My culture and roots

I believe that my culture has a lot to do with who I am as a person, my personal beliefs, what I have learned throughout my life, what I was taught by my parents, and the influence from the traditions of Guatemala.

I see myself as a woman who loves to explore and be challenged, kind, passionate, and always puts God and family first. I was born in the town of Amatitlán, Guatemala but at an early age my parents brought me to the United States. My first language is Spanish, what I was taught at home. Then English, from what I learned in school. I wanted to challenge myself growing up so I took 5 years of french and I love to speak it! I strongly believe that part of what defines who I am is due to my family, their traditions, and the values my parents passed down to me. I grew up in a home with Christian values and throughout my life I have learned to rely and trust God, that God’s love is endless and even in hardships he never lets go of me. My parents taught me to put God and family first, to be respectful, be welcoming, to help the needy, and to respect and accept those who are different from me and my beliefs. These are the same values that I’m now raising my daughter with. I want her to have a balance in life, to love God and be a strong and happy woman. My parents both are very humble and never had an education past elementary school in Guatemala because they had to work from a young age to help their families buy food. My parents are immigrants and it was difficult for them to raise me and my 2 brothers here in the U.S.A. so we can grow up to have a better life, education and opportunities. My parents are hard working people and very welcoming. If they ever were to visit you, they will never show up empty-handed (They would bring you sweet bread or fruit as a thank you for being invited to your home) because It’s just the way they were taught and have taught me. I believe I got my strong will from them and from seeing them go through hardships in life yet always remained faithful to God and did their best to provide for their family no matter the circumstances they were in. Education is something my parents are proud I’m still getting because they didn’t have the same opportunities in life. Throughout my life I have learned to always be myself and have a balanced life. Having Christian values has always helped me to undergo life’s struggles which have shaped me into who I am today. Things I love to do include walking on the beach, watch sunsets, enjoy watching the stars, and play my 5- string bass, guitar, and ukulele. I owe it to my dad who taught me music because playing or listening to music is the way I have always had fun and relieved stress. I mostly enjoy listening to jazz, soul, salsa, and bachata. I also love photography, to capture the life of a family as it unfolds. I love lifestyle photography the most, which is unposed photos of where I get to capture love and laughter. It’s a blessing to capture a family’s journey from their wedding and first pregnancy to having their first baby and taking their family portraits.

I can see the traditions of Guatemala reflected in my life. Every time I get to visit my family In Guatemala we go explore different places to experience how traditional Guatemala really is. I enjoy seeing the live performances that show them dancing to the music of marimba in their different clothing styles. This is different than what I saw as I grew up in the United States and it’s a way that I fully enjoy my roots. Food from Guatemala is one of the things I love most, It reflects its history’s influence and the taste of the different types of food is so exquisite! Some of Guatemala’s most famous dishes, in which are my favorite to eat and cook, are Chiles rellenos (ground beef with thinly chopped veggies wrapped in egg whites and topped with slices of onions and cilantro), Chicken pepian (chicken or meat stew with veggies and a side of rice), Tostadas (fried corn tortilla topped with avocado, black smashed beans, or tomato sauce), Tamales (Cooked masa with chicken pieces inside and tomato sauce wrapped in plantain leaves) and Tres leches cake. My mom is the best cook I know and she cooks these dishes to perfection, as she was taught from my grandma. My mom taught me how to cook these delicious dishes and we enjoy cooking them together whenever I get to visit her. I love my culture and I’m glad that my traditions have been kept alive.

Here is a little insight on my roots, the history of Guatemala and what it is know for:

Guatemala is a country in Central America that is defined by its traditional clothing, friendly people, language, delicious food, art, music, and dance. Guatemala’s different patterned and colorful clothing is very traditional that has been passed down throughout history from the Mayan civilization. The colors and patterns vary depending on which part of Guatemala you visit. Guatemala is also very rich in language, having 22 indigenous dialect languages from the Mayan roots but Spanish being the official language spoken. Guatemala’s traditional music is, in my opinion, very unique because they use a modified xylophone to play music called Marimba.  Guatemala’s roots from the Mayan civilization can still be seen in the Mayan Ruins that you can find all throughout Guatemala but you can also find a lot of beautiful architecture and murals from the influence of the Spanish colonists. Especially in The Capital of Guatemala, where it’s a tourist hot spot and you can find a Roman Catholic Cathedral built by the Spanish colonists. Roman Catholicism was the main religion at some point but it eventually changed to Protestantism. Guatemala is a beautiful place, the place I can always call my home.

Photo credits: taken from google images and 1 of my trip to Guatemala taken by Noel lopez