To mark Latinx Heritage Month, we asked our community to share stories about how their Latinx identities intersect with their identity as an LGBTQ+ family. In this post, Claudia shares her family’s story.
In the Camargo family, we hold our Mexican culture with Pride. My wife Rosie was born and raised in Guanajuato Mexico. I, Claudia AKA Chayo, was taken to Mexico yearly since I was 5 years old, and we have taken our son, Aaron, yearly since the age of 5 as well. We are proud of our Mexican Raices (roots) and want to make sure Aaron is raised with the same love and interest in our Cultura.
In our household, we respect and display with honor our 3 flags: the American, the Mexican, and our Pride flags. We did not plan it this way, but it looks like we even split the knowledge of representation of each one through our family. Aaron can explain to you all about the American flag, Rosie is the expert in the Mexican flag and Cultura, while I can tell you the origin and representation of our Pride flag.
We celebrate the Mexican Independence at home by waiting the traditional “El Grito” which falls in September. We celebrate El Dia de Muertos, and now our town in Indiana is embracing this tradition, too! We travel every year to spend Christmas in Mexico. We want our son to be part of the traditional ‘Posaditas”, “Arrullar al Nino Jesus” and celebrate Navidad how it is done in Mexico—which is beautiful.
The entire Mes de Septiembre we try to talk about Mexican cultures at our home so that our son can see and learn. We have the best Mexican chef in our home (my wife). Her meals are traditional, and we love it. El chocolate caliente con un bolillo, el mole, las tortillas, los tamales, el pozole, los frijoles, y sus ricas empanadas. We have a very Mexican traditional family household structure. I am the male figure that goes out to work and takes care of things like our vehicles and home repairs, while Mommy Rosie is the one to stay home take care of the chores, and our son Aaron. I consider myself Machista at times. I wasn’t raised that way, it just naturally happened.
We are a truly a proud Mexican-American Gay family that respects everything that makes us a strong family. In the past, we have participated in a Mexican LGBTQ+ family group and shared our family picture for a calendar and a book cover explaining our families and their structures. We don’t only remember we are Mexicans in the month of Independence, we remember it every day. When we speak our language, eat our foods, keep our traditions, our culture, and raise our son with the love for our roots.