A Heart Between Two Cultures and Eyes on the Kingdom.
This year, “Hispanic Heritage Month” has taken on a deeper meaning for me. I’ve always been proud of my ethnicity and background, but lately, when I hear the news or scroll social media, I can’t help but feel a wave of fear and anxiety. I wonder if my skin color, my accent, or even my ID card might trigger rejection in someone else. Even if I try to ignore those thoughts, I can’t shield my daughters completely. At school, they hear and see things that spark late-bedtime questions filled with “what ifs.”
As a mother, it’s painful to look into their big, brown, teary eyes and answer honestly. I would love to tell them, “Nothing will happen, God will protect us,” but more than rehearsed answers—they need to see faith in action. So I had to remind them of this truth: I (we) belong to God’s Kingdom. When I placed my trust in Him, He gave me a new identity as His daughter. That means my nationality isn’t the final word on who I am. What matters most is that we are part of a Kingdom that cannot be shaken.
Of course, I still embrace the beauty of my heritage—the traditions, the foods, the wisdom of my abuelita, who often said, “A donde fueres, haz lo que vieres” (“Where you go, do as they do”). When my mom emigrated to the U.S. during my early teens, I had to adapt to cold winters, new foods, and a different culture. Yet, more importantly, it was here that I encountered Jesus as my Savior and learned that in His Kingdom there is no male or female, slave or free, Jew or Greek. Nothing about our background can keep us from His grace.
“Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul.” 1 Peter 2:11 NIV
Peter’s words remind me that God has given us new birth into a living hope and an inheritance in heaven.(1 Peter 1:1-9) He calls us “aliens and strangers” in this world.
In many ways, that’s exactly my life—an immigrant in the U.S., but also a pilgrim passing through this earth. My ultimate allegiance is not to a flag or country, but to Christ who rescued me. And in this Kingdom, He continually reminds me to guard against idols of greed, pride, or self-sufficiency, and to rest in His mercy and grace.
I am deeply grateful that God saw me, knew my story before I even crossed the border, and gave me a new life in a land called the “home of the brave.” Today, I can praise Him, and I am very grateful for a heritage that is both Mexican and American, but above all, eternal. The truest heritage I hope to pass on to my daughters is not only tamales or Spanish words, but Jesus alive in me.
As you celebrate this month, visit the Hispanic aisle at your local store, try new foods, practice your Spanish, and enjoy the richness of our culture. But remember—our identity is in Christ. Like Jesus, welcome everyone, not focusing on nationality but on eternity. Because at the end of the day, we are all pilgrims and sojourners, called to live for the unshakable Kingdom of God.
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Daniela Galindo-Cabriales is an Assistant Pastor at Hope Rising Church in Northern Indiana, focusing on digital outreach.
She’s also Communications Director for SMEF and FLAMA, a full-time ministerial student, wife, and girl mom.
Daniela uses social media to spread the gospel, believing it’s the modern parish John Wesley would totally embrace.
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