Preserving Your Cultura When Your Spouse is Non-Latino

As the first woman in my family to marry outside my culture, I'm in uncharted territory. How do I encourage conversation between my English-speaking husband and Spanish-speaking mother? Should we pierce the baby's ears? Can I raise a bilingual child? Ultimately, my daughter won't grow up in the same Latino household I did, but she will draw from both cultures to form her identity. Here are a few things I’m doing to pass on my heritage.

Playtime is a great time to learn. I picked these español-only blocks for her because they combine learning language with imaginative play. We build and spell together. These blocks have colorful animales, números, and the full alphabet, perfect to help baby master the rolled RR.

Our family recipe for Guatemalan tamales has been passed down from generation to generation. I want to continue this tradition with my daughter. While my husband is used to turkey and ham for the holidays, I make the extra effort to include tamales too. Gathering around food sets the stage for cross-cultural conversación.

We love filling our home with music because we think memories attach to songs. I use Pandora to create playlists that mamá, papá, and bebé will love. We listen to an eclectic mix that includes Beny Moré, The Beatles, Chavela Vargas, John Coltrane, Jaguares, and the baby’s Yo Gabba Gabba favorites.

The story goes that my grandfather just wouldn’t propose; until one day, my grandmother penned him a mysterious letter. Soon after, they were married. No one knows the contents of the letter, but I think it’s a lesson in the power of writing. I want my daughter to know all our family legends and feel connected to the past.

Raising a bilingual baby requires commitment, especially when your spouse does not speak Spanish. It can be hard to be the only Spanish-speaker at home, but interactive Spanish books help me out. They make learning fun for my little one, and even dad tries to read along.

Whether it’s a delectable guayaba roll or an empanada de dulce de leche, our favorite bakery helps us sweeten our mouths with tradition. The baby loves getting a bite.

This handmade dress was a gift from my mother. Like most new moms, I received a lot of baby clothes, but this one little dress feels special enough to keep forever. It’s embroidered with quetzal birds, a symbol of freedom. I want to teach my daughter all the symbols and stories of our culture.

My mother’s family has been harvesting cacao in Guatemala for generations. A package of drinking chocolate arrives wrapped in brown paper each year. I stir these fragrant chocolate medallions into a saucepan of simmering milk to make my own chocolate caliente. The pure, rich chocolate transports me through time. Not only is it delicious, but also a reminder of our family’s ties to the land. Our little one loves sipping from my cup.

A big part about sharing my Latina heritage with my daughter is about sharing my personal history. Familia is one of the greatest values in our culture, one that my parents instilled in me from a young age. In order to cultivate my daughter’s sense of family, I draw fortitude from my own.