"I always felt I was living in two worlds. One was the Mexican world, because nearly everybody I knew, relatives and cousins and kids in the neighbourhood, were Mexican. Then school was a different world. It was ethnically mixed"

Gilbert Hernandez’s reflection on his upbringing highlights the deeply personal experience of cultural duality. Growing up in a predominantly Mexican community, surrounded by relatives and neighbors who shared a common heritage, provided him with a strong sense of identity and belonging. Within this environment, language, customs, and family ties shaped his worldview. The shared cultural experiences created a comforting and affirming space, where daily interactions reinforced values and traditions familiar to him.

Transitioning from this space into school, Hernandez encountered a more ethnically diverse setting. School represented not just a place of learning, but a convergence point for various backgrounds, beliefs, and social expectations. This diversity demanded adaptability and the ability to code-switch, altering behavior, language, or mannerisms to fit in with a broader peer group. The contrasts between home and school could foster both enrichment and tension. At home, there was the warmth and familiarity of community; at school, the stimulation of new perspectives but also the pressure to assimilate and sometimes the challenge of feeling out of place.

Living “in two worlds” often becomes a balancing act. Navigating the expectations of family and cultural tradition while simultaneously fitting into a more mainstream or diverse society can create internal conflict but also resilience and cultural fluency. It can inspire a broadened understanding of identity, where individuals draw from multiple sources of strength, meaning, and expression.

For Hernandez, these parallel environments likely shaped his sense of self, fueling creativity and a nuanced perspective that would inform his work as a writer and artist. His experience resonates with many children of immigrants or those straddling cultural lines, capturing the emotional landscape of growing up between two sometimes contrasting worlds. This duality reflects the complexities and richness of multicultural experiences, showing both the challenges and the rewards of navigating overlapping identities.