Senior to explore Peru this summer
Culture experienced from outside perspective
Used with written permission from Dominique Robinson
Senior Dominique Robinson and her family smile at a family gathering. Robinson’s father, Daniel Vargas, was born in Puerto Maldonado, Peru. The Robinson family will visit Peru in July.
April 5, 2016
Senior Dominique Robinson said she thinks when she visits Peru, her father’s country of origin, in July, she will feel like an outsider, experiencing the culture from a completely different point of view.
“When people come here, they are the outsider, so when I go there I will get to be in their shoes,” Robinson said.
Robinson said her father originates from Puerto Maldonado, Peru and immigrated to the United States 27 years ago.
“I have never been out of the state before,” Robinson said. “I was supposed to go to the World Cup (in Peru) last year, but something came up.”
Robinson’s father, Daniel Vargas, said he looks forward to seeing Machu Picchu, eating Peruvian food and enjoying the way of life in Peru.
“It feels important to me to share my culture with my family because my family will visit my homeland one day,” Vargas said.
According to Robinson, her family plans to travel to Monkey Island on the Amazon River, visit the jungle and stay in her family’s homes.
Robinson said her father often tells her stories of his life in Peru.
“He used to have a pet monkey, and would tell me about chickens on his farm,” Robinson said.
According to Robinson, her father speaks fluent English and Spanish and has adjusted well to the United States.
“It is really different (having a foreign parent). He isn’t as strict as most foreign parents because he has been here a long time,” Robinson said.
Vargas said he brings different aspects of his culture to their household.
“My family background is a mixture of different regions of Peru, but what I bring the most (to my family) is respect to elders and use your manners properly,” Vargas said.
Robinson said her family cooks saltado, a traditional Peruvian dish which contains meat, tomatoes and onions over rice, and ceviche, a dish consisting of different types of fish.
“The only American thing we eat is spaghetti,” Robinson said.
Robinson said she looks forward to leaving the state for the first time.
“I am excited to get a different feel for a different country. I have been here my whole life,” Robinson said.
