Home isn’t just a place you reside for rest and shelter. It also encompasses family, culture, traditions and love.

People always say “home is where the heart is,” but they never tell you where home is when you don’t have a family to return to.

During Hispanic Heritage Month it’s important to immerse yourself in your cultural traditions, despite how distance may impact your ability to do so.

As someone who is Mexican, I cannot even begin to express how disheartening it is that I don’t have my hispanic home to turn to. Not because of distance, but because I’ve lost most of my Hispanic family members.

Most of them have either died or moved away. But I don’t even have any ancestral remembrance to look back on, as their past homes have been torn down. 

My Hispanic family resided in California. Their legacy only lives on in the stories my mom would share with me about when my mom and my uncle were just children.

Elevating student voices since 1966. Support our work.

Due to my mom’s poor memory and the fact that we have lost so many relatives, I never got to partake in any of the food and traditions that comes with being Mexican.

However, as sad as it is, I’ve found I’m not the only one. 

“While I can still call some of my family, I don’t know anything about their day- to-day life, to the point that they are simply strangers,” said Jazamin Toth, a sophmore in Architecture.

Upon talking with her, I learned that despite her commuting to school, she barely sees her Hispanic family, who resides in Arizona.

Toth said that she barely knows about the traditions that come with being Puerto Rican. However, she plans to still embrace her heritage despite the distance.

“I want to carry on my cooking traditions, as it’s one of many few things that I have been able to share with my family,” said Toth.

In addition to cooking, Toth found a way to still stay connected with her roots despite being away from her family. 

“The internet is great for finding people that have the same experiences as you, even those that have been disconnected from their families, where you can at least find that you’re not alone,” said Toth.

Considering USF is a melting pot of cultures, there’s plenty of opportunity to get connected with people with similar upbringings.

At the end of the day, Toth said it is important to simply stay in contact with your family, even if that means not seeing them in person. 

Anthony Garcia-Sanchez, a sophomore in history, is also affected by this distance as well. Upon our conversation, he shared that living in an apartment has truly affected his immersion.

While his family lives only two hours away, this distance has made him miss home. 

“I really miss home-cooked meals and just overall always being in a clean and loving environment,” said Garcia-Sanchez. 

Like Toth, Garcia-Sanchez plans to continue embracing his heritage through cooking and to call his family frequently.

Regardless, he stresses the importance of connecting with others.

“It’s important to make a community with those of similar backgrounds,” said Garcia-Sanchez.

Home is defined differently for everyone. For some it could be two hours away, for some a plane ride, and for others a fond memory.

However, this distance isn’t always defined by the time it takes to get there, but by how much we embrace the traditions, culture, and love that makes a home what it is.