My Latino Heritage

I’m excited to talk to you during this Chapel about my Latino heritage.

My family on my mother’s side is from Colombia. Colombia is one of the largest countries in South America with over 50 million people. It is located in the Northern part of the continent and  has every microclimate you can think of. The mighty Amazon river runs through Colombia, and it is bordered by both the Atlantic and the Pacific Oceans. You have the snow-capped Andes mountain range and incredible beaches. It is one of the most biodiverse places on the planet.

Every year since I was born our family has spent vacations in Colombia, sometimes in the capital Bogota, where most of our family lives, located in the Andes. It’s a place filled with museums, art galleries, and great restaurants and the weather is generally like a D.C. fall or spring year-round. Most times, however, we go to Cartagena, a 16th-century Spanish Colonial town on the Caribbean coast of the country. The cobblestone streets are lined with beautiful houses with giant wooden doors which open to large interior courtyards. The city’s peninsula, Baru, has beautiful beaches as do the ring of islands called the Rosary Islands. Cartagena was the Spanish empire’s seat over the Caribbean. I love going there because it’s a lively place full of history, music, color and fun. And the fishing isn’t bad either. I would say that Cartagena is one of my favorite places in the world.

3 weeks ago, in P1 History,  Dr. Schiller discussed how the newspaper press was one of the underlying causes that sparked WWI.  The newspaper press would “misrepresent the situation in foreign countries and suppress factors in favor of peace.” This made me think how Colombia’s reputation has been diminished by the modern media. Here's how I see it: There are a lot of truly incredible things about Colombia, yet as I have gotten older I have learned about the bad press about Colombia due to the country’s decades of war between guerillas, drug lords and the government. I’m sure that many of you have heard of the series, “Narcos”, on Netflix.

Sadly, American media always sticks to this depiction of Colombia—full of crime and drug lords. Like many places, Colombia does have its issues and it’s not always perfect, but it’s making progress and there is so much beauty and rich culture to admire. 

In reflecting on this talk and Hispanic Heritage Month, I thought about how many misconceptions people in our country have about Latinos and Colombians. It brings to mind the Bible scripture from Matthew 7:  “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged…Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?  How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye?  You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.” Jesus’ teaching on judgment has to do with how we see each other. We need to look beneath the surface and appreciate the good in others from other countries and ethnicities including Latinos—as we expect others to do with us.

You might sometimes hear negative comments about immigrants, including from places in Latin America, like Colombia. My grandmother was an immigrant. She is an amazing person who worked hard to get to the U.S.  She went to college in Bogota and then got a scholarship to go to Harvard Medical School to specialize in pediatric dentistry.  She taught dentistry students at Georgetown and now is a Dean for International Programs at Georgetown Medical School, enabling many medical students to learn to practice medicine abroad, expanding their skills and cultural understanding. 

My grandmother isn’t the only Colombian immigrant who has made incredible contributions to our society.   

For example, Colombia has produced great musicians including the global super star Shakira and some of the biggest names in Latin Music: J.Balvin, Maluma, Carlos Vives, Juanes and Karol G. This is music I have grown up with in my house and I love.

Colombians have also left their footprint as writers: Gabriel Garcia Marquez, won the Nobel Peace prize for Literature for his novel, 100 Years of Solitude. He has inspired millions of readers and writers and is probably one of the greatest authors of our time.

Fernando Botero, an artist who recently died and is known for his oversized portrayals of people in painting and sculpture, has been considered as one of the Picasso’s of our generation.

Colombia’s athletes are also incredible – from Esteban Chaves who has won the Tour de France, to Robert Farah and Juan Sebastian Cabal who won Wimbledon and to superstar soccer player James Rodriguez.

In 2016, Colombia’s government signed a peace accord with the FARC for which President Santos won the Nobel Peace Prize. Today, Colombia is an amazing place to visit. I hope you come visit Colombia too. I promise you won’t be disappointed and I hope you learn not to judge others, including Colombians and Latinos, by stereotypes.  Let’s take out the planks from our own eyes and see and appreciate each other with love. 

¡Gracias y viva Colombia!