Spanish playgroup takes root in Wānaka

Otago Daily Times

05-07-2025

Ana Estefania Kim is Korean by blood, was born and raised in Buenos Aires, completed her studies in Los Angeles and is now raising her daughters in Wānaka.
Her journey is proof that cultural identity is fluid and cannot be confined to a single restrictive label, a sentiment she aims to pass down to young children in Wānaka through a Spanish playgroup she recently helped start.
Her diverse story began even before she was born.
The aftermath of the 1950s Korean War pushed Ms Kim's grandparents to Argentina during a time when South America was seeking rural workers.
Her parents, both Korean, met in Argentina and started a family in Buenos Aires.
Ms Kim grew up speaking Spanish at school and Korean at home, which was only the beginning of a life enriched with diversity.
During the early 2000s, life in Argentina became more difficult and Ms Kim's parents searched for a better future.
At 18, Ms Kim immigrated for the first time to Los Angeles when her mother got a job in the fashion industry.
Adjusting to American life was not the only culture shock that awaited Ms Kim as she soon discovered a large Korean community in the city.
"All of a sudden I was more Korean than Argentinian," she said, explaining that the move became an unexpected opportunity for her family to reconnect with their roots.
The exposure to such a wide spectrum of cultural experiences ignited an interest in indigenous cultures for Ms Kim as she went on to study social anthropology.
"I was hungry for belonging, I wanted to learn what makes indigenous cultures unique instead of mainstream."
Her work led her to travel and explore cultures including a trip to Ecuador where she worked as an archaeologist and also happened to meet her future husband, who had grown up in New Zealand.
The couple eventually made the decision to move first to Wellington and then to Wānaka when Ms Kim's partner got a job a few years ago.
Not long after moving to town Ms Kim began to connect with the Latino community that grows more vibrant every day.
She felt thrilled to once again reconnect with a special and fundamental part of her upbringing.
As a child of immigration and multi-culturalism, Ms Kim felt her background could at times act as a social superpower.
"I'm very adaptable and flexible," she said.
"I can also move in different cultural spaces because I have access to languages."
However, this strength did not come without the cost of having to summarise her multi-layered identity into a single label.
"Sometimes I have to constantly justify my identity. It just gets tiring ... people want to put you in boxes."
Although she had navigated this experience her entire life, as a mother to daughters who would also grow up being from a diverse background, she felt compelled to ensure their world views were as broad as possible.
This led to the creation of the Spanish playgroup in the Upper Clutha.
"I want my kids to be exposed to all the cultures I grew up with ... The idea is everything is immersive and everything is in Spanish."
The group has already met twice with around 15 families joining in to do activities such as baking, sport and dancing while incorporating Spanish words and phrases into the fun.
Ms Kim has already seen a growing support for the parent-led group as more families share the same desire to pass down their culture to their children in an interactive and social way.