In the heart of Denver, Colorado, a rich tapestry of cultures lives in each neighborhood.
“We grew up with big families — Hispanic, Irish, Italian — in west Denver. I still live in the same neighborhood I grew up in,” said Rosemary Rodriguez, a Mexican American Denver native.
It was in this neighborhood of west Denver where Rosemary made her best memories.
“It was a great time to be a kid,” she said.
She grew up living right next to her grandparents, who only spoke Spanish. Though they understood Rosemary’s English, and vice versa, not learning the language pains her to this day.
“It makes me sad that I couldn’t have the fruitful relationship with my Mexican grandmother that I had with my grandmother from Colorado,” said Rodriguez.
Like many Coloradans, Rodriguez was raised in an English-speaking household because her parents wanted her to speak English without an accent.
“We learned about discrimination that they experienced, that my mother, throughout her life, experienced because she had an accent,” said Rodriguez, “She spoke with a Spanish accent, and I think they saw it as a way to protect us from discrimination, even though we’re very obviously Indigenous-looking and Mexican.”