Blog#5 My Dominican and Dutch Roots

I come from an extremely diverse family. My mother is dutch and lived in the Netherlands from the time she was two years old until her freshman year in high school, when she finally returned to the United States. My father is dominican and although he lived mostly in New York, he spent six years at a boarding school in Dominican Republic, as well as numerous summers there. Both my mother and my father speak their native languages fluently, but growing up I was never taught either language. As I have gotten older I was given the amazing opportunity to visit both of my native homelands. I strongly believe because I was able to experience the two vastly different cultures, that I am more in touch with my heritage, more proud of who I am and where I come from. Although now, I can say I am sure of my roots, growing up wasn't so easy for me. I felt like I could never identify with other kids because of my two extreme backgrounds. I am so grateful for my family and my heritage. Needless to say, these two very different cultures are a huge part of my life.