Family gatherings have always been apart of my family they’ve always been a big part of my life down from special occasions to birthdays. We all come together and bring out the best energy in each other. I distinctly remember we were celebrating my aunt’sbirthday the kitchen was busy with food coming in and out my cousins and I were running around the house playing tag while bachata was playing. Even though everyone was playing having fun the party brought a feeling that I’ve been carrying far a while now. Even though I was surrounded with family I still felt a little disconnected because I couldn’t speak the language everyone was using.

I consult listened to my consuming talking and joking in Spanish. They spoke so fast it was like their words was part of the music. I wanted to join but I couldn’t it was these moments like this I felt lit of place in my own culture it wasn’t that I didn’t belong, but it just was hard to feel included when I didn’t understand anything being said. I realized then how much language can shape the way someone feel connected to their culture.

This wasn’t the first time I felt this way. Growing up people often; assumed simile I was Honduran I speak Spanish the second I told them question was all over their faces. It was like my identity was always being judged by something that for me was missing. These moments highlight how closely language is tied go cultural belonging and how not knowing it can make someone feel like an outsider. Growing up Spanish was never part if my household my mom does not speak it either. English was the only language we used at home

Even though I felt left out sometimes I also know I have more to identify then just language. Being Hispanic for me shows up in other ways through how my family cooks, the traditions we follow, music, and the values my mom has taught me. Sitting at that birthday part I felt proud and ashamed proud of who I was and where I came from but ashamed that I couldn’t fully share in the language that connected everyone else. That experience helped me understand important is that culture isn’t one-size-fits-all not speaking Spanish doesn’t make me any less of being Hispanic. It just means my connection just looked differently from others. Languages can bring people close, but it can create a divide. For me it has been both while not knowing Spanish sometimes makes me feel like I have to prove myself it has also pushed me to think about my identity in a deeper way. Simultaneously, I have realized that honoring my culturalheritage involves more than merely communicating in the language or engaging in family customs. It focuses on the principles my family instilled in me and the strength derivedfrom belonging to a community with common origins. Considering my experiences,I acknowledge that minor instancessuch as laughter during family reunions orthe warmth of classic meals have influenced my identity in waysthat surpass language. By emphasizing these ties, I discover empowerment in my roots and satisfaction in the individual I am evolving into. This viewpoint motivates meto tell my story to others who may share similar feelings, emphasizing that their cultural identity is distinctive and significant, regardless of the situation

In the end I realized that being Hispanic isn’t about the words you speak. It’s about dusky, tradition and pride and where you come from. My identity may not look exactly like others, but it is still real and meaningful like others. I may not have the language, but I carry my culture in other ways and that’s something I will always be proud of.