I think it is amazing how much we can learn from other cultures. I’m Irish. Irish Catholic, at that. For me, that’s always consisted of the stereotypes. Big families, Sunday Mass, and St. Patrick’s Day being oddly close in importance to Christmas. It’s all I’ve ever known, really. Learning about other cultures has always interested me; there just hasn’t ever been much natural opportunity to do so. No fault other than my own. This year, I was exposed to an opportunity to learn about Hispanic Culture. Valid, as Hispanic Heritage Month is currently happening!
The biggest takeaway I’ve discovered after researching this beautiful culture has been the strong importance of family. Although family is, of course, a large part of my own life, it is essential to most Hispanic and Latino cultures. The cultural foundation includes the deeply rooted core value known as familismo or familism. This prioritizes loyalty and unity no matter what, to the people considered to be family. Blood or not. Family doesn’t always mean blood, and I understand now that is so important to remember as I go through life.Â
Support is the heart of the idea of family. In Hispanic culture, family is understood as a collective responsibility. One where all members share this obligation to provide many types of support during times of aging, hardship, or illness. Children are expected to have good manners and highly respect their elders. I feel as though this is something we’ve sort of drifted away from as generations continue. It is something my own culture and just the younger generations in general should take note of. Elders, especially grandparents, are often known as the “wisdom keepers” in Hispanic culture. Keeping good manners and having great respect for their elders allows for strong relationships and for that wisdom to be passed on to future generations.Â
 I understand that households may look a little bit different in this culture. For me, I’ve always just experienced my immediate family living in my childhood homes. For Hispanics, it is very common for grandparents, cousins, and even aunts and uncles to be living under one roof. This idea of “immediate family” isn’t so specific for them. Family is just family. That is so beautiful to me.
Learning about the expectations of what it means to be family in a Hispanic household has been truly eye-opening to me. It has made me think about my own family. To value them more. To show up for them in ways that may not be common or traditional for us and the way I grew up. This is the perfect example of learning from other cultures and how much of an impact it can have on everyone. I’m truly grateful for this opportunity to look into another culture, and I’m inspired to spend more time doing so.Â