Internships Abroad, GRIP Finding community in Uruguay

GRIP: Entrepreneurship in Montevideo

Two months ago, I spent 31 hours traveling to Montevideo, Uruguay, where I would be the sole intern in my office, living in a homestay for the very first time, and adapting to a country that is famously homogenous. I packed my bag with hot sauce, snacks, and instant ramen, not knowing what lay ahead. What I eventually discovered was community, connection, and belonging.

My first experience of Uruguay was when I arrived at my homestay in the quiet neighbourhood of Reducto. At 2:00 in the morning, my host mom was waiting for me, with food on the stove and a smile on her face. As the weeks progressed, we had the ultimate cultural exchange, whether it be learning about their family lineage, conversations about racism, or understanding each other's wildly different taste palates. The immense array of activities I experienced with my host-family, from selling a vintage Louis Vuitton trunk or picking fish from the local market, greatly improved my understanding of the world and will forever be cherished. An unforgettable experience was attending an asado, a typical Uruguayan barbeque, with the entire extended family of my host-dad. Here I witnessed the wedding announcement of my host-second cousin in between bites of short rib and salad. Coming from a smaller family, being surrounded by this big, loud, and loving family was an amazing experience that touched my heart.

Outside of the house, I began my search for spicy food, scouring for Chinese food. A

homogenous country, the entirety of Uruguay has around 200 Chinese people, and how lucky I was to forge connections with several of these Chinese-Uruguayans. Visiting a local Chinese eatery, I befriended the children of the owners, some of the smartest teenagers I have ever met, speaking six languages each. Strolling through the museum of Juan Blanes, I made friends with another Chinese woman, who was beyond excited to meet one of just a handful of Mandarin-speaking youth in the city. We made plans to meet, where I met several of her other friends. Speaking in Spandaringlish (Spanish-Mandarin-English), we shared experiences, gossip, and jokes over bowls of pork and tofu. Despite being American, this sense of community I developed has helped strengthen my Identity as a Chinese-American, something I’ve often struggled with growing up in Texas.

Within the city, the other interns and I participated in Techos, a non-profit that builds housing in slums that dot the outskirts of Montevideo. It was an amazing experience to play with the children, giving them piggy-back rides and explaining to them what the United States was. What was more impressive was that Techos builds entire houses for families in need within a singular weekend. Not only were we filled with gratitude, painting, hammering, drilling, we also made friends with other volunteers who were Uruguayan high schoolers. We later reunited over another asado, snacking on chorizo and steak as we exchanged our favourite artists and songs. It was an incredible cultural exchange of popular culture.

As I pack my overflowing bags, I leave behind my extra snacks to have room for Uruguayan souvenirs. I also leave behind a part of myself in Montevideo. Despite being thousands of milels away from home, Montevideo feels like a city where I can be me, connecting with the multiple communities that so eagerly welcomed the other interns and I.