Please pull up a chair to my table, I’d really like to tell you a little more about my own life. I’ve learned that it’s much easier to disagree or dislike someone from a distance. That’s part of why we’re so divided right now. It’s not as easy to dislike someone when you know more about them.
As you may already know I grew up in the Mastic, Mastic Beach, and Shirley community. I graduated from William Floyd High School in 1999. When I graduated, I believe our Hispanic demographic percentage was in the single digits, while now it’s near fifty percent. Fifty percent that is of a district with over nine thousand students.
At that time, I honestly didn’t have a whole lot of culture in my life. My life consisted of school, sports, and then the normal teenage stuff. Not getting to know about the lives and cultures of people that were different than me. I honestly thought that all of my Hispanic friends in school were from Puerto Rico. I never asked any questions, so therefore I just assumed. I also didn’t know anything about any other Spanish speaking countries or their cultures.
After graduating college, I lived in Astoria Queens for nearly a decade. Astoria is one of the most diverse parts of New York City which itself is diverse. I believe that there’s somewhere around one hundred different nations represented of people living in Astoria. All under the banner of the United States of America of course. It’s nearly impossible to live there and not receive some type of cultural education.
Within that time living in Astoria, I ended up starting to attend a church in Manhattan. The church had a soup kitchen ministry in the heart of Bushwick Brooklyn that served men, women, and children who found themselves in need or just lonely and wanting someone to eat with or talk to. I started volunteering there and serving plates of food to our guests. Many of whom were originally from Puerto Rico or Mexico. My education of people and cultures took a drastic turn for the better in that soup kitchen. I pulled up a chair to the table and began to sit and listen to people. They told me about their lives and their past. Their moments of pride and moments of sorrow too. I began to learn that we are much more similar than we are different. I call it the human experience.
As if I wasn’t getting enough of a cultural education and understanding from getting to know our guests in Bushwick, I ended up meeting my wife in that soup kitchen. At the time she was one of the leaders of the ministry who helped to run the kitchen. We started courting first and then dating soon after. Within a year of us starting to date, we were married.
My wife now, of almost fourteen years, is Colombian – American. Her parents came to the United States at a young age but did move back and forth often. My wife spent a good portion of her childhood in Colombia and then graduated high school in the States. Her parents did a good job at ensuring that their children honor and value the country where they live, while still loving their culture, food, traditions and where they originally came from. I happen to believe that this is a beautiful way to live.
I can only speak for myself in saying that learning about her culture has been one of the best parts of my life. My life is truly much richer and fuller because of it. Our little household has many American traditions mixed in with some Colombian traditions as well. One night we’ll eat cheeseburgers and the next we have a traditional Colombian sancocho with arepas on the side. I’ve grown to understand a lot of Spanish, even though I’m still too self-conscious to actually try speaking it.
Around the holidays especially, we get invited into many people’s homes. People originally from South and Central America, or even further parts of the globe. People who value family, friendships and hospitality above all else in their lives. Kind people, generous people, even though some may not have much to share. They love to share whatever it is that they have. They share just so we will pull up a chair at their table to eat with them. To get to know more about each other as neighbors, friends and ultimately as humans.
I really hope you’ll choose to do the same.
