Little Christmas is one of the most important holidays on the Puerto Rican calendar, so it made sense that this year, my cousin's dining room table was filled with dozens of homemade dishes - my favorite being empanadas. Inside of the warm, oily, and crisp outer layer, there were many vibrant flavors that I had waited months for. Unlabeled, it was always a mystery as to what type I would bite into. My favorite is always the beef!

My dad's mom, Ma, came to America from Puerto Rico in 1936 when she was 19 for a nursing degree. She then had 6 boys in Washington Heights and moved to Long Island. She brought the recipe from PR and made empanadas during the holidays with her sisters. She passed the recipe on to her sons’ wives and grandchildren.

Empanadas are a staple in my family and no holiday would be complete without them. Ma would always recruit family members into the kitchen to help her make them but I was too young at the time. Since then, I have made the empanadas with my older cousins, and even on my own.

I have been able to continue this family tradition by going to my local bodega every week with my dad to get empanadas, calling it Empanada Thursday! On a daily basis, there aren’t many influences of my culture and I don’t often feel “Latina enough”. Yet when eating or making empanadas I embrace my cultural identity and I am proud of where I came from. The empanadas bring everyone together, reminding us that the dish is a representation of hard work, family, and culture.

– Theresa Alarcon

Relationship:  Grandchild of im/migrant Grandchild of im/migrant