North Charlotte Today

Born in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, to a single Colombian mother and raised in her family’s hometown of Santa Rosa de Cabal, Natali Betancur’s journey to the United States began when she was just nine years old. Though she was young, she can still recall her childhood in Colombia—gathering at her great grandmother’s house, making arepas in the kitchen, listening to friends and family as they strummed guitars, shared stories, and played cards in the living room. She remembers how close everyone was and how much everyone hurt when her grandmother passed. 

Natali's grandmother became ill when she was just a baby, while her and mother were living in The Netherlands. Her illness was what brought them back to Colombia, and her passing was ultimately what lead them to Kissimmee, Florida in 1997. 

We recently sat down with Natali to learn more about her journey from Colombia to Charlotte. The following responses come directly from Natali, and while they showcase important moments throughout her life, they only represent a fraction of her experience. 

Adjusting to Life in America 

Betancur with her childhood dog in Florida. 

Where did you first arrive in the United States? 

So, my mother had one particular good friend of hers that was already established in Kissimmee, Florida. And so, as she was trying to figure out where to go and what to do, her friend was like, ‘Come here. I will help you get settled in.’ Which is usually, you know... Most people have a friend or a family connection somewhere. So, we ended up there, and it was great for a period of time. At the same time, she probably wasn’t as familiar with the systems here, so it was difficult for her to kind of show my mother the ropes at that point. It was a time period where we were kind of trying to search for that connector, that person who would really help my mom understand what the system was like and how she could move ahead. 

Were you able to find that in Florida?

We found that! We were lucky enough to find a couple of Peruvian friends that eventually became really good friends with my mother, and they were great. There’s this instilled fear in some individuals, and my mother had been told she couldn’t even put me in school at the time, since we were still going through the process and didn’t have all the documentation. So, I was not in school yet when I first came. It took a good like six to nine months until we found this Peruvian group of people that were incredible, and they were like, ‘What do you mean? No, we’re taking her to school. Let’s go.’ So, they kind of helped my mom find that and find work. She started working at Burger King and cleaning hotel rooms, and through that we started to build a little bit. 

Do you remember your initial impressions of the United States? How was it different from Colombia? Were you excited? 

I think it was mixed feelings. I think at the beginning, I was like, ‘Oh my God, I’m going to Disney World!’ You know? Like, the only thing I could think of was Disney World, because it was Kissimmee and I had been to Disney once before through my mom’s travel things. But then, when I started school, reality set in. So, back then, this was 1997, they didn’t have specific ESL (English as a Second Language) programs. They didn’t have something where you would go to a different classroom that was Spanish speaking until you were able to get English and then transfer you. They wouldn’t have somebody that was with you 24/7. So, I was dropped in a classroom, and it was English. And I knew no English. So, for the first few months, it was very hard. It was very hard, because I had one teacher that would come in for a couple of hours, and then it was kind of self-taught. Like you sink or swim at that point, right? And not only that, but then the culture around me... It was different. You know, I was used to going to school in the morning and going home for lunch, and then sometimes I’d have school in the afternoon or not at all. And that wasn’t the case. I was at school the entire day. And I was used to having or making friends a certain way, looking a certain way, and we’re just coming here and my clothes are different. So, all these things. All these realities started to set in. 

How long did it take for you to learn English? 

I think it was like nine months. Nine months was what it took me to really learn English. And in those nine months, when I first got here, they called my mother and were like, ‘We have to bring her back a grade, because she doesn’t speak the language.’ Then, within nine months, they not only placed me in my correct grade, they brought me up a grade. So, within nine months, sink or swim, that’s what happened. 

So, now that you’re in Florida, what did you miss most about Colombia? Obviously your family, but what else? 

Definitely family! I think, also, there was an ease to life.  As a child in Colombia, because we had such a support system and I had my grandmother, I was spoiled. I’m going to say I was spoiled, right?! Because I would wake up and my grandmother would bring me my breakfast in bed and she would help me put my socks on, even until I was nine years old, and she would make sure my hair was done and I got to school. And then, it’s like the complete opposite where my mom’s having to work two, three jobs. I’m on my own. I remember I was riding a bike to school, because my mother had to work, you know. There was no other way for me to get there. And it was three flights of stairs, and I was bringing my bike up and down these stairs in heat. This is high humidity, high heat in Florida. So, I think I missed the ability to have that ease. Because all of a sudden, it’s like you’re fending for yourself. You don’t have that support system. You’re having to adjust.

More Diversity in Charlotte 

You eventually moved from Kissimmee to Naples, but now you’re here. What ultimately brought you to Charlotte?

I think it was a combination of things. Deep down, I knew that I didn’t want to stay in Naples, Florida, but I wasn’t sure where I wanted to go or when. And I have a daughter, so that played a role. However, around 2017/2018, I had a friend that moved up to Concord, and some of her family was originally from the North Carolina area or had been pre-established in North Carolina before. I had already, through the years, come up a lot to North Carolina and Tennessee, and I knew that somewhere around here was where I wanted to put some roots down. For a couple of reasons. One is I love the outdoors and I love hiking. And Florida is flat, so it didn’t provide a lot of opportunity for that, which was kind of my way of keeping myself sane and was a stress reliever and a hobby of mine. So, I was already coming up to Tennessee and North Carolina. I knew that I wanted this area. Then in 2018, my mother got really ill, and she had retired and gone back home [to Colombia]. And I had to go and take care of her for a few months. So, it just so happened that in that timeframe, my friend had moved up here. She was settled, and she was like, ‘Hey Natali, there’s this job opportunity. I know you were taking a break, taking care of your mom, but if you were interested it might be a good transition time.’ So, I applied for a job with Mecklenburg County, and I got the job. A few months after that, I was packing everything and moving up and was really excited to move to Charlotte. It’s the perfect location too, because I come from the beach. So, if I ever get beach sick, I could head that way for a few hours. Or I could go hiking in, you know, less than an hour. 

What was your initial impression of Charlotte when you first got here? How was it different from Florida?

You know, one of the things I usually say is diversity. Naples, Florida is a very small town, and it’s not very diverse in nature. And so, I remember... My mother is Catholic, my whole family is Catholic, and so when she would come, she’d come for a few months. And she came up with me to help move me, so it was like, ‘Well, we have to find her a church.’ So, in our quest for finding her a Catholic church, every church that I would walk into, the diversity was just so impressive. All kinds of people walking in and out of this church, and it just made me feel like there was this comfort level there. Like, I’m in the right place. Because if there’s diversity when it comes to something that’s religious, of this kind, then it’s got to be across the board. And I love that! I love the opportunity to be able to experience that, because throughout my career, I’ve experienced a lot of the opposite. As a Latina woman, I just experienced a lot of that. You’re not good enough to get to that place. So, being able to find somewhere that’s like, okay there’s so much diversity that that’s not going to be the case was really comforting. 

Has your opinion changed at all, or do you still feel that way about Charlotte?

I still feel that. I mean, I’m in digital equity. I’m in the equity field. So, more now than ever. I’m truly passionate about that, and I truly feel that 100%. Yeah. 

Original source can be found here.