A Smile Over Frijoles

While volunteering for the Food Insecurity Team (FIT), I had an encounter that reminded me of a truth often overlooked in healthcare and beyond: cultural competency is not about knowing everything about someone else’s background. It is about the willingness to meet people where they are, to bridge the gap with genuine effort.

One afternoon, I was helping a woman who didn’t know English. She appeared shy and nervous, hesitating at every step of the process. To make her feel more at ease, I tried speaking Spanish. My Spanish was far from perfect, but the moment I made the attempt, her face lit up. She even began to help me improve as we went along.

The exchange was simple, but it carried weight. I managed to say most things correctly, until I stumbled over the word for beans. “Frijoles,” she said, smiling warmly. That smile was more than a correction. It was a connection.

Over the next few weeks, every time she saw me volunteering, her face brightened. She would come straight to me and wait for my help, even if others were available. What began as a nervous introduction slowly turned into a bond. She trusted me, not because I spoke perfect Spanish, but because I had tried. That effort showed her that I cared enough to meet her halfway.

This moment wasn’t in a clinic or hospital, but it revealed a universal lesson for healthcare and any setting where people serve others. Cultural competency isn’t about memorizing vocabulary, customs, or knowing a culture inside out. It is about demonstrating openness, humility, and effort. Patients don’t expect perfection. They respond to genuine attempts to understand and incorporate their lived experiences into the care or support they receive.

In healthcare, this translates into recognizing that no physician or caregiver will ever know every cultural nuance of every patient. Instead, what matters is the posture of curiosity and respect. Asking questions, listening attentively, and adapting care to fit the patient’s context are what build trust. Just like my attempt at Spanish, imperfect yet meaningful, the effort itself can open doors to comfort, honesty, and healing.

Ultimately, cultural competency is less about fluency in facts and more about fluency in empathy. It is the willingness to engage across differences and let the patient know: I see you, I hear you, and I am willing to meet you halfway. For this woman, it was enough that I tried to speak her language.