Celebrating Latinx Culture

BY ALICIA SPINNER Cultural Bridges Manager

I still remember the day when I was first labeled “Latina”. I had just moved to the U.S. and started a new job in Silicon Valley during the dot-com bubble in 1999, and the HR executive very enthusiastically went on and on to explain to me that the group I was going to join was always the one having the loudest meetings while enjoying delicious and spicy food like empanadas, burritos, arepas, pupusas, paella, tostones... The truth is that I did not know half of the dishes he mentioned, and he must have seen the surprise on my face because he asked me: Aren't you excited to join the Latinos group? I quickly responded: Absolutely! And then gave him a big smile while I was still trying to process the fact that he was seeing me as a Latina. Previously, I only thought of myself as a Mexican. But not much time passed before I learned that people were seeing me as an immigrant and continue categorizing me with many labels: Hispanic, Latina, and now Latinx. While the terms are sometimes used interchangeably, Hispanic includes people with ancestry from both Spain and Latin American Spanish-speaking countries, while Latino includes people from Latin American countries that were formerly colonized by Spain or Portugal. That is the same case with Latinx but new generations prefer to have an “x” at the end of the word as a gender-neutral or non-binary alternative to Latino or Latina. With time, I have grown to identify myself with all these labels and to understand that ethnic groups are always evolving, so I won’t be surprised if more terms will be needed in the future. Upon arrival in the U.S. in 1999, I was labeled as a Latina and now my daughter labels herself as Latinx. The term Latino first emerged in the Los Angeles Times in the early 1990s. And it was not until 2004 in social media when the “–x” suffix was used to replace the “-o/-a” endings of Latino and Latina that are typical of grammatical gender in Spanish. Almost fifty years ago, the term “Hispanic” was proposed in government statistics. It was during this time that our culture started to be celebrated. President Lyndon B. Johnson signed a 1968 bill designating the week of September 15 as National Hispanic Heritage Week. Twenty years later, President Ronald Reagan lengthened the celebration to an entire month. And even if we like to joke that by that time everybody knew how much we like to party, the truth is that it was Representative Esteban Torres of California who submitted a bill to expand the celebration. Torres said that supporters of the legislation “want the American people to learn of our heritage. We want the public to know that we share a legacy with the rest of the country, a legacy that includes artists, writers, Olympic champions, and leaders in business, government, cinema, and science. The monthlong celebration will allow our Nation to properly observe and coordinate events and activities to celebrate Hispanic culture and achievement.” September 15th was chosen as the starting point for the commemoration, because it is the anniversary of the independence of Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. In addition to that, Mexico celebrates its independence on September 16th and Chile on the 18th. Our cultures are very diverse and we still identify ourselves primarily with terms of nationality (Mexican, Argentinian, Cuban) rather than Hispanic, Latino, or Latinx. Now, there is a misunderstanding about Cinco de Mayo. That's an annual celebration held to commemorate the anniversary of Mexico's victory over the French Empire in the Battle of Puebla in 1862. Though the celebration has been popularized in the U.S. over the last decade or two, I never, ever celebrated this event growing up in Mexico. We did study it at school but it was only a page in the history book. The most important national celebration in Mexico happens on September 16th and for Mexicans who have immigrated to the U.S., September is the month when we pay tribute to the generations of Hispanic/Latinos/Latinx Americans who have positively influenced and enriched our nation and society. Here at Cultural Bridges, we want to take the opportunity to say GRACIAS to all the trailblazers who took the hardest road and made it easier for the rest of us to follow: Latinx families, students, teachers, staff, administrators, and volunteers. In Seattle, the Consulate of Mexico presents the MEXAM Festival to give a space for the voices of the Mexican Community in our state: www.mexamnwfestival.com/ The SEA MAR MUSEUM, the first of its kind in the Pacific Northwest, presents the overlooked history of Latino/ as from prior waves of migration to the present time. The museum has an amazing collection of artifacts, even some small cabins with furniture, dishes, and other items from 1950s farmworkers in Eastern Washington. For more information, visit https://seamarmuseum.squarespace.com/ There are many ways to celebrate, but I believe that the best way to recognize any culture is by learning about it. Sharing other people’s cultures with your kids helps build their respect and curiosity. And since our Latinx heritage comes from more than 20 countries, there are so many rich traditions! After all of these years here, I think I can say that I have eaten all the dishes that the HR executive mentioned in the meeting, and after learning about all the contributions we have done to the American fabric, I feel very proud to be called Latinx.

BY NAYDELINE DANIELA GUTIERREZ CRUZ With Love, To The ISD Community Former Issaquah High School Student

Last June, in the middle of a worldwide pandemic, I got to be the first one in my family to graduate from high school. I will always be grateful for the experience. I walked to get my diploma wearing my decorated cap with flowers and a message for my mom. She is the main reason I was able to achieve this milestone. But now, with my high school diploma hanging on my wall, I want to share my experience, because I know there are many students just like me. They arrive from all around the world and start their journey here. And I know that there are a lot of things that we could do better for them. So this is for you: Issaquah School District parents, school staff, and community members. To all of you, please be aware that for many students, the journey is a lonely one, even when there are a lot of people nearby. My family came from Guatemala, but the process wasn’t easy. My mom came to the States first, while we stayed back home with an aunt for a couple of years. Kids used to make fun of us; I remember them telling us that our parents did not love us because they were not with us. When I finally reunited with my mom in second grade, I couldn’t remember what she looked like, and I didn’t know anybody here. I wanted to have friends, but even when kids talked to me, I did not understand anything they were saying. So even though my mom was nearby, I still felt lonely. That first year, the ELL (English Language Learner) Program was my safe space at school. Even when we were not able to talk to each other, we felt a part of something. It was my community. Even today, my closest group of friends is from all over. I have learned to recognize that I still feel most comfortable in a diverse environment. I also know that having the services provided by the Issaquah Food and Clothing Bank was very important to my family. We learned very soon that we were lucky because Issaquah has great local organizations that offer resources to families. Unfortunately, often it was very hard to know what was available and then figure out how to get the help. My mom had many questions about where to get a specific resource and we could never find a phone number to call. I think this could be a great service that the city or other organization could offer. At school, I quickly understood that my mom wasn’t going to be able to help or engage in anything. She was always working; she did not have time to participate at school as other parents often did. And at times, that was very hard. I remember parents bringing lunch to kids or parents coming on field trips. I never saw my mom at school. I kind of got used to it, but it was still hard. I wish the District had a system where all parents can participate once a year, at least. I am sure that if somebody had asked my mom directly, in her own language and ahead of time, she would have participated. When I went to middle school, I was still struggling a little with English and with the fact that my mom wasn’t involved with my education. I started playing my first sport: volleyball! But it was always hard not having the support of my mom there, as the other kids had. It would have made such a difference if parents could cheer for the whole team and not just for their own kids. Then I moved on to high school, and a bunch of things changed, but especially the rules and the extra freedom. I was overwhelmed, and I was assigned to a mentor. I believe that this is the one thing that most students should have, especially if their parents can’t engage in the education of their kids. My mentor helped me a great deal. She came once a week, and we talked a lot. She helped me communicate better with teachers, made sure I was turning in my assignments, and explained to me the rules and all the procedures. In general, she motivated me to do and be better. That time with her gave me an idea of what other kids feel when their parents are engaged in their education. When I think about her, I remember how special she made me feel just for showing up! I always enjoyed seeing her in the school office waiting for me. Sitting there with her purse, and rushing to greet me as soon as I entered the room. I now know that my mom didn’t do anything wrong. She was working and working very hard. It’s simple, really. Some parents just need extra help so all the students somehow get the same educational experience. I started working at fourteen at a local restaurant to support our family and by the time I graduated, I already had two jobs. The second one is at a supermarket. Now I have graduated, and I am looking for an opportunity to keep learning. I wish there was a local organization that could provide a list of jobs for students, especially jobs that will help us learn professional skills. Around school, I also had to deal with racism. As juniors, we were allowed to go out and have lunch. One day that I went out, I was coming back with a friend who is African American, and the officer at the entrance stopped us to ask us: “What’s in the backpack? Did you guys steal that?” There were other students around walking with food in their backpacks and he had to stop the Latina and the African American and ask us to show him what we had in our bags. I looked around while I explained to him that we just had gone to buy food. We just kind of nervously laughed and did not do anything. But why us? I know this is not ok, and we need to learn to call these situations out so it doesn’t happen to other students.

In a classroom, when teachers talk about a certain culture that you happen to be, all the other students look at you just to see your reaction. Some teachers don’t realize that students feel attacked. When everybody else is looking at you, it does feel like you are being singled out in a negative way. It would be great if students were taught not to do this and if teachers find a way to somehow communicate better with students about the upcoming topics before they present them in class. I remember one day when I was enjoying speaking Spanish with a Latina friend but when a teacher heard us talking she told us: “You have to speak English. We live in America”. I experienced a lot of this in high school. But my group of friends was lucky to have a teacher we could talk to about these issues. We used to go to her office and she always listened to us and even did a video of us sharing our experiences at school. It was a very emotional video that a lot of teachers got to see. She cared, and that will stay with me forever. I wish that all teachers would demonstrate to the students how much they care.

I also reflect today on how teachers never made any effort to teach my peers about Guatemala. The only time that I remember the name of my country mentioned was in the class “Foods” that I took in junior year. Students got to do dishes from different places. I was so excited to finally be able to share something about my culture. The teacher did small groups and I convinced mine to do Guatemalan dishes. I was so proud and happy to see how my peers were interested in learning more. I now understand the importance of cultural events, and I hope new generations will be able to participate in many more of these. I would also like to talk about the pressure parents put on their children with regard to education. To all the parents who are working as hard as my mom, I want to tell you that your kids appreciate how hard you are working, even if they don’t say it much. They are learning from you, and you are their biggest role model. I know parents can’t imagine what students go through in one day. But everything we experience affects us: social issues, racism, namecalling, cultural differences, good teachers, not-so-good teachers… We get home not only physically exhausted but mentally as well. And then, parents are ready to ask about school, school, and school: homework, tests, grades, college applications… it never stops! I wish parents could engage more in how kids are feeling, and not so much on what they are doing. We just want an honest: “How was your day?” or “How are you feeling today?” I also want to ask parents to congratulate your students for their achievements. That helps us more than you could think. Many times when I told my mom about a grade I was so proud of, she did not look that impressed. And I know she was tired, most likely it was a long day of work and she was dealing with major issues. But I know she would have handled it differently if she knew how important that was for me or how much she could help me just by being happy for me in that moment. When I finally graduated, I had the chance to have a photo session with three of my best friends. One of them has parents from Ethiopia and Congo, the second one is from Mexico, and the third one is an Islander. The person who was taking the pictures asked us if we were going to celebrate together, just as many other students were going to do with their groups of friends. I explained to her that even though we were such a close group of friends, our parents did not know each other. They were always too busy working. So, we did not get to celebrate together and our parents never were able to experience having that “village” of support that other families have. I know PTSAs do events at schools. My mom never came because she did not know anybody. I wish some of these events were strategically planned to create little “villages” for parents so students don’t feel left out. While I finally got to hold my diploma, I felt very honored, but mostly exhausted from the pressure I put on myself to show my mom that her work was worth something. Now, after celebrating together our achievement, I will start learning business and looking for ways to make a difference in my community. This was my very first chance to give back, and I hope you all know that I do it from a place of respect and gratefulness.