Emerging: Mi Cultura..Mi Jornada-My Culture..My Journey

To define my mother, and my culture, I could go back in time and talk about the almost extinct Taino Indians. To my mother, the Taino Indians were her ancestors, a proud people. Through my mother's eyes I was able to see a culture that was quickly fading. Through her words I was able to hear the wisdom of her time. Though there are many ways to pass on your culture, our culture was passed down generation to generation through sayings; in this manner we were taught many things.

My mother was born in 1923. Mami did not have the best that life could give her. She was one of five children born to a woman who cared more about the next man she had in her life than the children she gave life to. Perhaps it was because of her own vulnerabilities and insecurities as a child living in such a loveless house that Mami couldn’t do better than she did.

Mami was born in a time when women were not appreciated, nor respected as individuals. Perseverance should have been her name. I have many memories of Mami. She would take time to talk to us about her life, and through her I was able to form the pictures that later would become part of my culture.

When we were little, our breakfast consisted of hot fresh bread with butter and a cup of hot chocolate. Other times, when she could afford it, Mami would put a piece of gouda cheese in our hot chocolate. This was her way of teaching us that life had its ups and downs; it taught us to appreciate the good, and roll with the bad.

The pride I take in who I am, I owe to my mother. Mami would work from morning 'till night. She worked very hard to put food on our table and clothes on our backs. She worked as a housekeeper for some, as a laundress for others, and as cook for all; for she was well sought after when one of the well-to-do had a formal dinner party. I grew up hearing stories about how some of the rich families would fight to have my mother cook for their guests.

I never heard my mother complain, or say she was tired, although I could see it in her walk. But the pride that would shine in her eyes told me that no matter how hard she had to work, she knew her self-worth.

Through her teachings, and her abundance of love and patience, we learned our culture and the ways of our people. There are many ways to pass on your culture. The way Mami chose to pass hers on was through her sayings, which she was famous for (in our house). She taught us about the many ways to prepare our foods and its variety. Through the way she made Thanksgivings' and Christmas' so very special. We learned to stand for what we believe in, and to help those less fortunate than us. She would say ("You can't undress one Saint to dress another"). This is my culture, the beliefs and strenghts Mami instilled in us. My mother defines my culture.