Berue's mother reveals how she kept her sons connected to Latvia
In an interview with TVNET, Lāsma Jēkabsone-Berue, mother of Latvian basketball talent Benjamin Berue, explained how she fostered a bond with Latvia by speaking Latvian and giving her sons Latvian names.
Benjamin Jānis Berue, one of Latvia’s rising basketball talents, perhaps the brightest since Kristaps Porziņģis, chose to represent Latvia, his mother’s homeland, even though he was also eligible to play for the United States, where he was born. His mother, Lāsma Jēkabsone-Berue, told TVNET how she worked from early childhood to keep her two sons connected to Latvia.
She said she tried to speak Latvian with both Benjamin and Kolins Kristaps from a young age. The family used both Latvian and English names. When speaking Latvian, the younger son is called Kristaps; in English, he is Kolins. Benjamin is always called Bendži or similar.
Jēkabsone-Berue described the Latvian language as her deliberate requirement. She felt it was very important that her sons learn Latvian, especially since they do not look like traditional Latvian boys. She wanted them to feel a sense of belonging in Latvia and to be able to communicate. She also noted that names can reveal Latvian roots, saying that if you meet someone abroad named Jānis, you know they are from Latvia, and the same goes for Kristaps. That is why she wanted a Latvian element in their names.
The mother added that her American husband strongly supports her culture and language, so there were no problems with this approach. Berue, who was born in the United States, had the choice to represent either the U.S. or Latvia at international level. His decision to play for Latvia has made him a notable figure in the country’s basketball programme, and his mother’s account sheds light on how that bond was built over the years.
