to preserve precious moments of life. You can connect with her at bilingualkidsrock.com

{Image by  Mads Boedker}

Autumn is here, and that means it’s time to look at some of the issues facing parents of school-age bilingual children.

Our kids are in school, and every day we ask the usual question: “How was school today?”

Their unchanging reply: “Good.”

Keeping the Bilingual Focus

Like most parents raising their children bilingually, we always want them to talk more in the minority language.

Unless your children attend a bilingual or immersion school, their minority language probably isn’t used during the school day.

That means that the parents need to bring the language back into use as soon as the kids get home!

Open-Ended vs. Close-Ended Questions

Conversation with small children requires a lot of prompting.

Drawing your children out, especially in a minority language, requires you to understand the difference between open and closed questions:

• Closed-ended questions only have a limited number of responses. Yes/no questions are closed questions, as are questions that present limited options, such as “Do you want to read your book or go outside and play?”

• Open or open-ended questions do not have a limited number of replies. They require the child to imagine a new response of his or her own.

Most advice will tell you to focus on open-ended questions as a way to develop your child’s speech abilities. Making up a reply requires more language use than repeating something you’ve said to the child, so open questions are more interactive.

For bilingual children, however, it’s important to remember their limits and to use a mixture of questions. Simple, closed questions can be a good way of easing them into the use of their minority language.

How to Draw Your Child Out in a Second Language

Our system for asking our children about school is built around a mixture of closed and open-ended questions:

• First, we ask short, positive questions or statements for the child to confirm: “Wow, that is a lot of drawings you did!”

• Next, we offer a closed question that uses school-specific vocabulary: “Did you go to the special class with the art teacher or did you stay with Mrs. Hanes?

• After that, we stay on the same topic, but ask an open-ended question: “What did you like most about the art class?”

• When they reply using a mixture of languages or the majority language, I make sure to restate their reply entirely in their minority language: “Oh, the big picture of flowers on the wall was your favorite? I like flowers too.”

• Finally, we finish off with a positive, exciting statement: “What a wonderful day you’ve had!”

This helps start our children with easy answers, then moves them into newer and more school-specific vocabulary, and finally leaves them feeling good about their conversation in their minority language!

You can’t always come up with an exciting question every day, but keep at it — and don’t be afraid to use toys or playtime to slip the questions in! Sometimes your child would rather tell Batman or Barbie what he or she did at school than talk to you about it. Encourage them to do it in their minority language, and then sit back and let them run the show.

Olena Centeno a Ukrainian who lives in USA, a happy mom of three wonderful kids ages 2 to 9 and a wife to the great man. She speaks three languages herself and is raising her kids to be multilingual in English, Russian, Ukrainian and Spanish. She founded Bilingual Kids Rock where she helps families on their bilingual journey. She also enjoys photography and video making as a way to preserve precious moments of life.You can connect with her at bilingualkidsrock.com

Editor’s note: We normally don’t publish anonymous posts, but considering the sensitivity of the issue discussed in the one below, we decided it was the best route to take. 

My son started kindergarten at our local school this September. When registering him for his classes, it was necessary to lie about our home language use. Being a teacher, I am well aware of what happens to children who are identified as English Language Learners (ELL). Students are often pulled out of their classes and tested repeatedly until they satisfy some requirement set by the state or the district. There is also the risk of ELL students being placed in dumbed-down English as a Second Language class or even a “slow” class. There is the misperception that students who speak another language at home are not as proficient in English and would be unable to keep up with the brighter students.

I am not advocating that classes for English Language Learners are not necessary. They can be very valuable and helpful for children who are new to the United States, but that is not the case with my children. Although our home language is not English, my children were born and raised in the United States and even attended pre-school in English. They are completely fluent in Spanish, English and German, but yet, had I been honest when registering my son for kindergarten, he would have been labeled an English Language Learner (ELL). He would be regularly pulled from his normal class to be tested on his English proficiency, and he would be tracked as an ELL student for years into his education. His placement in classes in subsequent grades would be influenced by his bilingualism.

To avoid of all this, I simply lied. I wrote that our home language was English, and until all of the myths and misperceptions surrounding the speaking of other languages are cleared up, I will continue to do so.

It is amazing how behind the United States is when it comes to foreign language education. It is absurd that the public education system often waits until the students are in high school to start learning a language, when it is often much harder for a learner. Young children have the ability to acquire language naturally without being forced to memorize vocabulary and analyze a new grammar system. More and more studies are emerging pointing to the benefits of speaking two languages.

Hopefully the recent publicity surrounding the benefits of bilingualism will change the public perception of speaking and learning another language, and the learning of other languages will become a desired skill to acquire. Maybe by then, the American school system will catch-up. Until that time, I will continue to lie about the languages we speak at home so that my children will avoid the consequences of speaking Spanish.

{Image by woodleywonderworks}

You know those butterflies we tend to get when we’re about to do something big? Whether it’s giving a speech, stepping into an important meeting, jumping out of a plane or participating in a race, I am constantly looking for opportunities that provoke this simultaneous feeling of nervousness and excitement.

While I admit that I am far from a good singer, and still have much to improve on in terms of speaking in front of a crowd, the favorite butterflies that I get are, surprisingly enough, when I get to put a microphone in my hand, step on a stage, and belt out anything from reggaeton, banda music, rock en español, hasta salsa y música tropical… essentially, any genre of música latina, I’m game. With my light freckles, green eyes, and Irish/Norwegian background, let’s just say I’ve had my share of confused, then delighted looks from Latinos and non-Latinos alike. It’s all in a day’s work for me, being a “Gringa Latina.”

I once heard a quote from American golfer Paul Azinger, “If you don’t have butterflies, it’s because you know you have no chance.” With plenty of butterflies, even as I sat down to write this article, that is exactly what I’m seeking with this piece. A chance. A chance to explain more about my experiences and perspective as a Gringa Latina. A chance to thank people and companies that have given me the opportunity to follow my passion, both personally and professionally. And hopefully, a chance to hear from Latinos themselves, as I’m intrigued as to their thoughts on how thousands of us, who have no sangre latina, can feel so deeply about their language, culture and traditions.

While I could most likely be the subject of a study or even a book that explores the origins and social psychology behind this inherent connection to the Latin culture (Psychologist Brian Weiss might trace it back to a past life, while the Journal of Neuroscience may link it to a stronger connectivity in the white matter of the auditory cortex), the best way to explain it, in simplest terms, is that I’m most “in my element” when I’m speaking, listening or writing either in Spanish, or about the Hispanic community.

There is not an exact “moment” that it happened for me. Sure, I can remember watching soccer games on Univision when I was 6 years old in the suburbs of Chicago, I remember my first Spanish class at 14 with Sr. Snyder and getting A’s in Spanish the next eight years through high school and college; and of course I remember the life-changing experience of studying a semester abroad in Spain when I attended Indiana University, and you guessed it, majored in Spanish as well as Journalism.  At that point, I knew that I wanted Spanish in my life every day from then on — which of course meant marrying someone I could speak Spanish with, and someone to teach Spanish to, as we started our family.

Today, Guillermo and I have the unique pleasure of teaching our now 2-year old son, Elijah, the best of all his worlds on a daily basis. Fortunately, we live in a diverse community with no shortage of ethnic celebrations throughout the year. So with that comes pølse and folk music at the Norwegian Constitution Day Parade, boxty and rugby at the Irish American Heritage Parade, y claro, el grito y ballet folklórico at Fiestas Patrias celebrations, not to mention other Latino-inspired festivals throughout the year. So for me, it’s certainly not about neglecting my own roots, but rather, embracing an additional way of life. I look forward to living vicariously through Elijah and seeing his views and experiences, as he actually does have the ‘sangre latina’ that I never had, along with the European blood that I do have. I realize though, that he may be presented with his own challenges as it relates to identity, wondering where and with whom, he feels in his element.

From my perspective, I am forever grateful to the companies that gave me the opportunity to shine, once I followed my passion and pursued positions that allowed me to speak Spanish and represent the Hispanic community. Whether it was the team at Univision Radio San Diego, who not only taught me everything I know about karaoke en español, but truly immersed me in situations where I would learn — trying pozole for the first time outside of a concert venue, opening the doors to their cabinas and even letting me record commercials en español, and of course, engaging crowds at store-fronts throughout the city, as “La Crazy Tracy” formed an integral part of their Marketing and Promotions Department. Or take the team at the Mexico Tourism Board Chicago, where I was able to help coordinate press conferences for dignitaries like then-President of Mexico Vicente Fox, attend trade shows encouraging more incentive and convention-based travel to Mexico, and lead a group of journalists to Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo so they could experience the magic and lure of the country for themselves.

Now, we are celebrating one of my favorite times of year, as the consulting firm that Guillermo and I launched three years ago will be implementing a series of Hispanic Heritage Month celebrations with our clients. My team and I get to develop recipes with bilingual chefs and culinary students, integrating many authentic and even mainstream brands into each dish. We get to partner with Spanish-language radio stations to engage listeners and provide scholarships. We get to merchandise stores to reflect the booming demographics of the Latino communities they exist in… I could go on and on…

Above all, many thank you’s are in order. Gracias a mi suegra mexicana, who after each dish she makes, whether it’s chiles rellenos, picadillo con salsa, or enchiladas suizas, I seem to have a new favorite. Thank you to the family at a nearby park that welcomed my son and I, though we were complete strangers, to watch as each of the children at their party had their turn at the piñata — and in the meantime, teaching me a new verse to “Dale, dale, dale” that I had never heard before! Thank you to sites like SpanglishBaby and Latinaish who bring out the best in people like me, and provide useful resources for thousands of us “Gringo Latinos” who want to keep the conversation going both with friends and families alike.

And now, as I douse my Edy’s Outshine Mango Fruit Bar in Valentina Hot Sauce, I await with más mariposas, your experiences either as, or with, a “Gringo Latino.”

Raised in Chicago and of Irish heritage, Tracy Galindo is fluent in Spanish with a career spanning more than 10 years  working closely with the Hispanic community, including Univision Radio, the Mexico Tourism Board, and the Ethnic Marketing Desks for grocers Jewel-Osco and Albertsons. In a matter of 13 months, Tracy married into a Mexican family, started her own marketing firm, and became a mom. When she’s not helping companies skyrocket their sales, Tracy and her husband, Guillermo, channel their energy toward volunteering, traveling, and raising their toddler to be bilingual and bicultural. If you are among the growing number of “Gringo Latinos”, join us on Twitter @gringolatinos or LinkedIn. We talk movies, music, and much more!

{Images by sergio_space1}