We’re back with Season 2 of MTV Tr3s’s show, Quiero Mi Baby – a new series that reveals the realities of cross-cultural parenting, including language, religion and tradition clashes, in addition to many other issues unique to bi/multicultural families. This season has some new, unique couples we’re going to introduce you to!
Check out this exclusive preview (meaning YOU WILL ONLY SEE IT HERE!) of tonight’s episode and then see our interview with the couple, Heather and Alex, below.
Episode description: “After living all his life in Puerto Rico, a great job offer brought Alex to Alabama, what he never expected was to find the woman of his dreams who would also turn out to be the future mother of his son.
Heather born and bred in Alabama, fell in love with Alex’s boricua sabor and his Latin family values.
Unlike Alex who is the typical kid who grew in a tight Latin family unit, Heather was adopted by her grandparents and never had a relationship with her parents. But things change once a baby’s on board! Now this couple has not only considered reuniting with Heather’s family, but they’ve also decided to get married and to of course, to visit “La isla del encanto”! ”
SB: We see in the video that you were introduced to some Puerto Rican foods. Have you also been teaching Alex about culture and food from Alabama? Was there anything he loved, hated or found particularly strange?
Heather: I have definitely introduced Southern food to Alex… I would say the two things he was most surprised by [and] liked the best were number one, fried cornbread, (he told me it reminds him of plantains) – but I have changed it up a little – I season the batter with Adobo before I fry it now, that’s Alex’s little Puerto Rican twist on cornbread, haha! And number two, a recipe for a vegetable beef soup my grandmother’s sister gave her called “Cowboy Soup” – Alex isn’t that big into vegetables and said ‘Ew!’ The first time I made it… But after trying it, he loves it! Alex may not always like everything food-wise that I introduce him to, but I love that he is willing to try things at least once!
SB: We also see in the video that Alex is bilingual – are you bilingual as well? If not, do you plan to learn Spanish? Are there any plans to raise the baby bilingually?
Heather: I am somewhat bilingual… I understand and read Spanish much more and much better than I speak it… I am not that confident when I speak Spanish because I think I sound ridiculous. I do want to learn to speak it fluently though! It is very important to me that my son is bilingual! I want him to be connected to his Hispanic roots and I feel he will get a lot further in life and be more intelligent if he knows two languages!
SpanglishBaby talks to Alex
SB: Seeing how you got choked up when you and your father talked about how you missed each other made me choke up a little, too. Is missing your family in Puerto Rico the hardest part about making a new life in Alabama?
Alex: Yes I would have to say so. What I miss the most from Puerto Rico is the quality time I spend with by family during the weekends. The hardest part for me is that my family lives so far away.
SB: Puerto Rican culture is full of so many traditions – which do you hope to pass on to your child?
Alex: I plan to show my boy the tradition of celebrating ‘The Day of the Three Wise Men’ (Día de los Tres Reyes Magos). When I was a child my parents would give my brothers and me a shoe box to fill with grass from our front lawn. At night my parents would tug on the grass as if the Three Wise Men arrived with their camels to my house. In the morning it was great waking up to gifts and seeing the front lawn a little messy. This is very special to me and I hope it becomes special for my boy too.
Do you relate to Heather and Alex’s story? Want to see what happens?
Watch Quiero Mi Baby on MTV’s Tr3s Mondays at at 9pm ET or on Tr3s.com.
