Culture Corner: I cherish the lessons I am learning about my Colombian and Peruvian background

Dec. 17, 2025

By Natalia Hernandez
Staff Writer

Growing up, I often sat quietly at family gatherings, smiling as my Peruvian relatives laughed and spoke in Spanish around me. I didn’t understand their words, and that bothered me.

As a toddler, whenever my family spoke Spanish, I either tuned them out or tried to interpret their words through their facial expressions and tone. Every now and then, I would hear one of them say my name, followed by a few words and laughter. I simply smiled because I did not know what else to do. Over the years, I came to understand that they were joking about my limited proficiency in Spanish.

Looking back, I wish I had learned Spanish as a child rather than beginning in middle school. Still, picking up the language was a constant challenge for me because of my dad’s lack of patience and my mother’s cultural disconnection.

My mother was born in Colombia but came to the United States as a baby after being adopted by an American family with Irish, Italian and Ukrainian heritage. As a result, to this day, she does not speak or understand Spanish, nor does she feel connected to her Colombian roots.

She passed this obstacle down to me, as I realized I know nothing about Colombian culture, including food, music and traditions.

While I have good reason not to be in touch with my Colombian side, I am glad I can now communicate with my Peruvian relatives thanks to the language skills I gained in school. There are still times I struggle to form sentences in conversations, but I have made significant progress.

The pandemic was a wake-up call for my dad, who came to value family more and started spending more time with his mother, my abuela. She introduced me to Peruvian cuisine, and I intend to pass along her spectacular recipes to the next generation.

Looking back, I wish I had learned Spanish as a child rather than beginning in middle school.

Along with the food, I have recently become interested in learning about the different cultures of Colombia and Perú. I do this through online research about the foods, holidays and music in both countries. This has allowed me to deepen my understanding of my Peruvian family and attempt to learn about Colombian culture alongside my mother.

To strengthen my relationship with Perú, my family and I plan to visit the country in the upcoming year. My father was born in Perú, but since he came to America as a baby, like my mother, he does not have any memories of it.

For my father and me, it will be a new experience that will help us better understand who we are and where we came from. I hope to do the same by eventually visiting Colombia, so I will no longer feel left out.