Faces of Na'atik: Kora Family

Virginia was born in San Juan, Texas. Before she turned nine, her family moved to Iowa, where she started school without speaking any English. The experience was challenging. Because she couldn't understand what was happening in class, she often didn't want to go back to school. However, her father encouraged her to keep trying. Little by little, she began to understand more English, eventually becoming confident enough to hold conversations and make friends.

Despite living in the United States, Mexican culture remained an important part of her family's daily life. They preserved their heritage through the Spanish language, traditional food, and customs that connected them to their roots.

As Virginia grew up, those traditions continued to shape her life. Speaking Spanish at home, spending time with relatives (especially her cousins) and celebrating Mexican holidays such as Independence Day on September 16 and Día de los Muertos helped strengthen her connection to her heritage. Her mother's cooking and the way the family celebrated birthdays also played a meaningful role in preserving their cultural identity.

While living in Iowa, Virginia and her family became involved in a Latino community organization that provided support for people from Spanish-speaking countries. Through this network, they remained closely connected to both the Spanish language and Hispanic culture.

Later in life, Virginia's daughters also encountered Spanish in many aspects of their everyday lives. They studied the language at school, worked alongside native Spanish speakers, and had opportunities to interact with Spanish-speaking communities. In addition, they traveled to several Spanish-speaking countries (including Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Chile, Puerto Rico, Costa Rica, and Spain), which allowed them to experience the language and culture firsthand.

For Virginia, preserving Spanish within the family has always been a priority. From the time her daughters, and later her granddaughters; were young, she spoke to them in Spanish and encouraged them to appreciate the language. Over time, they developed their own interest in learning and practicing it, making every opportunity to communicate with Spanish speakers especially meaningful.

Seeing her family embrace Spanish and show genuine curiosity about their Mexican heritage fills Virginia with both joy and pride. Throughout the years, she has worked to maintain a balance between American and Mexican culture, ensuring that both remain an important part of family life, with Mexican traditions especially reflected in the meals they continue to share together.

A Home Shaped by Three Cultures

We also had the opportunity to speak with one of Virginia's daughters, Michelle, and her husband, Vijay, about how they have worked to preserve Mexican culture within their own family while also embracing another important part of their heritage: Indian culture.

Michelle grew up in a bicultural household where American and Mexican traditions blended together to create a truly unique environment. Being raised with both cultures allowed her to maintain a close connection to her Mexican roots while developing her identity in the United States. Her curiosity about the Spanish language and her determination to preserve it have always been an important part of who she is.

Looking back, Michelle sees growing up in a bicultural family as a special experience. Having the opportunity to embrace two cultures at once strengthened her appreciation for her family and reinforced the close bond they continue to share today.

Although passing Spanish on to her own daughters has not always been easy, Michelle never gave up. Even as she continued improving her own Spanish, she consistently spoke it with her children and encouraged them to use it in their everyday lives. She has also made a conscious effort to expose them to people who speak not only English but other languages as well. She believes that interacting with people from different cultural backgrounds broadens their perspective and helps them develop meaningful connections with others around the world.

Vijay brings another rich cultural perspective to the family. Born in India, he moved to the United States during his teenage years, giving him firsthand experience of growing up between two cultures. Some of his favorite childhood memories include spending time with his family, fishing, swimming in the canals, enjoying fresh tropical fruits such as mangoes, bananas, and papayas, and playing outside with his cousins.

One of the most important values Vijay hopes to pass on to his daughters is respect for others, for elders, and for family. He wants them to remain curious, continue learning throughout their lives, and know that their family will always be there to support them. He keeps Indian culture alive at home primarily through food, preparing traditional dishes for his daughters to enjoy and appreciate.

For Vijay, one of life's greatest lessons has been realizing how much people have in common, regardless of where they were born or the circumstances in which they were raised. He believes that looking beyond one's own experiences and remaining open to learning from others is essential to understanding the world.

Together, Michelle and Vijay have created a home where three cultures (American, Mexican, and Indian), come together in harmony. Their goal has been to ensure that their daughters experience the best each culture has to offer while developing a strong sense of identity and belonging.

They have built a family environment where their daughters are encouraged to embrace their heritage, feel secure in who they are, and maintain close relationships with their extended family. For them, it has been a privilege to raise a family enriched by multiple cultures and to share that journey together.

Teaching their daughters Spanish has also been an important part of that journey. Beyond preserving the language, they believe that multilingualism opens doors to travel, makes learning additional languages easier, and strengthens problem-solving and communication skills.

To support their daughters' language development, Michelle and Vijay encourage them to practice Spanish whenever possible by interacting with native speakers. Traveling to Spanish-speaking countries has also provided valuable opportunities for them to improve both their listening and speaking skills while gaining a deeper appreciation for different cultures.

Above all, Michelle and Vijay hope their daughters understand that people are more alike than different, regardless of where they come from or what language they speak. They encourage them to approach others with kindness, curiosity, and an open mind, believing that a simple smile and a willingness to connect can create meaningful relationships. They also hope their daughters will continue learning throughout their lives and appreciate the richness that different cultures and countries bring to the world.

To learn more about Na’atik’s English language program for local and Indigenous students in Felipe Carrillo Puerto, visit our Impact Page. We are only able to provide this much needed program thanks to the support of generous donors and the funds raised from our award winning Maya and Spanish Immersion Program. If you would like to support our mission please consider donating today or take a look at our immersion programsand online class packages.