Last Thursday Lorely asked: Lorely: Mom, am I Mexican?
Without skipping a beat I answered: Si m'hija, of course you are.
Lorely: Then why can't I speak in Spanish like Grandma does?
Me: Hmmm, good question. I guess because we never speak in Spanish to you.
Lorely: Why not?
Me: I don't know m'hija, I guess we just thought you knew it, but don't worry I'll teach you.
And with that, I felt very, very small. How could I have overseen something so obvious? How could I assume that my kids would know the language and heritage just because everyone else around us does? Yep, indeed, I'm Mexican; and this past weekend, our city celebrated the camaraderie between the border towns of Brownsville (USA) and Matamoros (Mexico).
Every year we celebrate Charro Days (3 day holiday) towards the end of February. We have parades that run from Brownsville to Matamoros (International Parade) and we have lots of fun in places like "Sombrero Festival" and the "Fiesta Internacional" where people eat, drink, dance, and basically have a good old time. There's a 5-K race, outdoor concerts, gala dinners, and a special guest from Mexico is invited (usually a TV/Movie Star) and they call the special guest "Mr. Amigo." Everyone wears traditional Mexican costumes and it's a very colorful event (to say the least). 
My girls had an opportunity to dress up (and they did) and Christopher ran the 5K race on Saturday morning (no convincing him to dress up). Having felt bad , I took the opportunity to explain a bit of our heritage to Lorely. Hopefully, I can do better next time she asks ...with a bit of luck, maybe next Charro Days she'll be fluent in Spanish...all I can do is hope...
9 comments:
love the colors in these photos--that first picture is beautiful and i can hear her asking the question.....love it.
Those are beautiful and I love the colors. My daughter wonders why we don't speak Spanish and wishes she could so I can relate. Although we have no Latin blood running through our veins at all, she has friends that do and she thinks it's just not fair.
These are beautiful shots! I really love the first one. The colors just stand out and grab your attention. TFS
I love these photos - especially the man with the lasso and the last photo. The colors are awesome!!
There's so much to say. First of all, missed your posts, girl! Glad to see you back.
Secondly, your little one is beautiful. The dress ups she got to wear are wonderful.
I'm jealous of your celebration- what a rich cultural place to live in- between the bordering towns, the near by university, the zoo- you've got it all.
Aren't you glad she asked? It takes but a moment for our parenting fears to be ignited- I'm failing at something- but be assured it is (God's- fate's-) way to show us what our hearts were missing.
This is a wonderful entry, Cristina. And the photos rocked, too :)
Wonderful tribute and that outfit is so wonderful!! Love the warmth in these photos and your story behind them make them come to life!!
Love the post and the pics of your girls are awesome. They look so great in their colorful outfits. Great job. You'll have to keep us updated on their Spanish lessons.
Beautiful pictures. GOrgeous girls!!!!
Oh AND I am the only one in my family that doesn't speak spanish. My mom didn't think it was important. She was born in Mexico for goodness sakes - and my grandmother was full Mexican! My sister in law is full Mexican - of of course her whole family. I so much want to learn Spanish. I do feel like I am missing a lot of culture that my mother didn't share - but your children seem to be right in the middel of it and they have plenty of time to learn more :) THanks so much for sharing.
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