Hispanic Heritage, My Parents, My Heroes

Mami & Papi Salzburg
Family’s devotion and sacrifice taught daughter the importance of hard work and dedication

 

Mami & Papi Salzburg

Devotion to family is an easy trait to find among Latino parents. When it comes to heroes, most of us would probably not think of our parents, yet when invited to write about a Hispanic hero that has inspired me, there was not a moment’s hesitation on my part to choose mine.

It was 1966 and I was 5 years old when my parents emigrated to the U.S. from Colombia. Both left everything behind—a close family, career, lifelong friendships and the familiarity of “home” in pursuit of a brighter future for their four children. Forty-six years later Lucerito and Jaime remain an inseparable and dynamic duo.

 

 

 

The Meaning of Sacrifice

 

Winters in Brooklyn were torturous. I’m sure during those first few cold months Mom shed tears that we never got to see. We had all our basic needs taken care of but not without a good amount of pain. My father worked three jobs in those early years while Mom stayed home to make sure we were taken care of. She missed family and the support system back home; it took a toll on her and she had two miscarriages early on. We experienced discrimination and alienation that hurt deeply and cemented wounds that would take years to mend. Many times they wanted to return to their motherland.

Books are revered by my parents and growing up around these treasures made a huge difference to me. I learned about worlds so foreign I could imagine them only in dreams. We also nurtured our Hispanic heritage by reading books in Spanish and by writing about it. We spoke only in Spanish while inside our home or around our parents. We learned about fairy tales, lyrics and poetry, and how to conjugate verbs.

RELATED POSTS

Addressing Emotional Career Challenges When So Much Is at Stake

Addressing Emotional Career Challenges When So Much Is at Stake

What's your response to hardship in the face of immense pressure and disruption? Editor's note: This is part two of a six part article.  In the first article of this six-part series on Emotional Intelligence development, I made a big statement, “It’s Never too Late to...

Latinas in Arts & Literature: Voices Shaping the Narrative

Latinas in Arts & Literature: Voices Shaping the Narrative

The variety of diverse perspectives and creativity that Latina artists and authors bring to the table is amazing! Editor's note: This is the first in the Latinas with Impact series In the colorful field of arts and literature, Latina women are using their pens and...

Video Gallery

Polls

Sign Up for the Latin Biz Today Newsletter

PR Newswire

Featured Authors

Innovation & Strategy

Money

Talent/HR

Legal

Marketing

Culture

Fashion

Food

Music

Sports

Work & Life

Mindfulness

Health & Fitness

Travel & Destinations

Personal Blogs

Pin It on Pinterest