Isn’t it confusing? Won’t it be confusing for your children? People constantly ask me these questions. They think being Dominican, American and Jewish sounds really complicated. Mostly, they’re trying to put a damper on my multicultural mojo.
So here I am in Los Angeles for Pesach (Passover) stocking up on yucca and plantains so I can survive without rice and beans during the holiday. (We’re Ashkenazi, not Sephardi, so we don’t eat beans and rice on Passover.) I’m practicing my Spanish with the maid and my mother-in-law (who wants me to move in so I can translate for her on a daily basis). I’m already dreaming of next Passover when I hope to learn some songs in Ladino (the original Heb-Spanglish). Being Dominican, American and Jewish doesn’t feel too complicated right now…it’s just a juggling act that comes naturally.
It’s easy for American Jews to forget that Jews in the diaspora are already pretty multicultural. We’re not all eating gefilte fish and a good lot of us can roll our r’s like nobody’s business. Perhaps, you haven’t heard about Ms. Jinich? Well, read “A Taste of Passover with a Mexican accent” and learn why Jewish multiculturalism is where it’s at. At the very least, it’s tastier.
Memoirs of a Jewminicana 
Fabulous! I wish I could take some official lessons like that. I have to try to kosher-ize my family’s favorite recipes by substituting but it’s just not the same. If someone could find me gondules with a hecksher I’d be super appreciative!
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Yonit, I think Goya has some kosher guandules. But then, I can’t even find Goya products here in LA! 😦
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hey even those of us who eat gefilte fish are by-definition multicultural, even if we’re super-acculturated like my family
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Hmm, never seen a hecksher on Goya here in Texas 😦 But We did find some on Sasson and Adobo, which I consider miraculous indeed! It’s a mixed bag here. LA I figured would have better selection! weird!
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Wow. You are nicer than me…because I would probably say, “Won’t it be hard for your kids being raised by both Jews and ignorant idiots?” Lo loshan hara, but I just feel we should all be on the same team, life is hard enough!
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Steg, you are right but how many of your gefilte fish eating friends see it that way? I worry about Ashkenazi privilege.
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