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Hispanic Mama

Empowering through Heritage and Language

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Biculturalism

Enjoy A Hispanic Countries Calendar of Celebrations

I have a goal that never changes on my new year goals list, which is the pursuit of raising bilingual and bicultural children. I recommit every year to provide opportunities and spaces for my kids to learn more about their heritage and language. This is why I created the Hispanic Countries Calendar.

Hispanic Countries Calendar of Holidays and Celebrations. I am sure you will love it!

The calendar features most of the public holidays, celebrations and observances of the following countries: Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, Spain, Uruguay and Venezuela.

Learn more about the holidays and celebrations that make each Hispanic country so unique and culturally rich. From religious holidays to historical events, this calendar will teach us all one thing or two about the Hispanic World.

Download Our Free

2018 HISPANIC COUNTRIES CALENDAR:

HOLIDAYS and CELEBRATIONS

 

Mothering in a foreign land has taught me how important is to teach my children about the traditions and holidays of my home country. It helps them to maintain a sense of connection with their heritage and learn about the important celebrations of Ecuador. Join me this year in raising bicultural children who celebrate and embrace the richness of their Latino heritage. Follow me on Pinterest for more information and fun facts about Latin America!

Bring it 2018!

January 1, 2018 3:56 pm Hispanic Mama Filed Under: Bilingual Resources

The Beauty of the Andean Music

andean music

My mom taught me to appreciate and love our Inca heritage through the stories she read to us, the historic places she took us to visit, and the Andean music that she listened to.

Like most of the Ecuadorian people, my family also is linked to the Andean civilizations that lived in the area before the Spanish Conquest. 

I know that all these things helped me to feel a special connection and reverence for the Inca people. But, more than anything, it connected me deeper with my mother and heritage.andean music

RELATED POST: Quechua Words That Are Widely Used In English

5 Favorite Songs of the Andes

Andean communities have a powerful musical tradition inherited from the Inca Empire and later fused with Spanish music elements. It includes folklore music of parts of Argentina, Chile, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia and Venezuela. Here are my favorite Andean songs:

El Condor Pasa is a famous piece that is considered part of the cultural heritage of Peru. It’s the most beautiful song that I have ever heard. Find it on Cancioncitas De Los Andes / Little Songs Of The Andes which features six songs where the familiar sounds of panpipes and charangos are always present. 

 

 

Tierra de Condores is a melancholic Andean song with all the sounds of Bolivian musical tradition

 

Valicha is a ‘huayno’ song from Cusco in Peru and it was inspired in the true story of Valerian Huillca Condori known as ‘Valicha’ . 

 

Papel de Plata is another beautiful Andean song from Peru. I love the sound of the charango and zampoñas in this song. 

 

Balseros del Titicaca is one of my favorite songs of the Andes. Listen carefully to the instruments and how it celebrates the Inca heritage. 

 

Check out this list of children’s books about the Inca civilization

The Inca Empire

Explore the Inca empire, including how the Incas survived in the mountains, how the empire was built, and why it disappeared.

History for kids: Incan Empire

The author guides you  through a discovery of the Incas who have left us with not only artifacts and structures of their civilization, but also many mysteries and questions about their origins and the things they did while their empire stood strong.

A Child’s Life in the Andes

This book can serve as a great supporting educational tool to explore the Andes since it covers “the geography of the area, daily life, animals, foods and languages spoken in this region.”

A child's life in the Andes

Do you have any questions about Andean music? Let me know in the comments!

July 25, 2017 11:08 am Hispanic Mama Filed Under: Music

Using Music To Raise Bicultural Children

One of my favorite things about mothering in a foreign land is to teach the kids about their heritage. This is so important to do when raising bilingual kids since culture and language are undeniably intertwined. Because traveling is not suitable for everyone, you can also offer cultural experiences from the walls of your home through music.

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RELATED POST: 15 Nursery Rhymes in Spanish 

Music serves as a cultural component facilitating the acquisition of a new language. LA-based children’s performer Nathalia Palis-McLaughlin uses music as a tool for teaching children Spanish and her Colombian heritage. Her new bilingual children’s album: “Cuando era pequeña (When I Was Your Age)” offers a wide variety of musical styles that will spark conversations about culture. The songs of the album are fun, engaging, catchy and will bring you back to the magic of your own childhood! There are 10 songs on this album and you can listen to a sample here.

I enjoyed this album very much! It does a great job at reflecting the beauty of the Latino culture through its lyrics and music. My children’s favorite song of the album is “Qué llueva,” a bilingual song that remind them about the rainy days in Ecuador. It is beautiful how a song can bring memories and connection!

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What else will you find in Nathalia’s album?

“There are also songs about birthday surprises, dinosaurs, nightmares and more! There are also stories about  birthdays, nightmares, a particular dislike for math and more! The songs are written in a variety of musical styles and include performances by musicians from across the US and Colombia. Produced by Brian McLaughlin and three-time Grammy winner Shafik Palis, the album features the talents of Ramon Benitez (Joe Arroyo), Juan De Luque (Carlos Vives), Luis Angel “El Papa” Pastor (Gloria Estefan, Juanes), Andrea Hammond, Garth Stevenson and more.” 

Today a lucky HispanicMama reader will win a copy of this amazing bilingual album. The only thing you need to do is to tell me in the comments what’s your favorite way to teach children culture. The giveaway is open worldwide! The winner will be picked from random.org next Monday!

Buena suerte!

nathaulia's album

Disclosure: I was sent a copy of this album for review. All thoughts and opinions are strictly my own.

 

Pin Later

using-music-to-raise-bicultural-children

******************************************* POST-EDIT NOTE  ********************************************

The winner of the giveaway is Gabriela Guarnerio. Thank you everyone for participating!

June 22, 2016 12:53 pm Hispanic Mama Filed Under: Bicultural Life, Parenting

Matt de la Peña: How His Biculturalism Influences His Writing

Did you know that the prestigious John Newbery Medal for children’s literature given to the author of “the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children,” was awarded this year for first time to a Latino author?

I was thrilled when I recognized Matt de la Peña’s name as the winning author for his picture book, “Last Stop On Market Street. It  tells the story of CJ, a little boy who rides the city bus with his grandma and wonders why their family doesn’t have a car. The breathtaking pictures and the simple story do a great job at introducing children to socio-economic issues that some may be unfamiliar with while others may identify with.

books

To deeply understand Matt de la Peña’s books, readers need to know where he comes from and how it affects his writing. The experiences of growing up by the Mexican border as a mixed-race or bicultural boy inspire the stories of his books greatly. One of the things that I enjoy about the author’s books is how he features characters and settings of communities that are under-represented in the publishing world, sparking great discussions about diversity and inclusion.

“Today when I write my own novels, I try to craft the best possible stories, and I certainly aim to be entertaining, but I’m also conscious of the powerful function literature can serve — especially in the lives of kids growing up the way I did.” (Source)

mattdelapena1

A week ago I attended one of Matt de la Peña’s presentations where he graciously shared some meaningful moments from his childhood that defined him and inspires his writing today. As a Latina myself and a mother trying to raise bilingual and bicultural children, I found Matt de la Peña’s experiences thought-provoking and inspirational.

Read glimpses of the author’s life and keep them in mind next time you read one of his books.

  • “The concept of attending college was foreign.”                                                                         Matt grew up by the Mexican border in a town called National City with hard-working and very loyal people but without any education. His dad was seventeen-years old when he had to dropped out from highschool after Matt’s mom got pregnant.
  • “There was a language confusion”                                                                                         Being bilingual was not seen as an advantage so speaking Spanish was very discouraged. His dad thought that speaking English correctly would benefit his children’s future more than learning to speak a second language.
  • “The hardest definition to free from is self-definition.”                                                                  When Matt de la Peña was in second grade, he struggled to read at grade level so he was held back. That experience shattered his confidence and contributed to view himself as an, “unitelligent person,” that idea stuck with him for a long time and was very difficult to overcome.
  • “Literature is the acquisition of possibilities”                                                                                 Nobody in his family read so he was not exposed to books at an early age. This made him into a reluctant reader who only read one book throughout highschool. “The House on Mango Street” by Mexican-American writer Sandra Cisneros, which was the first book that Matt de la Peña read cover to cover.
  •  “Even in the harshest and ugliest of circumstances, there’s still hope.”                                   His college professor suggested him to read The Color Purple, the novel provided him a safe place to feel and inspired him to read more.

 

PIN FOR LATER:

bicult

 

March 21, 2016 5:48 am Hispanic Mama Filed Under: Bicultural Life

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