Patricia’s story - From Colombia to Cymru 

My name is Patricia EH Rodriguez-Martinez Jones. I come from Colombia, but I carry more than one home in my heart. Today, I live in Swansea, Wales, a place that welcomed me warmly and where I have built a life I never expected but deeply cherish. 

I was born in Colombia and spent much of my childhood there. When I was eleven, my father received a grant to study in the United States, and our family moved to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We lived there for just two years, but the experience left a lasting impression. I returned to Colombia with a strong American accent and a deep love for the English language, a passion that would shape my life. 

Languages fascinated me, especially their power to connect people and cultures. Back in Colombia, I studied translation and interpreting at university, followed by a degree in education with a focus on languages. I became a teacher and worked with the British Council and its Colombian-American equivalent, helping train English teachers across the country. Later, I taught at three universities, specialising in English for specific purposes, from economics to computer science and health. Through language, I found a way to bridge worlds. 

In 1978, I received a scholarship to study in the United Kingdom. It was meant to be just one year. I arrived in London and soon moved to begin postgraduate studies in Applied Linguistics. The man who registered me on the course would become my husband, Peter, a year later. Together, we built a life in England, first in Reading and then in Leicester. 

But Wales kept calling. Peter’s father was from Swansea, and we visited often during holidays. Peter would always say that living in Swansea would make him happiest. When Swansea University later offered a PhD scholarship in Afro-Latin American studies, a field close to my heart, I applied. Out of fifty applicants, I was one of five shortlisted and was awarded the scholarship. 

At the time, our daughter was finishing her A-levels and our son his GCSEs. For a year, I commuted between Leicester and Swansea while beginning my PhD. It was exhausting, but I was determined. Once our children moved on to university and college, Peter and I relocated to Swansea permanently. Peter left his role in university administration to pursue environmental work and later found his place at the RSPB in Cardiff. 

I began teaching part-time at Swansea University while continuing my doctoral studies. I taught translation and interpreting, developed a full MA programme, designed internships, and secured European Commission funding to build an interpreting suite, still in use today. Over time, I arranged around fifty international internships for students in countries including China, Spain, and the United States. Supporting students as they found their path was one of the most rewarding aspects of my career. 

One of my proudest achievements was founding the Iberian and Latin American Association in Wales, now a community interest company. Our aim is to preserve and share cultural heritage, languages, and identities. It has been my way of giving back and continuing the work of connection that language first inspired in me. 

Living in Wales has been a gift. I find Welsh culture warm, open, and accessible. The countryside, especially the Gower, reminds me of Colombia, with its rolling green hills and sense of space. It feels familiar, grounding. 

Of course, I still miss Colombia deeply. I miss my family, the daily gatherings, the celebrations and quiet moments alike. Growing up, I had sixteen cousins; now there are dozens of us across generations. Though my family visits often, I miss being part of everyday life, the small moments that bind people together. 

One of my fondest memories in Swansea is the housewarming party we held in 2000. The house was full of people from different parts of our lives. I cooked Colombian, Spanish, and British dishes, and the atmosphere reminded me of my mother’s home in Bogotá, always open and full of laughter. 

From afar, I have watched Colombia with both pride and sadness. I know that many Colombians now arrive in Wales seeking asylum, fleeing violence and instability. Though my own journey was not one of exile, I feel deep empathy for them. My academic research into Afro-Latin American poetry helped me understand Colombia’s complex history and my own mixed heritage, Spanish, Indigenous, and African. I have learned to be proud of all of it. 

Sometimes, a smell or a place brings Colombia rushing back. Walking through Clyne Gardens can feel like being on our farm in the Andes. Yet Swansea is home too. I did not have to let go of Colombia to belong in Wales. Holding on to my roots helped me feel grounded here. 

When I retired in 2019, I did not expect to begin something entirely new. But from a small group of around twenty Latin Americans living in Wales grew Isla, Iberian and Latin Americans in Wales. Today, we have over 225 members from more than twenty nationalities, including many Welsh people. We have built not just a community, but a family. 

Looking ahead, I dream of something lasting: a permanent Iberian and Latin American Cultural Institute in Swansea. A place to learn languages, share dance and music, host talks, borrow books, and gather around food. A café run by members who once worked in hospitality back home. A space for creativity, learning, and connection. 

We already run a heritage dance group, meet weekly, and host creative projects like Harmonías, which supports wellbeing through art, movement, and music. Funded by the National Lottery, it offers healing and expression. Our members volunteer across the city, from art workshops to the Environment Centre. One member said, “Repair is a universal language,” and it’s true. Skills, care, and dignity transcend words. 

We support professionals, doctors, nurses, artists, engineers, helping them stay connected to their identities and prepare for future work. We ask people what they did before, what they love, and how they want to contribute. Watching people regain confidence and purpose is profoundly moving. 

This work is about dignity and legacy. It is about thriving, not just surviving, and about being seen as neighbours, not strangers. 

Wales has given me kindness, solidarity, and a sense of belonging. Swansea is a City of Sanctuary. I can walk to the sea in fifteen minutes, something that still feels magical to someone raised in the mountains of Bogotá. 

What I want people to understand is simple. You can belong here. This place can become home. 

My dream is to create something lasting that welcomes others as I was welcomed. I may be retired, but my work is far from over.