I was born in Bogota, Colombia on August 14th, 1998 and left only two years later in search of a better life in the United States of America. The United States is where I was raised, where all my childhood memories take place; the life I know is in this country. Although I have no memory of Colombia, I am still influenced by its culture. Furthermore, I have embraced my Colombian heritage, centering part of my identity on it.
When I first moved to this country I was two years old and clueless of my surroundings. However, as I grew up I became more observant of those who surrounded me, and more importantly, the differences between me and others. My first reaction was always to be ashamed or sad that I was the outcast, unable to relate to certain
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I have had the privilege to help two friends of mine named Brian and Jose learn English. Jose is an honduran refugee who has been thrown into a new country with no way of communicating and very few connections to root himself in his new home. Brian is a Colombian immigrant who moved to this country after being taken aback by it’s beauty and opportunities. I have helped them both in part because I know how hard it is to build a foundation in a foreign land. Furthermore, I want them both to experience American culture without being overwhelmed, or infatuated with the culture that they forget their own. I want them to diversify their culture, not change it. Additionally, they have given me an outlet to talk about latino heritage and it’s benefits. I have friends who I know will watch the nightly soccer match, friends who understand how strict parents can be, and friends who have the same ideals as me. I could always talk to another non-hispanic friend about the same subject, but they would never understand it because they have never experienced it. All latinos have similar experiences throughout their childhood and life that links them all, creating a bond of understanding throughout them