Zimmerman, who is three years older than his 29-year-old brother George, described growing up in a bicultural home. Both grew up as altar boys, spoke English and Spanish, read the liturgy in both languages, and Spanish was the primary language at home
George loves his 88-year-old grandmother and refers to her as"abuelita," Spanish for grandma.
The Zimmermans celebrated Los Reyes Magos, or Three Kings Day, and they recall eating traditional Peruvian dishes like Manjar Blanco. The rule rather than exception at the home was Peruvian meals cooked by their mother Gladys, a Peruvian immigrant.
George especially loved a particular dish called Papa a la Huancaina – boiled potatoes served chilled with a sauce and feta cheese.
"We were very aware that we were two cultures," Zimmerman Jr. said. "It was a badge of honor for us."
Gladys would come home and watch popular Spanish language programming on Univision, like the news show “Primer Impacto,” or “Cristina” and “Sabado Gigante,” a favorite in the house. Television was banned during dinner time in the home except when Walter Mercado, a psychic Spanish- language television personality, would visit.
"We enjoyed it just as much as watching cartoons," he recalled.
Gladys is a devout Catholic who was employed in Peru as a physical education instructor. But Gladys' trip to the United States in 1974 to visit her brother introduced her to Robert Zimmerman, a Baptist and young soldier living in Virginia. They married in 1975.
The Zimmerman family blames the media for not doing its job, for jumping to conclusions and for giving voice to racist allegations before the facts were laid out