SpanglishBaby™ » Category: Daily Blog

Quiero mi Baby: Jenny & Flo Exclusive Preview!

Tracy — Mon, 21 May 2012 04:06:34 +0000

Jenny & Flo of Quiero Mi Baby

MTV Tr3s’s new show, Quiero Mi Baby premiered on Monday April 16th – it’s a new series that shows the realities of cross-cultural parenting including language, religion and tradition clashes, in addition to many other issues unique to bi/multicultural families.

Check out this exclusive preview (meaning YOU WILL ONLY SEE IT HERE!) of tonight’s episode and then see our interview with the couple, Jenny and Flo, below.

Episode description: “Although Jenny & Flo are both Cubans, they are very different since Jenny was born in what they call “Cubanlandia” (Miami) and Florentino was raised in Chicago. Even though they grew up in very different places they both are in love with each other, and of course with their baby girl Valentina, who is about to turn one year old! Now, she is starting to eat solids and the couple starts disagreeing in a very important aspect of feeding their child. Would this be one out of many differences that the couple could face?”

SpanglishBaby talks to Flo

SB: We see in the preview video of your episode that you and Jenny disagree on whether television should be used to put the baby in a good mood so she can be fed. How do you guys usually resolve disagreements to find common ground?

Flo: It usually begins with an argument about our backgrounds and how we were brought up. Then it is followed by both of us proving our points with examples stemming from childhood to present. Ultimately it ends up with Jenny getting her way because Valentina has been spoiled and has learned the bad habits portrayed in the video. Do I agree? No! But if the baby doesn’t eat it’s worse so Jenny ends up getting her way but for the sake of Valentina’s well being, not because I agree.

SB: While you both have Cuban heritage, you were raised in Chicago and Jenny in “Cubanlandia” (Miami). When you have disagreements with Jenny about how to raise your child do you feel like they usually fall into the normal “different perspectives” that all parents have at times, or do you feel that some are due to cultural differences?

Flo: I feel that it’s a little bit of both. There are the standard “different perspectives” but also there are the differences of how we were brought up. I was brought up in Chicago, very American. We celebrated all the Holidays as any “American” would, almost like the pilgrims had started it with the Indians. Traditional meals and customs. Jenny’s idea of a Thanksgiving dinner for example is Lechon (pork), Congri (Black beans and Rice), Yuca (Cassava) and Flan (Cuban dessert.) She was raised by her grandmother and mother as I was raised more by my mom. The differences stem from eating habits to speaking. But at the end of it all I feel we have a great mix and Valentina is going to come up with the best from both worlds.

SpanglishBaby talks to Jenny

SB: Do you feel that you’re very close to your Cuban roots since you were raised in Miami? Tell us about a favorite childhood memory!

Jenny: Yes. I have grown up with only Cuban family and friends, so yes my Cuban roots are deep. All I and my parents have are Cuban family and mostly friends. So my roots are very deep. As for how I grew up, my favorite childhood memory is when my big Cuban family would go skiing in Colorado and invade the resort. We would be the loudest and funnest of the whole resort. I loved it.

SB: Do you plan to raise your child bilingual? Why or why not?

Jenny: I plan to raise Valentina bilingual as it’s important to raise her to know her Hispanic roots. She should know her background and also it will benefit her in the future.

Do you relate to Jenny & Flo’s story? Want to see what happens?

Watch Quiero Mi Baby on MTV’s Tr3s Mondays at at 9pm ET or on Tr3s.com.

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Explaining Culture to my 4-Year-Old

Elsie — Thu, 17 May 2012 14:13:13 +0000

What is culture? Marisol asked me that last week as we drove to preschool for the Cinco de Mayo celebration. It’s a simple question with a complicated answer. I found myself saying something like, “Culture is something a group of people share, usually from the same place, like a country, like food and music and, well, you know, like we speak Spanish.” I know — explanation fail.

I’m still not sure how to answer her question. We share a culture, stemming from the costumbres of a particular place, but people in the same place, like Los Angeles, can be part of many different cultures while participating in some kind of shared culture as well. There are cultural foods, music, dress, and language, but we don’t participate in all of them, and certainly not all the time. There’s a Latino supermarket just down the street, but we usually shop at the Trader Joe’s which is further away. We love buying pupusas at the the great Salvadoran place in our neighborhood, but I can’t tell you the last time I made pupusas. And yet…

We are Latino, Mexican, Salvadoran, American. All of these things mean a lot to me and inform the way we raise our girls. I can’t define it properly, but I feel it. It’s the reason I speak Spanish with my girls, despite my terrible accent, despite turning to google translate daily, despite knowing that I’m not doing it perfectly. The fact is, we love going to our favorite Salvadoran place, and buying burritos from the farmer’s market taco truck. We read books in Spanish and English. My girls love their Abuelita and Gammy, and eat platanos fritos and salted seaweed. We’ve just started looking at maps, and I want them to know that they have family in places far and wide. I can’t help feeling like we have a lot of culture to celebrate, but what does that mean to a four-year old?

I tell her, “We speak Spanish because that is part of our culture, and so is dancing, and mangoes, juicy and sweet. Mexican is Great Grandma Gomez’s chile rellenos and her thin dark arms hugging you. Mexican is Great Grandpa Gomez making you laugh. Salvadoran is Abueita touching your face, and Tia Mayte talking loudly. Salvadoran is me singing to you in Spanish. American is family, friends, neighbors and us, all different but together having fun.”

It still doesn’t make sense, but it’s the best I can do.

How do you explain culture to your little ones? I’d love some ideas!

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A Glance at Bilingualism Across the U.S.

Roxana A. Soto — Wed, 16 May 2012 18:29:10 +0000

Via: BestCollegesOnline.com

We’re totally loving this infographic created by BestCollegesOnline.com! The graphic speaks for itself and we’re sure many of you are already aware of the info included, but we think it’s a great way to share with others why we consider bilingualism such an amazing benefit!

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Celebrating Baby Showers and Traditions

Elizabeth — Tue, 15 May 2012 13:00:15 +0000

Is it just me or does it seem that there are more baby showers in the spring than in the other seasons of the year?

Recently, some friends and I hosted a baby shower for another amiga. When I commented to my mother-in-law that I would need her help taking care of Sofía for the day because the shower would be at my casa, her eyes lit up! And then the stories started pouring out about how much she and her gals LOVED baby showers when she lived in Peru. I love to hear stories about the way things are done in different countries, in fact, the cultural traditions fascinate me. As she spoke, the visions of waiters in black ties carrying trays of mini sanduches and recuerdos (party favors) for the guests danced in my head.

I’m sure that somewhere here in La USA that there are people who all customarily pull their dinero together and hire caterers and waiters to serve baby shower guests so that the hostess doesn’t have to lift a finger. I personally haven’t been to any of those showers, not in La USA nor Latinoamérica, but I can only guess they exist.

As I prepared, organized and decorated our casa, I made sure to explain to Sofía the significance of each. I want her to learn about customs here as well as in Latinoamérica, but unfortunately I’m not very well-versed on them in any country. ¡Gracias a Dios for Pinterest! One quick search and you are served up a platter of current cutesy baby shower ideas (mostly) from La USA!

It also seems that baby shower decorations and arrangements today are a lot more creatively complex than before. I mean the invention of the Silhouette Machine has opened doors to some dedo-parado/fancy schmancy personalized banners, detailed wall hangings and custom decorations. I feel like I woke up one day and everyone was making Diaper Cakes for Baby Showers. We were no exception!

From Pinterest, I used the idea for a Rubber Ducky Punch Bowl and the recuerdos for the guests — personalized home-made cookie pops. ¡DELICIOSO!

Cookie Pops are much different than the recuerdos that my mother-in-law described used to be given to the guests in Perú. Evidently those recuerdos must be a current local Latino tradition as well — an insight I picked up from a quick trip to our neighborhood Dollar Store.

In my quest to consciously raise my daughter Sofía to be bilingual as well as bicultural, I continue to culturally dissect just about every experience that comes our way. Maybe you reading this could help me fill in some blanks, por favor?

Old or new, borrowed, blue or rosado, I would love for you to share what you know about baby showers in your culture.

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Quiero mi Baby: Caroline & Christian Exclusive Preview!

Tracy — Mon, 14 May 2012 11:00:59 +0000

Caroline and Christian of Quiero mi Baby on Tr3s

Hola Spanglishbaby familia! We’re back with another episode of MTV Tr3s’s show, Quiero Mi Baby – the new series that shows the realities of cross-cultural parenting including language, religion and tradition clashes, in addition to many other issues unique to bi/multicultural families.

Check out this exclusive preview (meaning YOU WILL ONLY SEE IT HERE!) of tonight’s episode and then see our interview with the couple, Caroline & Christian, below.

Episode Description: Beauty Queen Caroline and Business man Christian have only known each other for a few short months, but are already gearing up for some big changes that will last them a lifetime! Don’t miss how these first-time parents go through a life changing experience, especially Caroline given that she is a model and is very scared she won’t be able to get back in shape once baby Chase is born. Will she get her modeling life back after the baby is born? Tune in to this episode of Tr3s’ original show Quiero Mi Baby!

SpanglishBaby talks to Christian

SB: The preview video and description for your episode didn’t give us much background. Can you tell us more about where you grew up and your heritage?

Christian: I grew up in Haiti and was raised there till I was about eleven years old. I moved to New York with my mom and my two brothers but kept returning back to my heritage at least three to four times a year. When I tell people I am Haitian they don’t believe me. They say “No way, you’re Latin.” Once I start speaking Creole is when they realize I am not lying. It does not bother me though, yo hablo un poquito!

SB: Were you raised bilingual?

Christian: Yes I was raised bilingual. Ever since I can remember my parents taught me French, Creole and English. I am now learning Spanish from Caro.

SB: Do you plan to raise your baby, Chase, to be bilingual?

Christian: Absolutely! I feel it is important that my son Chase knows his ancestors language. Also being able to speak different languages will open many more doors for him in life. With that said Chase has no choice but to become bilingual.

SpanglishBaby talks to Caroline

SB: Same questions for you! Can you tell us more about where you grew up and your heritage?

Caroline: Most definitely! I was born in California but growing up I was extremely fortunate because I was raised in the best of both worlds. Brazil and Peru. I remember always jumping on a place and one year staying with my moms family in Peru eating ceviche and the next year dancing samba with my dads side of the family in Brazil. I was a lucky girl to have been raised multi-cultural. I believe it has helped me a lot especially with landing roles in my line of work.

SB: Were you raised bilingual?

Caroline: My first primary language was Portuguese. As you know though when you attend a school where everyone tends to speak English you sort of adapt to what surrounds you. I remember coming home and my family would speak to me in Portuguese and Spanish and I always responded in English. Now that I am older I understand the importance of being bilingual and I practice my Spanish and Portuguese all the time!

SB: Do you plan to raise your baby to be bilingual? (Why or why not?)

I agree with my husband 100% speaking multiple languages is a necessity in America. The more you know the more opportunities and chances will be brought to you. I believe every mother wants the best for their child and I want Chase Valentino to be extremely successful as his parents and I will raise him to speak English, Spanish, Portuguese, French and Creole. I myself am learning French and Creole by Chris.

I believe a happy family is one that can agree on certain things and disagree on others. No one is perfect but if you have love in your hearts then nothing can get in between of a happy life. Chris and I are getting to know each other every day more and more and I think it’s safe to say that I will never stop learning about my husband.

We love each other and we are super blessed. Thank you for interviewing us. I would love all my followers to follow me on twitter and facebook to keep updated with tips, advice and motivational quotes. I also will post photos of my family and future projects. I love to spread positive energy around the world and as my motto goes “Changing the world one person at a time.” God Bless!

Do you relate to Caroline & Christian’s story? Want to see what happens?

Watch Quiero Mi Baby on MTV’s Tr3s Mondays at at 9pm ET or on Tr3s.com.

Disclosure: We did not receive any monetary compensation to share this post. We just think this is a great show that completely relates to what we share on SpanglishBaby.

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Why It Takes a Nonconformist to Raise A Bilingual Child

Ana Flores — Mon, 14 May 2012 07:01:35 +0000

Earlier last week I had to write my first post on my new blog – Besos – for Babble as one of their new Voices. As I tried to introduce myself to that new audience, I kept coming back to the label of nonconformist which was given to me by my high school friends when the class superlatives were announced. There I was, right under the title of “Class Nonconformist.”

No, I wasn’t thrilled with it at all, but over the years I’ve learned to embrace that seemingly negative trait and realized just how happy I am to not meet everyone’s expectations of how things “should” be. Check out my Babble Voices article and you’ll get to know my nonconformist self just a bit more.

After that bit of self exploration, and reading the many comments from other women (and men) applauding and coming out as nonconformists themselves, I realized that all of us here are nonconformists just by the fact that we’ve decided to gift our children with a second (or more) language. Wouldn’t you agree?

Why are we nonconformists?

We’re nonconformists because we won’t believe any of the myths thrown our way by those who seem to know better than we do and have never read or researched the plethora of facts surrounding the incredible benefits of the bilingual brain.

We’re nonconformists because we will go out of our way to find the books, music, apps and toys that will enrich our kid’s lives with the sounds of our language of choice.

We’re nonconformists because, if given the choice, we will ignore the ignorants who claim bilingual education fails the system and we will do everything we can to enroll our child in a dual-language immersion program.

We’re nonconformists because we don’t care if others think it’s rude we’re not speaking to our kids in English when out in public. We are focused on our kid’s language learning and immersion process and not the other’s insecurities.

We’re nonconformists because we won’t let society dictate that one language is all we need; we know bilingual is better.

I’d love to hear from you on this one. Do you feel you’re a nonconformist? Why or why not? Let’s start this conversation and continue leading this #BilingualKids movement together.

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What Is A Spanish Speaker Supposed To Look Like?

Susan — Thu, 10 May 2012 13:00:31 +0000

In this country, there is a definite stereotype as to what a Spanish speaker is supposed to look like. The erroneous belief seems to be that only people with dark hair, dark eyes and tan skin speak Spanish. I know that the readers of SpanglishBaby are aware of the great diversity that exists among Spanish speakers, but the reality is that the American public seems to hold fast to their misconceptions.

At the school where I teach, the students are always amazed when they learn that Ms. Choi is a native speaker, because even though she is ethnically Korean, she was born and raised in Ecuador. This year in particular, my students are slowly changing their deeply guarded beliefs as to what a Spanish speaker looks like since they have a classmate who is ethnically Korean, but was born and raised in Paraguay, and two students of Indian descent whose parents grew up in Panama.

When my children were just babies, I would often wonder how these stereotypes would affect their Spanish speaking ability. Now that they are older, I am starting to see that it is not hurting them but rather helping them. Currently, Spanish is their dominant language. When they speak to me or to each other, it is always in Spanish.

The fact that they look very much like their German grandmother with their blond hair and blue eyes causes them to get a lot of positive attention for speaking Spanish. Both Spanish and non-Spanish speaking adults praise them for being bilingual. They are often told how smart they are or how wonderful it is that they can speak Spanish. I actually think it is the reason that they have never rebelled against our Spanish only rule. In fact, I am actually starting to find them showing off a bit. They use their Spanish to impress the hostess at the Mexican restaurant we frequent in order to hear her praise them, and to get more candy.

At the same time, I can’t help but wonder how Spanish speaking kids who do not fit this stereotype are treated. Do they receive the compliments and praise that my sons receive for speaking Spanish, or are they looked down upon for not speaking English? Are they told they are smart and wonderful for knowing two languages or are they told to speak English because they are in America?

It is my belief that as more studies come out about the benefits of being bilingual, there will be less negative reactions to different races and different languages. I hope that my efforts to educate both my own children and my students about the value of cultural and linguistic diversity will change negative stereotypes and make the world a better place for everyone.

{Image via Michael Bentley}

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When Bilingual Education Is NOT Okay

Roxana A. Soto — Wed, 09 May 2012 18:51:50 +0000

Puerto Rico announced yesterday that it aims to make all its public school students bilingual by the year 2022. To that end, Gov. Luis Fortuño has proposed a plan to require all public schools to teach all courses in English instead of Spanish — except for Spanish grammar and literature, of course. On the surface, this might seem like a good plan, after all, we all know the power of bilingualism. But once you look at it for what it really is — a political move by a governor who wants Puerto Rico to become the 51st state of the Union — it’s very difficult for me to stand behind this proposal.

Before I continue, let me disclose (for those of you who don’t already know) that I’m married to a Puerto Rican whose entire family still lives there. I’ve visited Puerto Rico countless times since I met my husband back in 1997, as well as a journalist covering all types of stories for Univision. I’ve had the pleasure of spending time with people with completely different views regarding what should happen with their island, from those who want to become the 51st state to those who want to become independent. And so, although I’m not Puerto Rican, my views have been tainted by the time I’ve spent there, the people I’ve met and, more than anything, my husband’s family.

As a huge proponent of bilingual education — particularly of dual language immersion programs — I found myself between a rock and a hard place after I found out yesterday that Puerto Rico announced to the world that it wants to become fully bilingual within 10 years. On the one hand, I obviously believe wholeheartedly that bilingual is better. Here at SpanglishBaby, we’ve spent the last three years exalting the benefits of speaking more than one language and, as most of you know, we just got done writing a book all about this topic. And yet, I can’t support bilingual education when it’s done for political motives, at the expense of another culture and in a forceful manner. It has to be an option, not an imposition. Many Puerto Ricans, including my husband, feel the same way.

In fact, although she supports bilingual education, even the president of the Puerto Rico Teachers Association feels that teaching all courses in English is extreme. “This is wrong,” Aida Diaz told The Associated Press. “This leads us to substitute our own language for a secondary one. It should not be that way.”

The politics behind Fortuño’s proposal are as complicated as the contentious history between the U.S. and it’s one and only colony, Puerto Rico. Suffice it to say that, for many Puerto Ricans, the idea of imposing a mostly all-English curriculum in public schools puts them one step closer to statehood. While about half the islanders support this, many others want to remain a U.S. Commonwealth. A very small minority, wants independence.

Here’s the thing: Both English and Spanish are the official languages of Puerto Rico, but about 96 percent of the island’s 3.9 million people speak Spanish at home. In others words, Spanish is, undeniably, the majority language. I think that’s one of the biggest misconceptions about Puerto Rico. While a lot of people over there — including my husband’s family — understand, speak and even read and write in English, they conduct themselves in Spanish all day long and in every aspect of their lives. To all of a sudden switch to teaching all courses in English instead of Spanish and to make it mandatory is, in no uncertain terms, an imposition. And becoming bilingual because you’re forced to, is no good — regardless of the benefits.

Interestingly enough, even many of those who are in favor of statehood and are themselves bilingual feel this way. For them, it’s like they want to become the 51st state, but not at the expense of what it means to be Puerto Rican and one of those things is their native language, which is tied to their traditions, heritage and most of all, their music. And that’s the one thing any Latino who reads SpanglishBaby should be able to identify with. After all, isn’t that exactly what we’re all trying to do?

In the end, I guess you have to be Puerto Rican (or married to one) to truly understand the intricacies of their past and see why imposing English in public schools is such a sensitive issue.

{Image via Joe Shlabotnik}

How do you feel about a government imposing bilingualism on all children?

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Why We Spend Our Summers in Mexico

Guest — Tue, 08 May 2012 08:01:24 +0000

Ever since I met my husband, when he was an exchange student from Mexico at my U.S. university, he has been bragging about an amazing summer camp he went to as a child in Mexico D.F.: “There were sports and games, we would swim and have gymnastics every day, they taught us about leadership and did team-building activities.” He always said that one day, he would send his kids there.

Fast-forward 13 years, when we had three kids ages 5, 5, and 2. Toño began to buzz about his beloved curso de verano. The more we looked at the possibility from different angles, the more we both knew that we wanted to go to Mexico for the summer and give our kids this opportunity: practicing their spoken Spanish with kids from Mexico, living with their abuelitos and spending time with relatives we only see once or twice a year, and being immersed in the cultura for six weeks.

The first year, we decided we would drive from Texas to Mexico City: our kids were used to long road trips from our drives home to Chicago, which was also 20+ hours away! Toño would stay a few days, but then fly home to work until our last week, when he would return. We would stay with my suegros, who still lived five minutes away from the camp. What an incredible way to reconnect with family, and form a stronger bond with our loved ones!

Having our minivan would mean that I — la gringuita — would have to learn to drive in Mexico City, where the rumors of the chaotic roads and drivers are mostly true. Toño patiently showed me how to zip around, while promising that by the time he returned in a month, I would be a natural. Gripping the steering wheel while simultaneously praying and swearing, I tried to nod in agreement.

The first week was the most difficult. We try to speak Spanish (or at least Spanglish) at home with the kids, but getting them to answer back in español has been harder and harder since they’ve entered school. Being the only Americans in the camp — and my son being the only Chinese camper — drew some attention. Curious kids called him chinito (prompting a conversation about Spanish apodos), asked why he didn’t look like his mami (he is adopted), and lots of kids — and teachers — would practice their English with my daughter.

By the second and third week, our kids had made amiguitos! They would run out of camp with huge smiles, singing new songs (in Spanish!) and chattering about whom they’d sat with at lunch and what new games they’d played. On the weekends we visited churches, eco-parks, the pyramids, and nearby pueblitos. I encouraged the kids to sample as many dishes as possible — even fried chapulines (crickets)! Our kids marveled at the colorful markets, relishing the attention of the vendors. “¿Adónde vamos hoy mami?” Every new experience opened their eyes and broadened their horizons.

As I began to learn more recipes from my suegra, the kids willingly broadened their palette: nopalitos, batidos de mamey, huaraches, mole, enchiladas suizas… After la comida, my father-in-law would roll warm corn tortillas, spread with crema to pass out among the kids. “Otra tortillita ‘ito!!!” they would chant endlessly to their abuel-“ito.” Watching — and listening to — this interaction melted my heart, and I knew then that we would return for future summer camps.

My husband came back for the final clausura of camp, and was amazed and proud at our transformations. I was now an assertive (but safe!) chofer, and our kids had drastically improved not only their verbal español, but their self-confidence. They had overcome challenges at the beginning, and now they were pure joy. They were comfortable, both linguistically and culturally. They were able to “fit in” and make friends. But most importantly, they were falling in love with Toño’s culture, cuisine, and homeland. Living in the US, we didn’t know how we would be able to cultivate this appreciation; after our summer in Mexico, there are no more doubts.

Becky Morales is a mom to 4 bilingual, multicultural, active kids ages 4-7; she and her husband are doing their best to raise them as compassionate world citizens, and lifelong learners. She founded kidworldcitizen.org, where parents and teachers can find global activities to do at home that help enrich little minds. In her free time loves to cook and travel and is a wannabe triathlete.

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Quiero mi Baby: Jada & Kristian Exclusive Preview!

Tracy — Mon, 07 May 2012 10:00:09 +0000

Jada of Quiero Mi Baby

Check out this exclusive preview (meaning YOU WILL ONLY SEE IT HERE!) of tonight’s episode and then see our interview with the couple, Jada and Kristian, below.

Episode description: “Jada, la gringuita, moved to Mexico for the love of the Latin Culture and to learn Spanish. But she never expected to fall in love with Kristian, a Mexican musician that fell for her instantly. From this love, Jada became pregnant, so she decides that the best thing to do is to go back to the states to be with her family during her pregnancy. Jada and Kristian go through really rough times given that Kristian does not have his visa to come visit Jada, not even when their baby is born! Will this couple be able to be together again and create a family for their baby boy? Don’t miss this touching Tr3s’ original series Quiero Mi Baby episode to find out how love can cross any boundaries!”

SpanglishBaby talks to Jada

SB: The preview of your episode was difficult for me to watch. I’m also a “gringa” who fell in love with a Latin American man and although we were never separated by the border as you were with Kristian, it was something my husband and I worried about in our first few years together. What made you decide to leave Kristian behind in Mexico and come have your baby in the United States?

Jada: Several factors were discussed, the first is that we wanted our son to have American citizenship and we knew that if he was born in another country the process would be very lengthy. We figured worst case scenario I would be alone for the first 6 months of the pregnancy, while Kristian’s paperwork came through. We never expected it to be one year before we would bring him to the States. Second, I wanted a natural childbirth and I was told that communication was key in this process. I wanted to make sure I had a strong English speaking medical team so I can understand everything that was happening. I didn’t want to find myself needing to have translated what’s happening mid-birth, that made me nervous. I needed to be sure the environment would be calm and smooth, so this was the best solution for us.

SB: The description of the episode says that you moved to Mexico for your love of Latin culture and to learn Spanish – Where did that passion for Latin culture come from? How far are you in your Spanish studies and how, as a non-native speaker, do you plan to raise your new baby boy to be bilingual?

Jada: I turned 30 in September and at 4 years old I have a very vivid memory of encountering a Mexican family, and listening to someone my age speak to her mom – and I thought ‘wow she’s saying the same thing but in a different way.’ From that moment on I was very intrigued by the culture and being Italian, there are many similarities. My family also fostered a lot of relationships with friends who were Mexican and Cuban growing up, so I was surrounded by the culture quite often.

I feel confident about speaking the language and understand it well… sometimes my grammar and tenses are off which is embarrassing but my in-laws are very proud and supportive. And yes, I definitely want our son to be bilingual. We only speak Spanish at home and we take him to Spanish story time at the library.

SpanglishBaby talks to Kristian

SB: As I told Jada, the preview for your Quiero Mi Baby episode was difficult for me to watch – Many other people have been in your position including friends of mine who are living far away from their husbands and/or father of their children due to lack of a visa – it’s heartbreaking. I wonder, do you worry much that your son is growing up outside of your culture and language?

Kristian: He’s growing up different than I because of the environment and where we live but we reinforce my culture and language in the home as much as possible. I take him to Latin dance classes, festivals, my in-laws teach me Mexican recipes when we see each other. I talk to my family in Mexico about 2-3 times a week. And we plan to travel as much as possible when the baby is older, so he can grow up around cousins and family. Given that we’re both teachers, I’ve also thought about moving the family to Mexico for the summers.

SB: I noticed in the video that you speak Spanish to Jada and the baby – is it important to you that your son is bilingual? Why?

Kristian: I’m an artist by trade and when it comes to storytelling, poetry in Spanish, it’s so engaging and I want my son to love it, and to understand, and it’s just not the same translated – the emotion is not the same. I want to teach my son and share experiences with him in my native language. It’s where I feel most comfortable and confident that I’m getting my message across.

Do you relate to Kristian & Jada’s story? Want to see what happens?

Watch Quiero Mi Baby on MTV’s Tr3s Mondays at at 9pm ET or on Tr3s.com.

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