Hispanic Heritage Month: Nahomy Nunez
My Hispanic cultural identity
Libre, soberana e independiente!
I was born and raised in Honduras. I spent half of my life there and moved to the US when I was 14 years old, so I identify as Honduran. The last time I visited my home country was 2015, and even though it has been a while, I am enormously proud of my country, our people, and its culture. I especially love how resilient and hardworking we are even when we are up against unfair circumstances, as a country, we push forward with unparalleled strength.
A local legend of my native land is that of Lempira – the one our currency is named after. Lempira was an indigenous chief and warrior who led a resistance against the Spanish Conquistadors. The Conquistadors could not defeat him, so they tricked him by sending him a messenger saying that they wanted peace. Unfortunately, he believed the messenger. When he arrived, the Conquistadors captured and killed him.
Like most Hispanic cultures, food is at the center of our identity. My favorite Honduran dishes are baleadas. They are flour tortillas filled with whatever you want! Personally, I like mine filled with a smear of mashed refried red beans, crema, eggs, carne asada and crumbled queso duro. We eat it for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I have incredibly fond memories of sweets and treats from my childhood in Honduras. One particularly nostalgic dessert from my culture is charumasca. They are made from fresh fruit, milk or other flavored liquid. It is poured into plastic bags and eaten frozen. As a little girl, I would make charumascas with my grandma and younger brother every weekend. I remember impatiently waiting for them to be frozen enough for me to be able to eat them.
What does Hispanic Heritage Month mean to me?
I celebrate my Hispanic heritage every day. With that said, I am so happy to take this time not only to celebrate my own culture and heritage, but also that of the millions of Hispanics in this country as well as their diverse history and traditions that make them unique. I appreciate that I can take advantage of this month to learn about many different Hispanic cultures that surround me. As a first-generation immigrant who lived half of her life in Honduras, I know the sacrifice and work ethic it takes to be successful in this country. From learning to speak English, to having to adapt and navigate an unfamiliar country, it has all been worth it to see my journey so far and imagine the endless possibilities of the future.
It makes me feel proud and grateful to work for a company that recognizes and celebrates us.
Hispanic Heritage Month series
Read more interviews from our colleagues celebrating their Hispanic heritage here:
Miguel Mendez at The SR Group – Viva Ecuador
