The Castaño Family
Immigrated from Colombia
Park City, UT
Photo(s) Taken by Maegan Castleton at the Natural History Museum of Utah
Pictured: Daniel Castaño on the top right and his family pictured around him
Daniel Castaño grew up in Colombia surrounded by friends and family. His father passed on early on during his childhood and he grew up alongside his siblings with his mother and oldest sister picking up the responsibilities of the family. They were the ones to successfully send them all to school. For as long as Daniel has remembered, he has always encouraged others to make connections and learn something new about those around you. He and his family have made Utah their home by embracing the many activities, events, and organizations available to them in their Park City community. Below are his reflections on his family’s experience in Utah.
Making Utah Home
What is your family’s story behind making Utah your home?
Obviously one of the most important things we were looking for was a safe place, and Park City has been that for us and has given us a good quality life. We wanted a place where our kids could pursue a good future. The most challenging thing was the fact that we had nobody here. We didn’t have any friends or family who were able to support us. But Holy Cross Ministries in Park City was one of the places that opened up their doors for us. One of the things we try to do is celebrate [holidays] that happen in Colombia. Our kids are growing up in a country [that doesn’t really celebrate those holidays] so we also try to celebrate everything that is here and everything that is celebrated in Colombia.
New Life in Utah
What makes a home?
I do feel like I belong here. One of the things that connects us more with this country is Christmas for example. It’s a little different [when you compare Colombian Christmas and American Christmas,] but we get that warm feeling celebrating it here and it’s been a holiday that has continued to change meaning as we learn more about American Christmas traditions.
The summer season has always been a good time to make some of our most important memories together. In the evenings when it isn’t too hot, just being able to take the kids to the park and watch them play and grow is heartwarming. Being able to go out for dinner and treat the family to ice cream and spend quality time is something that will forever be important to me and I hope that my children will remember all the time we spent together.
Building the Next Generation
What hopeful message would you like to share with others as a first generation Utahn?
If I’m not working, I’m spending time with my family. The three most important people in my life are my two children and my wife — that is my entire circle and my daily life. I just enjoy doing anything and everything with them no matter what it is. I know my kids are growing up fast, so I want others to understand that quality time is something that everyone can provide for their kids. This is my commitment to them.
“Be present for the achievements of your kids, for everything that they are able to accomplish. My oldest had no idea how to speak English when we moved. And now, for me to look at him when we go to a restaurant and see that he’s able to [navigate the language], it’s amazing. I want to be there for both of [my kids] every step of the way.”
Daniel Castaño
HOME IS HERE
Interpretation may lead to slight variations between spoken content and its written representation. Efforts are made to capture meaning accurately, but minor differences can occur due to language dynamics. Written quotes are approximations of the original spoken dialogue. All quotes that contain square brackets (i.e. “[]”) indicate a direct quote that has been edited to fit the surrounding information and/or add context that does not show up within the scope of the quote and has been approved by their respective speaker.