In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, we’re excited to share “Heritage in Action,” a series that highlights the inspiring stories of Peace Corps volunteers with Hispanic backgrounds. In this post, we feature Enrique Orosco, a Bolivian-American volunteer who is currently serving as a Community Development volunteer in North Macedonia. Enrique’s journey from Bolivia to the United States and now to North Macedonia shows the strength and diversity that Hispanic heritage brings to the Peace Corps. Join us as Enrique shares his experiences, the challenges he’s faced, and how his cultural background has shaped the way he connects with the community he serves.
Table of Contents
- Introduction:
- Motivation and Inspiration:
- Service Experience:
- Challenges and Triumphs:
- Cultural Exchange:
- Personal Growth:
- Advice for Aspiring Volunteers:
- Legacy and Impact:
Introduction:
Can you please introduce yourself?
My name is Enrique Orosco. I go by Quique – or Kiki in my village. I consider myself to be Bolivian-American because I was born in Bolivia, and I moved to the States when I was very young.
I grew up in South Florida, and after college and a year in AmeriCorps, I bounced around from place to place for a minute before settling in Chicago, working in food policy. Like many others, after the pandemic, I decided to rethink my course, and I relocated to Bolivia where I worked in the WASH sector for a couple of years before applying to PC.
I am currently a Community Development volunteer in North Macedonia, posted in the multiethnic Tetovo region.
Motivation and Inspiration:
What inspired you to become a Peace Corps volunteer?
Before joining the Peace Corps, I was working in under-resourced areas in urban and rural communities, including time spent deep in the Bolivian Amazon. I had a deep interest in how we can balance both environmental conservation and improving the lives of people.
I was looking for a hands-on long-term experience that would allow me to work closely with a community, learn from them, and contribute to their projects.
Service Experience:
In what ways do you think your cultural background has shaped your service?
I live in an ethnically diverse community, with an Albanian majority followed by Macedonian, Turkish, and Roma. I regularly have to switch languages at work and in my village, and the trips to the city for shopping are an adventure in navigating intercultural relationships. As an immigrant but also a Latino living in the US, I grew up surrounded by a vibrant blend of cultures. The Latin American experience is vast and distinct, with huge varieties of food, music, dance, and even language; but we share a common heritage – indigenous traditions, blended with Spanish influence from colonization. So despite the differences in geography, resources, and traditions; a lot of similarities also arise.
I see a lot of similarities between Latin America and the Balkans: a region that also contains so many beautifully diverse cultures and groups that were all ruled for several centuries under the Ottoman empire. Similarities arose as people shared and learned recipes and traditions from each other and the Ottomans.
Colombians and Venezuelans argue over who makes the better arepa; Macedonians and Albanians argue over the kebapi/qebapi. In a lot of ways, it feels like living back in South Florida, surrounded by neighbors from all over Latin America. I think those memories push me to search for common ground when meeting people.
Challenges and Triumphs:
What challenges have you faced, especially as someone with a Hispanic heritage?
I often feel like I have to balance my Hispanic identity with the local culture and the expectations of being an American volunteer. There are moments where I’m introduced as the American volunteer and others where I’m introduced as the Bolivian volunteer. There are often moments where I have felt that I had to represent multiple identities simultaneously, and sometimes without wanting to. I have a Latin name and appearance, so I am often asked if I am Mexican or Venezuelan.
I try to embrace it as a strength. I integrate aspects of your heritage into my work to help the local community see the diversity within American culture. There are a handful of volunteers in my region, so I don’t see a need for another English Slub. But I have been talking with some friends about organizing a Spanish club.
Cultural Exchange:
Are there cultural aspects being a volunteer with a Hispanic heritage that you find interesting or challenging?
The biggest shock of arriving in Macedonia was when I first met my PST host family, and my host sister spoke fluent Spanish to me. I was completely floored away; and then I was thrown for another spin when the very next day, my Macedonian tutor met me after class and started talking to me in perfect Spanish.
Since then, I have met at least 1-2 people a week who are eager to talk with me and practice their Spanish! I have more enthusiasm from people to learn Spanish than to learn English.
When I asked around, I discovered there are no Spanish language courses offered in school or Spanish language centers. However, during the 90s and early 2000s, everybody was obsessed with telenovelas One show, Kassandra, had some success back in Latin America, but when they exported it to the Balkans, it became a huge hit. Whole families were glued to the TV, and kids would end up learning Spanish from hearing the show and reading the subtitles every day.
This show was so popular, that the actors from the show came and did a tour of Macedonia, and thousands of people came to meet the famous Kassandra when she visited Skopje and Ohrid.
Personal Growth:
In what ways do you think service is contributing to your personal and professional growth?
It would be impossible to write down how much I am growing professionally and personally. Living in a new environment poses complex challenges. Every day I have to step out of my comfort zone, and there are several times a month where I feel that I am pushed to new limits. I believe I am more resilient and self-aware. I think this experience helps to understand my strengths, weaknesses, and values a lot more clearly. I feel confident knowing that I am taking these challenges in strides while having a positive impact on my community.
Advice for Aspiring Volunteers:
What advice would you give to other people with a Hispanic heritage?
If you’re fluent in Spanish, it can be a significant benefit, especially in Latin American posts. However, I deliberately chose to apply to a country outside of Latin America to push my frontiers. Knowing Spanish still made learning a new local language easier, as I could draw on existing linguistic knowledge from Spanish and English. As a dual-language volunteer, I also feel a lot more comfortable switching languages as I was used to switching between Spanish and English at home and in public.
I truly think that a Latin heritage is a strength that can enrich one’s Peace Corps service. Use it as a bridge to connect with others, whether through shared values, language, or traditions. You have a unique perspective that can help to foster deeper cultural exchanges and understanding within the community you’ll serve.
Legacy and Impact:
What do you hope your legacy will be in the community?
I hope that my organization can thrive well into the future. It has been successful for 15 years, and I hope it can grow and continue to thrive for 15 more years. There are so many talented youth in my community, and I hope to help them to grow to their full potential. I hope my presence and my mentorship makes a difference for them to decide to stay in Macedonia and develop their country.
Discover more inspiring journeys of volunteers in the Peace Corps, in our series, ‘Heritage in Action: Hispanic Heritage Volunteers in the Peace Corps’ Here!
What are you waiting for? Opportunities like this don’t come often. If you have a passion for service and an adventurous spirit like Enrique’s, apply to the Peace Corps today. Expand your horizons, push your limits, and create positive impact as a volunteer. You never know how serving as a Peace Corps volunteer could change your life.
The content of this post does not necessarily reflect the views of the U.S. Government, the Peace Corps, or North Macedonia Government.
