Monthly Archives: September 2012

September 27, 2012 · 1:57 pm

Everyday Hispanic Heritage Project – Ms. Haydeth Tavira

Ms. Haydeth Tavira

Pantry Manager

West Side Campaign Against Hunger, New York, NY

Hunger is a real issue in the United States. After the economic collapse, food pantries across the nation saw a dramatic increment of clients. In New York City, there are several organizations supporting families and individuals who suffer from hunger and other needs. One of these organizations is West Side Campaign Against Hunger (WSCAH.) This is where our Everyday Hispanic Heritage heroine currently works.

Haydeth Tavira moved to the United States from her native Mexico. She is a single mother of three who has lived in New York City for many years. Her commitment to her children didn’t allow her to pursue full time employment, and as luck would have it, she was unemployed or underemployed for long periods of her time. But this did not deter this courageous woman. Instead of staying home, she decided to volunteer with nonprofits in her community. That is when she came to be part of the corps of volunteers at WSCAH.

Haydeth provided support to the staff and clients of the organization. You would find her sorting through donated clothes, unpacking loads of canned food, helping elderly people fill out paperwork, running errands for disable clients of the food pantry and overall doing anything that was needed. She was never discouraged, she never stopped.

Besides volunteering for WSCAH, Ms. Tavira was active in school PTAs, tutoring programs, and any other of her children’s needs. She would often join other women in the community who came to learn English in the program offered by the Church of St. Paul & St. Andrew, where WSCAH rents space. Her courage and determination has always been an example for other immigrant women – single, married, with or without children – who came through the doors of the food pantry.

After many years as a volunteer, Ms. Tavira is now on the staff of WSCAH, and continues serving on other community initiatives. She continues with her commitment to end hunger in New York City and continues being an exemplary mother and friend. Her life is an example of the strong will of the Hispanic people, and for this, Ms. Haydeth Tavira is today’s Everyday Hispanic Heritage heroine!

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Filed under Church, Español, Hispanics, Latino

September 25, 2012 · 7:25 am

Everyday Hispanic Heritage Project – Prof. Christian J. Roldán Santos

Prof. Christian J. Roldán Santos

Instructor of Mathematics – Black Hawk College

Rock Island, IL

The Quad Cities between Iowa and Illinois is not precisely the place to find many Latin@s, although, as everywhere else in the USA, this is rapidly changing. There is a new influx of Hispanics due to both immigration and second and third generation Hispanics moving up in the economic ladder. However, it is always difficult for those moving to new places to find the resources to adapt to their new environments. This is why we need all the help that we can get from those who are already established and who are willing to extend their hands in solidarity.

Today’s Everyday Hispanic Heritage hero moved to the American heartland over ten years ago to attend the University of Iowa in Iowa City, IA. Christian Roldán Santos graduated with honors with a degree in Mathematics from the University of Puerto Rico in Mayagüez and immediately moved to Iowa City to pursue a graduate degree. Currently, Mr. Roldán is pursuing a PhD in Higher Education at Illinois State University, Normal, Il. He fell in love with the area and decided to make of the Midwest his home.

Mr. Roldán is originally from Juana Diaz, Puerto Rico. As a gay, Puerto Rican, Latino immigrant he has found that his life is always in limbo. He states that he is “too Puerto Rican and Latino for the United States, too American for Puerto Rico, and too gay for either place.” Perhaps this is what has brought him to be deeply involved in working for justice for Latin@ immigrants as well as for the LGBT communities.

There are many fields in which Latin@s are underrepresented, and Mathematics is one of them. However, Christian has a passion for this field and through his actions has shown the upcoming Latin@ generation that it is possible to pursue a career in Math and Sciences. Mr. Roldán is currently a professor of Mathematics at Black Hawk College in Moline, IL. At Black Hawk he is the advisor to two organizations, the Association of Latin-American Students (ALAS) and Phi Theta Kappa; he also serves as the vice-president of the school’s Senate, coordinator for the school’s International Festival, and volunteers during orientation session to help with international students.

Christian is also very involved in his local community. He regularly visits local schools to give talks and presentations on college life, leadership, success, and diversity awareness. More recently, he is schedule to be a presenter at the Latino Youth Summit at Black Hawk in October. Mr. Roldán also volunteers with the newly created LGBT Metro, an organization that supports gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender individuals in the Quad Cities area.

Certainly, Hispanics and Latin@s moving to the heartland of the USA will find inspiration and a supporting presence in Christian Roldán Santos. For all that he does for his community in the middle of the Iowa-Illinois border, Christian is today’s Everyday Hispanic Heritage hero!

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Filed under Español, Gay, Hispanics, Latino, Lesbian, LGBTQ, Puerto Rico, Queer, Sociology, trans

September 24, 2012 · 1:17 pm

Everyday Hispanic Heritage Project – Dr. Ralph (Ed) Myer, MD

Dr. Ralph (Ed) Myer, MD

Sea Mar Community Health Clinic

Seattle, WA

Hispanics are a very diverse people. More than a common language, Hispanics share a common history, culture, and ethos. Countries in Latin America have welcomed immigrants from Europe, Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and Oceania. This is one of the reasons why so many people find it difficult to define who, exactly, is Latin@. This can be the case with today’s “Everyday Hispanic Heritage” hero.

Ed Myer was born in the state of Washington, USA, to Mennonite missionaries, who shortly after his birth moved to Puerto Rico to serve a small, rural community called Castañer. Ed’s parents served as medical missionaries at the Castañer General Hospital, and his siblings were born there. After their time in Puerto Rico, the Myer family moved to Mexico, where Ed grew up enveloped by the rich culture of the country. After finishing high school, Ed moved back to his home in Puerto Rico where he finished his degree in Family Medicine at the University of Puerto Rico – School of Medicine. He then served at the San Juan General Hospital and a residency at the Merced Community Medical Center of the University of California before moving back to Wenatchee, WA where he worked at the local community clinic.

After some time in the USA, Dr. Myer moved to Nicaragua where he served for many years in rural communities during the civil unrest in the country. He has spent most of his professional life serving poor or rural communities throughout Central America, Mexico, and Washington State. Currently, he is on the staff at Sea Mar Community Health Clinic in Seattle.

None of his patients think of Dr. Myer as a “white” or “Anglo” doctor. On the contrary, very few people believe him when he tells them that his family is actually from the United States. Ed is, for all purposes, a Puerto Rican-Mexican-Nicaraguan and a true Hispanic. His roots are in rural Puerto Rico and Mexico, and his heart still lives in the jungles of Nicaragua where he lived and served for so many years. Providing health care to the Hispanic community in the King County area of Washington state comes easy to Dr. Myer, as he understands this as part of his commitment to this own people.

Ed Myer lives a simple life. He is deeply committed to the environment and proudly states that he produces enough house waste to fill only one bag every month. He has spent decades serving and supporting peace organizations. Dr. Myer commitment to social justice has also led him to be a vocal advocate for immigration reform, economic reform, peace building, and many other important issues of social reform. For all the work that Ed does in his local community and all the work he has done with his Puerto Rican, Mexican, and Nicaraguan communities, Dr. Myer is today’s Everyday Hispanic Heritage hero!

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Filed under Español, Hispanics, Latino, Peace, Puerto Rico, Sociology

September 22, 2012 · 7:19 am

Everyday Hispanic Heritage Project – Mr. Julio Granados

ImageJulio Granados

Graphic Designer & Illustrator

New York, New York

Today’s Everyday Hispanic is the embodiment of the modern Renaissance man. He is an actor, singer, song-writer, dancer, graphic designer, illustrator, and activist. Julio Granados hails from Perú and currently resides in New York City. He has won several prizes for his amazingly beautiful illustrations, some of which are featured throughout the city of New York as part of its public art display.

Mr. Granados grew up in Lima, Perú, where he obtained degrees in arts and graphic design from the Pontifical Catholic University of Lima and the prestigious Toulouse Lautrec Institute. While graphic design is his main field, Julio has also delved into music and dance. He has performed his hit songs, Multiplícate por Cero and Extrañándote to audiences throughout the United States and Perú.

His acting has also gained him public acclaim. Mr. Granados has worked with the renowned CUATROTABLAS theater company of Perú, in which he worked as a set designer during the company’s tour in Germany with their production of Shakespeare classics. His leading role in the film El Corazón was featured in the International Film Festival of the European continent as well. More recently, Mr. Granados performed with the New York-based Rasgos Theater Company in their production of Oh! Yantay!, a production that received very positive critics reviews and was featured at the Latino International Theater Festival in New York City. The Association of Latin Entertainment Critics of New York (ACE), awarded Mr. Granados the Prize as Best Actor for his performance on this production.

Julio Granado’s main passion is graphic design and illustration. His work has been featured in several galleries throughout the world and has gained him international recognition having won prizes in competitions in Brazil, China, Spain, and his native Perú. His work, samples of which can be accessed at http://www.juliogranados.com, will be featured in 2012 edition of Art Takes Times Square.

People might think that a person with so many professional accomplishments would have no time to give back to his community. However, that is not Julio Granado’s case. Julio is extremely active in his local community and has volunteered for many years with Latinos D’, a project of the Latino Commission on AIDS, which helps to raise awareness about HIV and AIDS among young gay and bisexual Latino men. Throughout this empowerment project, Mr. Granados, as a volunteer, has helped the staff reach out to thousands of young gay and bisexual Latino/Hispanic men. For this amazing work with his community and for all the extraordinary work that Julio Granados does in the arts and entertainment, he is our Everyday Hispanic Heritage hero of today!

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September 21, 2012 · 2:08 pm

Everyday Hispanic Heritage Project – Dr. Norma Zavala

ImageDr. Norma Zavala

Principal

Concord International Elementary School, Seattle, WA

The South Park neighborhood of Seattle is a racially diverse one. Their residents come from every ethnic, cultural and racial background. The neighborhood also has a large proportion of single mothers raising kids, a lower household income than the rest of the city, and a large number of residents with less than high school degrees. It is in this neighborhood where a unique elementary school shines like a beacon for the residents, providing hope of a better future for thousands of students.

Concord International Elementary School is a bilingual school, where every student – no matter what their cultural background – learns English and Spanish. They also learn computer skills, social studies, mathematics, history and many other disciplines of studies. But more than that, they are exposed to the possibility of a better education, a wholesome education that will take them far in their lives. All of this is possible to the wonderful environment that the school principal, Dr. Norma Zavala, has nurtured.

Dr. Zavala came to Concord International in 2009 when she was appointed by the district superintendent to serve this particular school. She has helped create an environment of trust and enthusiasm among students, parents, teachers, staff and volunteers. The classrooms are filled with joyous kids, none of whom are strangers to Dr. Zavala. She knows their names, their parents’ names, their personal histories and their needs.

Norma Zavala is a Mexican-American woman, who has dedicated her life to education, especially of Latin@ and Hispanic students. She has an undergraduate degree in Physiological Psychology from the University of Washington, a Masters in Education from the University of Washington’s Educational Leadership and Policy Studies program and a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership from the College of Education at the University of Washington. She serves the students with passion and creativity, two very important qualifications when you work with elementary school children!

Dr. Zavala has been an advocate for Hispanic and Latin@ kids for decades, and continues to show us that you can use the resources at your disposal, even if they are not all what you wish you had, in order to better the lives of thousands of kids and their families. She is also an everyday hero; her work will continue to transform lives and for this, Dr. Norma Zavala is one of our Everyday Hispanic Heritage heroines! 

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September 20, 2012 · 6:54 am

The Everyday Hispanic Heritage Project

In the United States we observe Hispanic Heritage Month from September 15th through October 15th. During this time the country is encouraged to reflect on the influence of Hispanic and Latin@ culture to the larger culture of the United States. Often this means to remember and honor the great heroes and heroines of our communities like Gloria Anzaldúa, Dolores Huertas, César Chávez and other Latin@s who have helped raised awareness about the influence of Hispanics in the country. However, seldom do we hear from the “everyday Hispanics” who make a difference in their local communities.

How many of you have heard of the work of Pedro Julio Serrano, Norma Zavala, Sylvia Rivera, Karen Leslie Hernández, Karlo Karlo, Luis Alvarenga, Julio Granados…? The list can go on and on. There are millions of little known Latin@s throughout the country making a difference in their communities. This is why I have decided to start a project, the Everyday Hispanic Heritage Project, featuring one or two of these amazing individuals.

Of course, this is not and could never be a complete list. This is just the beginning. My goal is to raise awareness of the millions of unknown Juans, Marías, Pedros, Gladys, Josés, Anas who give of themselves to make their communities a better place to live.

The project has its limitations of course. One of these limitations is the fact that I do not know all the places where Latin@s are working day to day to transform the lives of others. Therefore, if you know of an amazing story of an unknown Latin@ who is doing great work locally, please feel free to email me and let me know. You can reach me at jmannysantiago@outlook.com .

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Filed under Hispanics, Latino, Puerto Rico, Sociology