Home is more than a space where we sleep and store our belongings; it’s a reflection of who we are, our values, beliefs, and culture. Intertwining our Latino culture into our home through decor, artwork, and other items is my favorite way to celebrate diversity and create a space that feels personal and meaningful for my family. As much as I love our culture (Mexican and Bolivian to be exact), I do still want our home to have a certain aesthetic and vibe. Over the last few years, I’ve leaned more into minimalism and neutral colors and that doesn’t also mesh well with the vibrant pieces of decor I find from our cultures. Yet, I’ve found a few ways to add culture to our home decor aesthetic with pieces that remind us of where we come from and our family history, including in our kitchen.
Choosing Meaningful Pieces
From items that we have found while traveling to items that have been given to us, we have pieces throughout our home that can spark conversations and personalize our space. I love adding specific pieces that have been handed down to us because the nostalgia is genuine and brings us closer to the family members that we no longer have in our lives or whom we don’t get to see as often as we’d like to visit.
I’ll be honest, while we do have a few items throughout our home, we do have some in our storage area. While we’re grateful for everything that we receive and have collected over the years, I’ve learned that having a peaceful home filled with pieces that mean something to me are important than placing items on every surface.
Creating Cultural Corners
One of my favorite spots in my house is my coffee bar area. From this spot, I often watch my daughter play in the backyard or in their playroom which is right next to the coffee bar. In this area, I also have a few items that bring me closer to my culture. There’s an original piece of art, a Mexican clay vase and a plantita hanging from the ceiling. There are also a few Mexican mugs for our coffee. These simple touches in one part of my home definitely make my home not only feel cozier, but also bring a bit of my Mexican culture into our space without overwhelming everything else.
A few other areas like this in our home are actually even more simple, we have a gallery wall with black and white photos of family members from Bolivia intertwined with our current family photos. There are a few mementos and candles that are reminiscent of the lands of our ancestors in my office. My girls have a shelf dedicated to only multicultural and bilingual books that allow them to explore stories on their own.
From Sight to Taste
There is no way to talk about our Latino culture without mentioning the delicious food that comes from our home countries (or the countries of our families). I may not be the best cook out there, but when I find a recipe I am dedicated to making it taste as authentic as possible. Whether that’s making Mexican paletas during the summer or pozole on cold winter days, I’m doing my best to introduce my daughters to the ingredients that come from Mexico or Bolivia. Once the cooking aromas take over the house, there’s no denying that we’ve brought a bit of our culture home.
Whether it’s through gifts we’ve received from our family in other countries or bringing recipes into our kitchen, we’ve been able to add a bit of our culture to our every day lives in simple ways. Are there ways that you bring a bit of your family’s history into your home? We’d love to hear your ideas over on Instagram or Facebook if you’d like to share how you’re sharing your culture in your own homes.
