Embracing my Guatemalan culture and heritage

By Gabriela Tobar

My parents came to the U.S. in the 1980s with hopes of creating a better future. At first, they thought they would work for some time and return to Guatemala with enough money. 

However, life had other plans for them. They met and fell in love while living in Trenton New Jersey, and eventually had four kids. 

My siblings and I grew up in a household with rich Guatemalan culture. My parents always reminded us of our roots, despite us living in America. 

The lovely culture is what makes me feel “orgullosa,” or proud, of where I come from. So, I would love to tell you all more about it.

Almost every day my mom made tortillas to accompany the delicious traditional food that she and my dad cooked. I remember putting an apron on to help my mom and just being mesmerized by how she could make a perfect circle with the masa. 

Growing up, Spanish was my first language since I spent most of my time with my parents. My English eventually got better in school while being surrounded by my peers. 

I think that learning Spanish first helped me absorb my parents’ accent. Every time I go to Guatemala to visit, my family says that I sound just like them, that my Spanish is perfect. 

I love traveling to Guatemala because it’s such a beautiful country with so many amazing places to explore. Everyone is kind and welcoming no matter where you’re coming from. 

My parents brought those warm traits, as well as others, with them and passed it down to my siblings and I. I truly feel so fortunate in being half Guatemalan and learning these traits from my parents. 

A fun ways I see this culture come through is during our family events, where music and tradition are at the heart of it all.

My family always throws big parties and they never fail to include marimba, our traditional music. Even though it is dancing music, we also enjoy listening to it while we eat dinner; I think it is beautiful and relaxing to listen to. 

So much so that I like listening to it while I am doing homework or when I am feeling anxious. My dad is a huge fan of listening to marimba, he is almost always listening to it in the car. My dad also enjoys listening to it while cooking. Although I never ask him why, I think my dad finds it relaxing just as I do. 

Despite being a picky eater, I make an effort to understand Guatemalan traditional dishes. My favorite is a dish called “estofado.”

This dish contains beef, potatoes, rice and a recado that adds a burst of flavor. Recado is a seasoning paste that is popular in Mayan and Yucatecan cuisine. I have tried countless estofados but no dish is nearly as tasty as my dad’s. 

I also love when we have cookouts because we make so much food and have a great time. Hispanics love to dance, so having music to dance to is essential. 

Growing up, my siblings were part of many quinceañeras and because I would tag along with them, I learned how to dance. Almost every Hispanic girl has a quinceañera. So, of course I had one and so did my sister. 

My quinceañera was one of the best nights of my life; celebrating the upbringing of my womanhood was something magical. I remember always wanting to have a big party with a beautiful dress and, thanks to my parents, I was able to live that dream.

At my quinceañera, I had the traditional father-daughter dance with my dad, I had a choreographed dance with my friends and I had a special dance with my Godparents.

My mom did not have a quinceañera when she was in Guatemala, but she always dreamed of one. I know that she lived out her dream with my sister and my parties. 

Something that I learned growing up was that unfortunately, my parents did not have much in Guatemala. However, they found ways to get through. Their stories of resilience and perseverance have always inspired me. 

I admire my parents for making the sacrifice of coming to a new country where they had to learn a new language, culture and routine. I am truly grateful that they did not forget where they came from, though, and continued to show my siblings and I their culture in our home. 

Learning a new language and culture is such a privilege that I will eternally thank my parents for. I hope that someday I will be able to do the same with my future children because I do not want to let my roots disappear. 

Hispanic Heritage Month, which is observed from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15, is one of my favorite times of the year and I feel fortunate to be able to celebrate it and embrace my Guatemalan roots.

Gabriela Tobar is a senior sports media major