Rosalia: A Honduran Heritage Story

A familiar sting ran through Bronx-native Christine Osoria in 2019, when her eldest daughter, Kayla, came home from school disheartened that many of her classmates had never heard of the country of Honduras.

It was the same question Osoria asked herself years earlier as a first-generation Honduran American growing up in Kingsbridge. Despite being surrounded by a neighborhood vibrant with Latino culture, she felt her own heritage was often overlooked. 

Now, decades later, Kayla’s dilemma became the seed for “Rosalia,” Osoria’s debut children’s book.

“I was a little sad about it because it’s like, wow, it’s been 20 years and people are still asking these questions,” Osoria said. “But it also made me think, this is an opportunity to share about Honduras and who we are.”

The book follows Rosalia, a gradeschool girl struggling with a cultural classroom project, who suddenly realizes her classmates know nothing about Honduras. Feeling embarrassed and unsure, she must decide whether to delve into her roots or remain silent. Ultimately, she chose to have her voice heard. 

“The story focuses on being proud of who you are and where you come from,” Osoria said. “It’s about finding your courage when it feels easier to stay quiet.”

The project, she added, became both a mirror and a message — a way to give young readers the confidence she
once lacked.

“I wrote it not thinking it was going to be published,” Osoria said. “But as I was writing, I thought about how many other children or adults are out there trying to share their culture and who they are.”

Kayla saw the story as one that helped strengthen her sense of identity — a deeper pride in her Honduran roots and a confidence to speak openly about where she comes from, even when others don’t recognize it.

“It reflects on my own experiences as a person with Honduran roots,” she said. “It showed me that I should embrace my culture and teach people about Honduras — that we all look different, but we’re all the same.”

Much of the book’s spirit comes from the home of the author’s parents, built after immigrating to New York in the 1970s and ’80s. They met in the United States for the first time. Sundays in the Osoria household were for family, soccer and big pots of soup simmering on the stove, regardless of the weather — telltale signs of Honduran culture, she said, often accompanied by the pulsing rhythms of traditional Punta music, native to the country.

Now a mother of three, she continues those traditions with her own family. Her household, shared with her Dominican husband, is a blend of cultures — embracing Punta and bachata, and shared family meals that keep both heritages alive. 

“It was really important for me that my kids understand both cultures,” she said. “I want them to know this is part of who
they are.”

When she published “Rosalia” in early 2020, Osoria hoped it would spark more conversations about cultural identity and pride in one’s roots. Now hosting readings across the Bronx, she meets families from all backgrounds who see themselves in her character’s struggle to belong.

That connection, the Bronxite believes, is what makes stories like hers so vital — especially during Hispanic Heritage Month, when Latino communities across the country celebrate their upbringing. 

“I think about how many kids are out there, like my daughter, who just want to be understood,” Osoria said. “For me, ‘Rosalia’ is about giving them permission to be proud, to take up space.”