Marina Peralta: Hispanic Heritage & Bisexuality Marina Peralta - The Huffington Post
go to original October 29, 2013

We recently celebrated Hispanic Heritage Month (Sept. 15 to Oct. 15), which celebrates the presence and heritage of Hispanics in the U.S. Our Hispanic heritage is a cultural pyramid of sorts, encompassing a unique blend of Spanish/European and native beliefs, mores, and customs. And at the foundation of that pyramid is the family, without which the whole structure would crumble and fall. The Hispanic family unit and its values continue to be of significant importance even in the modern world.

For many Hispanics, doing one's family duty is an important way to honor Hispanic heritage. Like the mortar that keeps the stones in place, family duty is a dominant feature in both career and lifestyle choices. The man's duty is to be the provider, the father, the procreator, and the family authority. Importantly, his children will carry on the family name and line. The woman's duty is primarily as mother, then as wife, housekeeper, and occasional worker outside the home, but only to supplement the family income - even when she may be the family breadwinner. Children are brought up to carry on this tradition: Be dutiful sons and daughters and stay close to the family net.

For many first-generation Hispanics in the U.S., the culture, cuisine, and customs of their homeland continue to dominate. They eat their kind of food, shop in Latino-oriented markets, live in Spanish-speaking neighborhoods, and work and mingle with other Hispanics, but modern American culture inevitably penetrates their defenses, usually through the vehicle of their kids.

So what happens if a child is gay? Are they a misfit, rebel or outsider?

Read the rest at The Huffington Post

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