By yasmin Paez
A set of potluck dishes are laid out on a colorful tabletop. Each of the dishes has a complementary one beside it. Some are large bowls, some are small, rectangular plates, each decorated with a multifoliate array of different colors. The dishes I choose to put on my plate illustrate the different cultures and communities I balanced growing up.
Two large dishes are laid in the middle of the table. While others see two main food options of Aji and Caldo de Pollo, I see a partnership. The first plate, which contains a hot chili pepper sauce called Aji, is decorated with Chile’s colors: red, white, and blue. As I take a bite from the dish, I see the dusty figure of a little refugee boy. In the dry heat of the desert, the boy fights his hardest to keep his legs moving after being tear bombed by military forces. This boy was my father. At the age of four, he sacrificed everything to leave his home country of Chile after the 1973 coup d’état. The dish encapsulates my Chilean culture, my father’s strength, and the necessary risk my grandparents took when coming to America.
The second dish, with a traditional set of light blue and green, represents my mother’s country of Guatemala. It holds a soup, Caldo de Pollo, which consists of chicken, carrots, and potatoes. The aroma of the fresh herbs in the broth reminds me of my grandmother. My grandmother taught her five daughters the importance of women providing and caring for their families. Sexism is an unpleasant aftertaste in this dish. I’m reminded of comments made throughout my life about how I must learn to serve my husband without showing individuality. Internalized misogyny and closed-mindedness motivate me to prove these ideals wrong and be successful in being my own provider.
One of the smaller side dishes, a beef and vegetable stew, contains the most exquisite taste. In each bite of cazuela, I witness the virtues instilled in the Mapuche-indigenous people in Chile- of freedom, individuality, and hope, which I take upon in the calming hobbies of journaling and meditating in nature. Although I am still learning the mechanisms of indigenous culture, the dish inspires me to explore my ancestral roots in order to help benefit my small corner of the world.
My diaspora is represented by each dish on the table. Each one of my different cultures and communities has its own voice and virtues, all interwoven within me to form my unique identity. Without them, my life would not be half as unique as it is today. My self-guided journey has led me to discover my identity as a powerful Chilean, Guatemalan, Mapuche woman who has learned the balance to continue to love every part of herself. It’s just like balancing all the unique potluck dishes on the table.
Yasmin Paez is a freshman forensic science and psychology student from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She enjoys meditating, journaling and trying new things. During her free time, she likes to play soccer with her friends, listen to true crime podcasts and find new shows to watch.
