Now a Real Peruvian: A Milestone

On December 18, the very last day I was in Huancayo in 2011, I felt like a real Peruvian for the very first time. No, I didn’t get my Peruvian citizenship (even though I would like to be a legal Peruvian one day). This was even better: a stranger thought I was Peruvian!

I’ve had people think I was Peruvian before, but I often end up making a mistake in my speech and give myself away. Or I’ll tell them I’m actually from Canada, which seems to make so much more sense to them. This time, it was different.

It was midnight and I was nervous about taking the colectivo home by myself. My nervousness came out as chattiness with the colectivo driver. We chatted about anything under the sun from what it’s like to be a colectivo driver to school to family to work to Christmas. I mentioned that I was leaving for Lima that night.

“So are you from Lima or Huancayo?”

“I’m from Canada,” I told him.

He turned around to get a better look at me and shook his head. “Yeah, right.”

“But I’m Chinese by blood,” I clarified.

“It’s obvious you’re Chinese, but I don’t think you’re from Canada.” He didn’t believe me! Rather than be offended, I was ecstatic! He truly thought I was one of the many Chinese-Peruvians who have been living in the country for generations.

Maybe it was because I mentioned the classes I took at the local university or because I knew about all the areas we talked about in Huancayo or because I followed the Peruvian soccer team. My Spanish grammar, vocabulary, and accent must have also been good enough for the conversation we were having.

Five minutes later, as we pulled up to my stop, he turned around to say, “I’m still doubting you. Where are you actually from?”

“Canada!” I told him, although maybe I should have just said, “Peru.”

What was the turning point when you really felt like a part of your country/organization/family?


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You might be interested in these related posts:

  1. Lucho Quequezana: Multicultural Musicians Playing Peruvian Tunes
  2. A Microcosm of Peruvian Life

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Comments (74)

  • Nima

    Reply

    Wow! Congratulations!

    I’ve just thought of another new years resolution for myself. Spend an hour per day studying another language. I’m half Iranian, so perhaps Farsi would be a language to learn; on the other hand, I love the South of France! eek.

    You must sound like a real local now though, I guess that’s probably one of the best feelings in the world when you begin to fit seamlessly into a place you love 🙂

    • Samantha Bangayan

      Reply

      Aww! Thanks so much, Nima! =) It’s definitely makes all the difference to feel like a local.

      Wow! Farsi seems like such a difficult language to me. It seems to use sounds that I don’t think I could make even if I wanted to. =) I’m loving your goal though and thoroughly support you through it! =)

  • Virag

    Reply

    I feel like the question was aimed to me (too) :). Actually, it took me several years (6-7 more precisely) to feel as a part of the Swedish society/people, and as you say, you have to live with them for a long time and get to know thier culture and customs very well. My turning point was when I made a lot of native friends and they actually told me that I am just like them, the Swedes when it comes to thinking:).

    • Samantha Bangayan

      Reply

      Wow! It’s so interesting to hear about others’ experiences! I can imagine that it can be more difficult to assimilate depending on the country. Thanks for being so able to relate, Virag! =)

  • Betsy Cross

    Reply

    Yeah! Something so special about fitting in and being “one of them”! I love languages and loved traveling through Spain, Germany and France trying to blend in. Quite the challenge! But fun.

    • Samantha Bangayan

      Reply

      Exactly, Betsy! And speaking of languages, what I find so amazing is that Spanish has opened so many doors for me. There’s this instant connection when you can converse with someone in their native language. Love imagining you being Betsy The Explorer. =)

  • Harleena Singh@Freelance Writer

    Reply

    You belong there now Samantha!

    This is indeed true- that the place and people start growing on us when we stay in a place for that long a period of time as you have stayed. It had happened with me when we were staying at a hill station when my dad was posted there for over three years! They tool me to be a local of the place and would often begin conversing with me in their local language, till I had to tell them that I am not from there 🙂

    I think it’s wonderful if you are able to change, adapt, and adjust yourself to your new surrounding and the people. It makes you a part of them and they like to take you as that as well.

    Guess we need to congratulate you for being a part of Peru now! For us, because of the wonderful information about Peru that you share- you were already a part- but nice to know that the people there too take you for the same 🙂

    Enjoy and be there in the present. Have a wonderful time 🙂

    • Samantha Bangayan

      Reply

      Wow! I hadn’t thought of it that way, Harleena. =) It’s nice to feel like I “belong.”

      It sounds like you know exactly how I feel! I can imagine that you went through the assimilation process various times during your travels as a child. =) The experiences must have made you more adaptable. =)

      Thanks so much for your kind, kind words, friend! =) Warm hugs!

  • Hajra

    Reply

    Hey Sam,

    One of the where am I moments? 😉

    It is tough, especially when you are from a whole lot of places at all times! I face the same pressure and the same confusion but there isn’t a moment when I haven’t truly known where exactly I am from! I always say India and then I catch myself saying UAE and then I feel what am I being true to!

    Haven’t had such a great moment of realization as yet… will get back when it happens! 🙂

  • Adrienne

    Reply

    Congratulations Samantha, I know you’re so ecstatic about this. Just what you wanted, someone to think you were a native. It’s about darn time right! Enjoy it Samantha and Peru is now your home.

  • Roberta Budvietas

    Reply

    I am a Canadian by birth but a New Zealander by choice. I knew that the first time I flew into New Zealand after a trip back to Canada and I felt like I was coming home. Home to a land where my soul resonated and I felt fulfilled.
    Just like we can choose the people we want to live with, I think we can choose where to live – anywhere in the world.

  • Dayle

    Reply

    That is an awesome story, Sam!

    I was about to say that I don’t have a real turning point like that, but that’s a lie. I think you might know this story though . . . After my mom died and I moved in with my aunt, uncle and cousins, my uncle was on the radio and he said he wanted to say hi to his kids and included my name. It was a very special moment for me 🙂

  • Don

    Reply

    I remember while serving in the Army in Germany, one day as I stood waiting at the Bahnhof (it’s like an above ground subway) in Stuttgart an elderly German lady came up to me and started speaking to me and was surprised when I told her that I only spoke a little bit of German. To her I looked German, not like an American soldier. Sure, it’s not the same as speaking the language like you did Sam, but still, it felt pretty good to know that I could blend in.

    • Samantha Bangayan

      Reply

      Wow! =) That’s a great example, Don, and I loved learning more about you in your comment. =) Something similar happened to me when I was in Japan and an old lady started speaking to me in Japanese at the corner of a street I was waiting to cross. =)

  • Vinny T

    Reply

    That´s a fascinating post and a really interesting question that you posed. First of all, welcome back home to Peru. I hope that you really enjoyed your vacation in Canada and hope the cold weather there didn´t bother you too much.

    I feel Peruvian everytime I visitPeru, even though I still struggle with the language. I guess it´s simply because all my family in Peru treat me as if I was born and raised here and treat me an integral part of their family. Just yesterday, I was in Lunahuana, a small town that´s about a three hour drive south of Lima. While there, I met some cousins through marriage who I had never met before. They were so welcoming and loving that they really made me feel that I truly was completely welcome in their humble dwelling. However, that milestone moment for me was way back in the 1970´s when I first visited Peru, when I felt more at home here than in my own homeland.

    • Samantha Bangayan

      Reply

      Thanks, Vinny! It was so nice to be back in Vancouver even though it was freezing and snowing half the time! Nevertheless, I had been missing Peru and it’s nice to be back here too. =)

      What a beautiful feeling to feel like a real part of your Peruvian family! I feel and felt the same way even at the beginning when my Spanish level was still very basic. Just last year, when I visited Roy’s grandparents’ farm for the first time and met various extended relatives, I felt the exact warmth that you did in Lunahuana. =)

  • Katie

    Reply

    I sing in a chorus here in my adopted town of Necochea, Argentina. In addition to our singing activities, we often have social gatherings that include lots of dancing. When I first joined the chorus, my fellow singers (and particularly my director) would playfully make fun of my dancing, saying that I danced like a “yanqui” (an American), i.e. too stiff. Back in October, the director told me that he was proud of me because I’d finally learned to shake my hips and dance like a Latina. I remember laughing and blushing at his comment, but I have to admit that it felt good to be accepted in that way!

    • Samantha Bangayan

      Reply

      Haha! =) I had no idea that they used “yanqui” to refer to an American there! At least that’s more original than “gringo.” =)

      Wow! And I am also super proud of you for being able to shake your hips like a Latina! I *still* don’t have that one down, but maybe I need more practice. Salsa is big here, so I really need to get my hips moving soon. =)

  • Chris Jones

    Reply

    Wow. What an honor. Little things like that validate everything you’ve worked for and done. I understand. I was born and raised in Virginia, but because of my close connection to Pittsburgh, PA – knowing a lot of its history, artists, musicians, men of industry and following its spots teams, no one thinks that I’m from anywhere but Pittsburgh. It’s a really good feeling because you spend so much time acclimating yourself to a culture that such compliments prove that it wasn’t in vain. Great job, Samantha. You ARE a Peruvian.

    • Samantha Bangayan

      Reply

      Exactly, Chris! =) I’ve put in so much effort to get to know my adopted hometown that it’s nice to be recognized for it, even if indirectly. =) I’m starting to understand how it can be the same even for different cities within a country! =)

  • Deeone

    Reply

    I’m sure that was an elating feeling for you, Samantha. It’s always so wonderful to read about your love for Peru. Any one that moves outside of their native country and takes up residency in another; should feel that much admiration for a place they call home. Kudos for being that person.

    Being that I have lived in the US of A for all of my life, the most I get was when I was living up north. People would always question where I was from, and when I told them they’d usually believe me. You might not know about this, but most people in the southern states have a southern accent that is recognizable… and sometimes even laughed at by those that aren’t familiar with it. My accent isn’t as deep as some people I’ve heard speak from the southern states, but it’s definitely still noticeable when up north. 😀

    Awesome post and great read, my friend. 🙂

    • Samantha Bangayan

      Reply

      Total elation indeed! You know, when we chatted on Skype, I didn’t think you had an accent at all. There were just some words that sounded different to me. Boy do I know how an accent can be identifying. That’s why I feel so grateful that I don’t have that much an accent when I speak Spanish because of my Filipino background. Otherwise, I imagine it would be difficult to get rid of accent completely just by practicing.

      Thanks for relating, Deeone! =) <3

  • Barry Wells

    Reply

    Hi Samantha,

    Happy New Year 🙂

    Congratulations on your milestone. You’ll soon be recognized as a native by the officials as well as the people. I can only imagine how rewarding that must be as I’ve only ever lived in the UK, although with my accent they must think I’m an alien at times 🙂

    I know it’s Chinese new year today so I wish you a Happy New year again. Do you celebrate both? I would 😉

    Congratulations once again Samantha, keep up the hard work and you’ll see the rewards follow 🙂

    Take care, Barry

    • Samantha Bangayan

      Reply

      Thanks, Barry! Bit by bit, right? =) The more I chat with people about this idea of “fitting in” and “home,” the more I realize how some people may not even feel “at home” in a place they grew up in! So I’m glad that you feel at home where you are. =)

      Happy Chinese New Year to you too! =) I didn’t celebrate Chinese New Year here in Peru, but I usually do when I’m in Vancouver. =)

  • Jonathan Gaurano

    Reply

    Samantha:

    When I first read the post I thought: Why do you want to be Peruvian? That is great and wonderful, of course. But is she ashamed of being Chinese-Canadian. But then, reading the comments and your other blog posts, I began to realize that it is a sort of goal you have to be fully immersed in the country you’ve just settled into.

    As a person who has flown to the states to Taipei – I must say I was very proud when people thought I was from Japan, then the US of A. Granted, I was far from being considered a Taipei citizen – it felt good knowing that I was immersing myself in the countries’s culture (well close to it).

    So, you got this! I hope you’re having fun.

    • Samantha Bangayan

      Reply

      Hey Jonathan! Great to meet you! =) Can’t wait to check out your blog!

      That’s an interesting insight and you’re spot on about immersion. I like to embrace all of the cultures I identify with. Sounds like you can definitely identify with the feeling with your international experiences too! =)

      Thanks so much for the encouragement and I’m so glad we’re in touch! =)

  • Armand

    Reply

    Hi Sam, I think it’s good for you that you speak Spanish fluently and adopted their intonation. At least people their will not take advantage of you. In some places I’ve visited, when they know that you are a foreigner, they tend to take advantage, like in pricing of some goods and of the fare! Sad to know that, there are lot of opportunists in any place we could come.

    • Samantha Bangayan

      Reply

      So nice to meet you, Armand! Thanks for taking the time to comment. =) I definitely feel lucky that my accent isn’t as strong as others because of my Filipino background. I don’t know if I could get around a natural American or Canadian accent!

      And you’re right that one of the major advantages is in knowing that I can negotiate for a local price both in Huancayo and when I’m traveling around Peru!

    • Samantha Bangayan

      Reply

      Thanks so much for being happy for me, Ollin! =) Wow — and for your positive feedback on my writing too. =) *Blush!* Coming from an amazing writer like yourself, that compliment has made my day!

  • Praveen Rajarao

    Reply

    Samantha – Congratulations and hope you enjoy Peru as you so long desired of it. New places and new people can bring lot of changes and change is inevitable in life. Enjoy and take it one at a time.

  • Kelly

    Reply

    Congrats, Samantha 🙂

    No one has ever mistaken me for Peruvian, what with my incredibly white skin and blue eyes!

    But there was a day when we were sitting in a row of benches at a commercial center eating ice cream, and a mom with a screaming child walked by… after a particularly loud scream, I muttered “caramba!”

    A man beside me chuckled and said “How long have you lived in Peru? You sound like one of us!”

    Made my day 😀

    • Samantha Bangayan

      Reply

      I’m surprised, Kelly! Since there are so many Peruvians in Lima who look like foreigners because of their European background, I thought that you might have had a similar experience! =)

      Haha! =) Love that “caramba” came out of you so naturally like that! =) And I especially love how you say “commercial center” instead of “mall.” =)

  • Cat Alexandra @ Internet Marketing Success

    Reply

    Hi Samantha,

    Bravo!! This was a fun account here and I’m satisfied that it’s just evidence of your authenticity. It is clear from your writing that you adore the Peruvian life and culture. You radiate like a local nowadays, how very very cool!

    It’s a wonderful thing to feel a part of your environment.

    I feel that way about Colorado. It’s interesting for me because I’ve lived in so many different places over the years and none of them quite felt like “home” to me…then I fell head over heels in love with Boulder. Ah Boulder, my sweet home.

    I’m not sure exactly what it was that “clicked” into place here; it’s probably a mixed bag of things combined. All I know is that when I wake up to the cheerful songs of birds outside and gaze out the window into the Flatiron Mountains, I feel peace inside and can’t help but smile from ear to ear.

    Home just feels good. 😀

    Cat Alexandra

    • Samantha Bangayan

      Reply

      Aww! Thanks for the encouragement, Cat. =) You’re right that Peru is like a second home to me and I absolutely love the lifestyle and culture here. I hope that I continue “radiating” throughout this new year!

      I can completely relate with how you fell in love with Boulder. I felt similarly when I arrived here in Peru. I think I always knew that I wanted to try living in a more rural place someday and Huancayo fit the bill perfectly — not too small, not too large. I’m loving the peace you describe because it’s exactly what I identify with here too. =) Although maybe I should visit Boulder someday and maybe I’ll fall in love with the area too. =)

      • Cat Alexandra @ Internet Marketing Success

        Reply

        You’re very welcome, Samantha!

        I have an idea of what you mean by loving the lifestyle and culture of Huancayo, Peru. It does indeed seem like we may love similar things about our respective homes!

        Boulder does have a bit of a city-feel to it in some places that bustle, but there are also many open spaces which are still untouched and breathtakingly picturesque. The peace and tranquility of being surrounded by nature because they city and people decided to roll that way rather than to bulldoze over nature’s abundant and priceless gifts goes a long way for me.

        I do highly recommend visiting Boulder one day, if it suits your fancy! I’d love to show you around if you do come out this way! 😀

        Cat

  • Jayna Locke

    Reply

    Ahh, total immersion! I can only imagine. I spent six months in Greece one time and learned quite a bit of the language. But I was with a student group and we were so insulated by hanging around with each other that I only had a mini breakthrough during a home stay on the island of Crete. I remember one day actually joking in Greek and it was such an amazing feeling. So I know a little of what you are talking about.

    Congrats on being absorbed into the Peruvian culture!

  • Nikki

    Reply

    Hi achi S! 😀 how are you? 😀 did you take the enneagram test yet? 🙂

    hmm.. the closest thing i can think of is that i finally felt like i was being treated more like a doctor because i knew how to look at lab results (especially ama and kongkong’s… and papa’s) and knew what to expect from the diagnosis (sort of like making differential diagnoses). I guess much more than what others thought of what I now know, it’s more of me suddenly believing that I can think like a doctor when I need to. 🙂 🙂

    • Samantha Bangayan

      Reply

      I did! =) And tweeted you about it! Super interesting stuff!

      Wow! It definitely sounds like your knowledge has been beneficial to the family already. That must be an amazing feeling. =) You’re a doctor in heart and mind already!

  • Adrienne

    Reply

    I think I felt like I really belonged at my old job when my boss yelled at me for no reason. It’s unfortunate, but he did that to everyone at some point!

    I also read your post of the Chinese population in Peru. I had no idea there were so many Chinese in Peru! Thanks for that; I love learning new stuff!

    • Samantha Bangayan

      Reply

      Haha! I know what you mean! I worked at a place where all my coworkers warned me that the boss only yells at the people who are closest to him!

      Thanks so much for reading my posts, Adrienne! =) Love relaying knowledge and learning from others too. =)

  • Adeline

    Reply

    Congratulations, Samantha! Home is where the heart is, and I know that your heart is there in Peru. Really happy for you, my friend.

  • Sherry Zander

    Reply

    Great story, Sam. I love it when we experience change that we’ve longed for, whether it’s being thought of as a native or something else. I think we all desire to “fit in” to the different situations and circumstances we experience in life. Most people don’t want to stand out and be thought of as odd or unusual. This sounds like you achieved a milestone in your adventures in Peru. Congratulations!!

    • Samantha Bangayan

      Reply

      Thank youu! =) That’s exactly why it felt so amazing, Sherry — I’ve been wishing and hoping for a moment like this one! I had come so close various times, but with all the mistakes I often make when I speak, I thought I’d never get there. =P Maybe I just need to slur more, so people don’t realize when I get the feminine and masculine versions of the words mixed up. =P

  • Scarlett Wentcher

    Reply

    My congrats, Samantha!
    I know for sure how hard it is to move to another country. So may troubles!
    Your story is really nice, it could be useful for the other people who are going to live in Peru.

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