My Hispanic Heritage: From Robie Street (St. Paul, MN) to Rue Faubourg-St. Honoré (Paris, France)
Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month
My father Carlos was born in Lares, Puerto Rico. My mother Theresa was born in St. Paul, Minnesota and is of Mexican descent.
I have six siblings -- five brothers and one sister. I was raised in a traditional Hispanic household. This basically meant that my sister and I had strict rules to follow and were not allowed to go anywhere. On the other hand, my brothers had no rules and were allowed to go wherever they pleased. I was never OK with this. In fact, in 4th grade at Guadalupe School I would look out the large windows into the blue sky, and daydream of travelling to faraway places.
We grew up in a neighborhood where countless cousins and other kids gathered at our big white house which was originally a duplex but eventually became a single-family home for our large family. I loved the backyard where peonies grew, I would pick them and bring them in the house to put in vases. This may have been the beginning of my keen sense of beauty and aesthetic appreciation. It helped me cope with the chaos of noisy and rambunctious brothers.
Every Sunday was a celebration of food, family, and dance. My Mother would prepare delicious meals, and my Father and my uncle of German descent would play Salsa and Polka music. We would all grab partners and dance. Even my Mother would step out of the kitchen to join in the fun. This to me was a normal Sunday afternoon. I thought everyone danced Polka and Salsa on Sunday afternoons.
My Mother is my true hero and my pillar of strength, she quietly supported all my dreams and escapades to faraway places, against my fathers wishes. Of course, it wasn’t until college that I gained the confidence to pursue my dreams. Studying Fashion Design allowed me to actualize my dreams of visiting the top fashion cities of London, Milan, and Paris!
So, that in a nutshell is my journey as a young Hispanic girl from Robie Street (St. Paul, MN) to Rue Faubourg St Honoré (Paris, France). With “Paris to Pillows” my journey continues. To learn more, click here.
~Lydia (Founder and Creator of the Sleep Goddess® Beauty Pillow)
