Lilian Flores, Catherine Barriga, Lina Lastra and Carolina Gomez wanted their children to retain Spanish while gaining an English education.
They said about 100 Hispanic people lived in and around Dunedin, and many had married New Zealanders and had children.
Grupo Hispano Otago's first gathering, held in Dunedin's St Francis Xavier School, attracted about 60 people, who shared traditional Hispanic meals.
Spanish flan (creme caramel), refried black beans, Spanish potato omelette and Aji de Gallina (a spicy Peruvian chicken stew) were among the most popular dishes.
Members of the group were from Spain, Venezuela, Guatemala, Peru, the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Colombia, Argentina, Chile, Bolivia and Uruguay.
"It's all about sharing our culture, using our language and making sure our children are bilingual," Mrs Barriga said.
The group's first initiative was to build up a library of Spanish publications. Anyone willing to give Spanish books or magazines can contact the group via email, at: grupohispanootago@yahoo.co.nz.
