Embracing biculturism

Embracing Biculturalism

Words & Design | Giselle Martin Gomez

The United States is often compared to a mosaic or a salad, with the idea that our nation has multiple cultures that don’t blend together but rather keep their own identity and live together. For individuals with a multicultural identity, it can go one of two ways: their cultures either blend together or they cohabitate while keeping their individual identity. For Noelia Gramajo, a junior majoring in international studies, Spanish and communications, growing up was a fight to embrace and maintain her identity.

“My mom is from Mexico, and my dad is from Guatemala, but I was born here,” Gramajo said. “Growing up I always went to bilingual school because I never wanted to lose my Spanish. Even outside of school all I listened to was music in Spanish, and all I watched were TV shows and movies in Spanish.”

For Der Yang, a senior majoring in psychology and art therapy, the way she was immersed into American culture is a little different from Gramajo’s experience.

“I am Hmong. Originally, we are from China, but me and all of my family was born in Thailand. We migrated to the United States in 2005 as refugees, so I first came to Sacramento, Calif. and then recently moved from there to here (Milwaukee, Wisc.) four years ago,” Yang said. “I was five years (old) when I came here (United States) and then I moved from Cali to here when I was 17, so I am 21 now.”

Although she had a strong grasp on her Mexican culture growing up, Gramajo struggled to embrace her Guatemalan identity.

“I guess growing up it was kind of hard to embrace my dad’s side of his culture because there wasn’t a lot in Milwaukee,” Gramajo said. “I feel like there were a lot of things I didn’t know until I traveled, and I actually went to go see Guatemala.”

This struggle bled into Gramajo’s experiences as she traveled abroad to her heritage countries.

“Compared to going to Mexico the first time, I kind of knew what I was doing and how to talk to people, but in Guatemala it was completely different,” Gramajo said. “I feel like if I would have had a little bit of that (exposure to the culture) here, that would have been really helpful.”

Gramajo felt out of place among her Guatemalan family, simply because she felt unaccustomed to the culture.

“They were super nice, super welcoming, but you still feel like a stranger, you don’t really know these people and even like their accent and stuff, like some words were so different… it was hard,” Gramajo said.

Gramajo expressed, however, that she has experienced exclusion in all of her cultures to a degree.

“I would say in all (cultures), especially when I went to high school, it was mostly African American and white students, we (Hispanics) were a very small population. When they would talk about classic American movies, summer hikes and road trips, stuff like that, I wouldn’t be able to relate because I had never done that in my life,” Gramajo said. “I felt like I was falling behind, and it did not feel good.”

Much like Gramajo, Yang has also faced difficulty fitting into American culture.

“In American (culture), yes, I do feel left out sometimes because me being too much of Hmong I don’t have much knowledge from the Americans,” Yang said. “For example, my best friend would hang out with her friends, and they would talk

Gramajo enjoys her time in Mexico while wearing a traditional artisanal Mexican top. Photo provided by Gramajo.

about movies or stuff I have never watched when I was a child… so I was left out.”

While feeling out of place, both Gramajo and Yang find ways to embrace and connect with their cultures.

“I do listen to a lot of music in Spanish, but not specifically Mexican music. I don’t think I put a lot of effort into finding things that would help me identify more with Guatemala, besides seeing what my cousins post on social media, which is kind of sad…” Gramajo said. “They (Guatemala) aren’t really known for music. I would say just food. My dad cooks here and there so kind of just embracing the food.”

For Yang, her culture’s religious practices are a key thing for her to live out her Hmong identity.

“In my culture we’re Shaman, so we do a lot of spiritual events. For new year, we do jingle bells, which is the new year celebration,” Yang said. “Usually we sacrifice animals, so we use chicken for that, and we have a rule where you have to stay home for three days, not use money and cannot touch any knives. Basically you just have to stop yourself from doing the negative stuff.”

Upon not fully embracing her Hmong identity as a child, Yang has grown to love and accept it.

“When I grew up, I actually love my culture (now), so I would wear a lot of Hmong clothes, especially at school events. If they do that you can wear anything you want for an event then my mom would always dress me up in Hmong dresses or Hmong clothes, so that’s how I embrace my culture,” Yang said.

For both Yang and Gramajo, their home is a key place for them to stay connected to their native or heritage cultures.

“I think that talking to them (my parents) just brings me back and centers me. A lot of times I think I get caught up in this world, but then when we sit down, even to have dinner and stuff, you feel super connected, you remember, ‘my dad and my mom came from here and they came so far and we’re still moving, evolving’,” Gramajo said. “Then there’s the food that they make, the music that they play when we make food, just like being home, that environment always connects me back and I think, ‘this is home’.”

Food is also fundamental for Yang to stay connected to her Hmong identity while at home. AD“It’s very hard to embrace both of my cultures in America. I feel like, coming to America, it’s more like I am converting to the Americans, so I am Asian American… I think going out to a school like Mount Mary with a lot of Americans, but coming home with my Hmong family, we’re eating the same food that we eat, the Asian food I make,” Yang said. “Usually, most of the time, when I make food I always make Hmong food… I think that’s the most common way that I still keep my culture, along with language.”

Through language, Yang also experiences the benefit of helping others from her Hmong culture.

“I am able to translate, not just for my family, but for people outside my family,” Yang said. “I am really blessed that I know Hmong and still speak Hmong and am able to help my community.”

Yang feels in touch with her Hmong identity by wearing a simple version of traditional Hmong clothes. Photo provided by Yang.

In the end, Yang shares that the key to not lose your cultures is to embrace them.

“I would embrace my culture and where I came from, instead of forgetting where you came from,” Yang said.

Gramajo agrees.

“I was always exposed more to Mexican culture here in the United States, not really like directly from Mexico, and so, I would also say that would mean that I have to embrace my American side,” Gramajo said.