Blending Traditions: A Father's Day interview with TNJFON's newest dad

TNJFON Board Member Alyssa Curran interviewed Staff Attorney Alvaro Manrique Barrenechea about his first Father’s Day, preserving his Peruvian heritage and sharing it with his six-month-old U.S. born son, Lucas. 

Alyssa Curran: Your first Father’s Day is coming up, Alvaro, Happy Father’s Day!

Alvaro Manrique Barrenechea: Thank you! Having Lucas has been our biggest blessing. Just recently, I was able to deliver very good news to a client who will be spending Father’s Day with his two sons after not seeing them for almost 6 years. My work at TNJFON has certainly made me aware and grateful for all the special moments I can share with my family.

AC: You have your dual citizenship in Peru and the United States. How will you share your Peruvian culture and heritage with Lucas who was born in the U.S.? 

AMB: When I think about what defines me as a person, it’s related to the fact that I’ve had experiences in various places all over the world. I’m made up not from one particular place or culture, but a mix of experiences, traditions, and history. I want Lucas to experience life similarly. I grew up in Peru and my wife, Meghan, is from the U.S. Lucas will experience family traditions from both of us and will grow up in a blend of both cultures.

AC: What’s an example of a Peruvian tradition or cultural norm that you hope to share with Lucas? 

AMB: First of all, at home, I only speak to Lucas in Spanish and Meghan speaks to him in English. We hope he will grow up bi-lingual. Most of the language I associate with babies has always been in Spanish so to me it was natural to speak to him in Spanish from day one. But we know it’s not just knowing the language that makes you comfortable truly understanding and speaking Spanish, but understanding nuance and cultural details as well as local jargon and lingo. I look forward to bringing Lucas to Peru to stay with my family and friends to become better connected to the language and culture. 

One concrete example: when I was growing up, I was told that Santa Claus was not real. Santa is not a big part of the Christmas tradition in Peru and neither are Christmas stockings. It’s Summer in Lima at Christmas time and we spend it having a large family celebration on December 24th and relaxing on December 25th. Meghan’s family and the traditional American Christmas is spent looking forward to visits from Santa and doing winter-themed activities. We’re going to blend traditions from both when celebrating with Lucas to make it as special as possible and pass down aspects from our Christmas memories that we find to be the most special.  

Additionally, Lucas’ full name is Lucas Manuel Manrique Gwaltney. Having a second last name is the way we do it in Peru. It may be challenging for Lucas in the U.S. to have a second last name, but we’re open to letting him decide what he wants to do with his second last name down the road.  

AC: What do you and Meghan hope for your son? 

AMB: Both Lucas and I have our dual citizenships. My hope is that Lucas gains experiences all over the world and mixes them together to become a person who has a broad vision of life. Both Meghan and I have had the luck to have countless and varied life experiences and that defines a lot of who we are. I hope that he can embrace things he decides to like. If he decides he wants to wear a cowboy hat and cowboy boots to Lima when visiting later in life as a true testament to his blended culture, so be it. We hope to give him the experiences to let him choose his interests and have fun with it. Learn, capture, grow and express himself the way he chooses. 

AC: Well, Lucas is truly the cutest cherub! Congrats to you and Meghan and may you enjoy your first Father’s Day together! 

Alvaro, Meghan and baby Lucas