Family is Forever

General Information about Item:

• Verbal lore, proverb
• Language: Spanish
• Informant: Jonathan Bonilla
• Date Collected: 10-26-18

Informant Data:

Jonathan is a sophomore at Dartmouth College. He is an international student from Honduras, and is also first-generation. Transitioning both into college and into American culture have been quite the experience for him. His family was been his greatest support system, despite being thousands of miles away. Coming into his sophomore year, Jonathan is feeling more comfortable and stable within his friend group, but the love and support from his family continues to remind him that he will always have people on his side.

Contextual Data:

Jonathan heard this proverb several times from his mom. He explains that it represents her values of family, which especially reflects the values of Latino families. He describes that his mom would use this phrase whenever one his relationships or friendships was not going well, or if a friend let him down. This was his mom’s way of reminding him that family was always going to be there for him. Jonathan also explains that, in his case, family did not necessarily mean blood-related; rather, it can be anyone who has been there for you since you were young, or who has never let you down. There is a significant element of trust in family. “Friends” in this phrase mean someone that you are just getting to know or who is not yet close or significant enough to you to have met your family.

Item:

Orally transmitted proverb:

“Los amigos van y vienen, pero la familia es para siempre.”

Translation:

“Friends come and go, but family is forever.”

Transcription: 

My mom used to always tell me this proverb that represents her values of family, latino family especially. The proverb goes like, “Los amigos van y vienen, pero la familia es para siempre,” and it literally translates to, “Friends comes and go, but family is forever.” She would always tell me that when a relationship didn’t work out or, like, a friend let me down. She would let me know that family was always going to be there for me. And what she mean by family doesn’t necessarily mean blood-related, but who has been there for you since you were a kid, or who like never let you down. So that can also be considered family. When they say, “Friends come and go,” it means people who you have just met or people who you  haven’t introduced to your family.

Collector’s Comments:

• This proverb falls under the theme of “Family Comes First.”
• It reiterates the importance of family (over friends) within Spanish culture.
• The structure of the proverb follows the formula “___ is ___,” and has a more serious image/tone.

Collector’s Name: Vi Nguyen

Tags/Keywords:

• Verbal Lore
• Spanish Proverb
• Family