From Sept. 15 to Oct. 15,  National Hispanic Heritage Month celebrates the people, their ancestors, cultures and powerful impact they've made in the U.S. Throughout this month, we will be highlighting Boston University student-athletes who are proud to identify as Hispanic and are thrilled to share their heritage and culture with the rest of Terrier Nation.

PREVIOUS SPOTLIGHTS: JP Uribe (9/25)
 
Next up, meet Bella Gargicevich-Almeida, a junior on the softball team who loves asado, is family oriented and values her family's sacrifices to give her what she has today.

In terms of your Hispanic heritage, how do you identify?
I am Argentinian, but I am half Argentinian, half Brazilian. My father is from Brazil, and my mom is from Argentina.
 
Tell us some more about your family and culture.
My parents came to America in their mid-20s and met in Southern Cal where I live now. They ended up staying here. There were plans to go back to Brazil or Argentina, but I have four sisters and am the fourth out of five. So once they had us, they chose to stay here in hopes of a better opportunity. My extended family all still live in South America.
 
Does your family have any traditions that are important to you?
One big thing that's common in Argentina is asado, which is like a barbeque. Having a family of seven, everyone is always all over the place, but on Sundays, we try to make that Sunday asado barbeque. Also, when the World Cup comes around, it's a house divided, so they always put the flags up and everything.
 
What holidays do you and family celebrate?
We pretty much celebrate everything similar as here. On birthdays, we sing Happy Birthday in all three different languages. And even the holidays that we do celebrate here, it's usually with Argentinian and Brazilian food and desserts.
 
What's something you want people to know about being Hispanic?
I would say Hispanics are known for being a very family oriented and celebratory type culture. They're always looking to get the whole family together and celebrate. They're also very welcoming. Since my family has extended family all over the place, at my house, it's very rare that it's just our family there. We always have visitors coming to stay with us, and my friends, once they come over once, are always treated as family. My parents always tell people, "You can come stop by whenever. It's an open house."
 
Have you found community at BU?
I would say not yet. I feel like I don't encounter many Hispanic people at BU. I am lucky to have the softball team, though. I hope through joining Student-Athletes of Color, I will get to meet more Hispanic people.
 
Have there been any struggles, and if so, how have you been able to overcome them?
Fortunately, I'm grateful that I haven't experienced many struggles. One thing about having family in two different countries is it's always hard not being able to see them very often. This isn't necessarily a struggle, but many Hispanics have a super long hyphenated last names. Nobody ever knows how to pronounce it or say it.
 
What's your favorite cultural dish?
My mom's a really good cook. She keeps the Hispanic culture very much alive with our food and is always making different things. Aside from asado, I like empanadas and flan. Milanesa is steak covered in breadcrumbs and is a famous Argentinian dish.
 
Do you have a favorite song, playlist and artist?
I don't listen to as much Argentinian music; I would say I listen to more Brazilian music. At home in the morning, I always come downstairs, and there'll be Brazilian music playing. No specific songs, but just that style of music.
 
Who is someone Hispanic that you look up to and why?
My grandpa, my abuelo, who recently passed away. He lived in a small town in Argentina and worked his way up to become a congressman there. He was very selfless and did a lot for his community. Now the community refers to him as a genie in a bottle because he would make sure to go out of his way to help with the community's needs. He was recently distinguished as an honorary citizen by Congress in that city.
 
Do you think your heritage has inspired you on the field?
Going back to the sacrifice that my parents made coming here, I would say that they raised us to work for what we want. We know it doesn't come easy and sacrifices have to be made. That was a big inspiration in my softball career and continues to be, just working hard and earning what I want.
 
You have three sisters that also played softball in college. What was their experience like?
I would say similar as me. I think all of us being athletes, we stay sheltered within our sport and don't really reach out of that. It's definitely something I want to make more of an effort doing. I don't run into a lot of specifically Argentinian or Brazilian people at BU, but there are times when I'm in an elevator and I recognize an accent or them speaking a language. I'll ask and introduce myself to branch out.
 
Are there any restaurants that you got to around here that have some of your favorite cuisine?
I haven't been to any Argentinian restaurants out here. Fogo de Chao is a really good Brazilian steakhouse. There's also a place down Commonwealth Ave. that I've heard is good, but I need to go check it out!
 
What does your Hispanic heritage mean to you?
With my parents being immigrants, they made a big sacrifice leaving their families and their countries. Not having that close relationship in proximity, not being able to go down the street to my grandma's house, or play with cousins, they made that big sacrifice and worked really hard here to have a better living for us. That sacrifice just shows a lot about our heritage.
 
It's apparent that I'm very family oriented and fortunate that both my parents did a really good job keeping our culture alive even though we're far from family and in America. I'm grateful for that.