Cultural Diversity In Spanish Culture

Growing up in Mississippi with a Puerto Rican family seemed like the norm until I started attending school. Prior to starting school, I was always surrounded by Spanish-speaking family friends and neighbors with similar, if not identical, cultural backgrounds. Due to the close knit Spanish community, I don’t remember any memorable or jarring experiences stemming from my being different until I started pre-K.

My mom told me that prior to pre-K I caught on to some English while playing with my older sister who would practice with me. Other than that, all I knew was Spanish. Luckily for me, my Puerto Rican neighbor taught my pre-K class. Because of the language barrier, I clung to her the whole time I was in class. While providing comfort, my teacher was also

influential in acquainting me with the rest of the students, all which spoke English. One of my first memories is of her forcing me to sit at a table of my peers for an activity instead of letting me stay with her. It was utterly terrifying.

However, it forced me to learn the language. Just like my older siblings, I would come back home to practice English. Soon enough, English became our primary language while my parents spoke to us in Spanish. This pattern continued throughout our lives; us kids bringing in the cultural aspects of the Gulf Coast while my parents shared with us our Hispanic roots.

In addition to my parents, I was exposed to my Hispanic heritage through my extended family, trips to Puerto Rico, and at gatherings with all the Hispanics my parents somehow found in South MS. This is how I learned salsa, got to celebrate Three Kings’ Day, and ate some amazing food.

Yet, cultural disparities aren’t always overt.

This past Thanksgiving I discovered the hashtag ThanksgivingWithHispanics and spent hours laughing at all the relatable memes. I showed my boyfriend, a white male from a southern family, the memes and realized that they were picking up on subtle cultural differences that he’d never experienced. There was a recurring theme of “ya saludaste” memes; for example, “When you walk straight into the kitchen to eat and your mom hits you with the ‘ya saludaste?’” Which essentially means, “Did you say hi to everyone?” He asked why that was such a big deal. The only explanation I had for him was that it’s rude to show up to a gathering and not say hi to everyone there. It doesn’t matter if you know them or not. Everyone gets a kiss on the cheek and is asked how they’re doing.
After my parents’ divorce, they remarried; my dad to a Russian with two young children and my mom to a white man of New Orleans heritage. Although the Hispanic influence is no longer as prevalent in their homes, the additional cultural input is welcomed. This multicultural exposure, along with my background, has always been an asset, allowing me to connect to a diverse society in a unique

way