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Hispanic Heritage Month: We are united

By Rebeca C. Rivera,  Editor of Hoy En Sullivan
Posted 10/7/22

 In 1968, the first Hispanic Heritage celebrations were enacted as a week-long observation. Twenty years later, President Ronald Regan expanded the recognition to 30-days. 

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Hispanic Heritage Month: We are united

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In 1968, the first Hispanic Heritage celebrations were enacted as a week-long observation. Twenty years later, President Ronald Regan expanded the recognition to 30-days. 

This year, we embark on the 54th year of honoring and remembering Hispanic culture, history, and life in Sullivan County, NY, and across the country.

We stand unified as a community and culture to ensure that our ideas and backgrounds are seen and heard. A month is not enough time to showcase the richness and vibrance of nearly two dozen Latin American countries, but this is a start. 

We invite you to celebrate with us and learn about our language, traditions, and history. 

In the recent issue of Hoy en Sullivan, we invited voices from the community to speak about the importance of this month and about living and working in the County. Their stories and experiences expand the decades and offer insight into what it means to be Hispanic and Latino/a. 

Here’s what they had to say.

Luis Alvarez,
County Legislator 

In early 1983, I moved to Sullivan County, responding to a job advertisement with the Department of Social Services as an investigator for the fraud unit.

I started working as an investigator in the fraud unit, but I had trouble speaking English. It was difficult but not impossible. When people hear you speaking English with an accent, they have the idea that you don’t understand English and maybe you can’t read or write English. However, every person who wants a job with the county has to take a test and pass it by being in the top 3.

In 1984, I started working as a police officer for the Town of Liberty. I graduated from the police academy with honors and worked as a police officer. During that time, I had a Spanish accent, and it was difficult for my coworkers to understand me, but as time went on, I got better and they understood me with my accent; it was not easy.

Our cultures are different to some extent. Many of my peers were fascinated by our foods and our family principles, but eventually we adopted each other, and our families got used to their culture.

I also worked for several hotels, including Villa Roma, volunteering for the medical service corps and, presently, for the Town of Liberty Fire Department. Not everyone accepts you; maybe they don’t like the color of your skin or your accent when you speak. After 40 years, I still have an accent. I have to say that, for the most part, I am very proud of my fellow officers, friends and the community of the county I serve who generally accept you for who you are. Even after becoming a County Legislator, I feel I was the first Latino to be the legislature’s president.

It has not been easy, but I have been persistent in what I believe in. Raising my children in this county I feel so proud to be a Latino serving and helping my community.

Ari Mir-Pontier,  Human Rights Activist and Artist

I was born in Cuba and eventually immigrated to the United States in search of the proverbial freedom we all long for. Our family settled in Manhattan and later in Brooklyn, and I relocated to Sullivan County in 1993.

As a Latina in Sullivan County, I encountered a large amount of resistance from my neighbors and co-workers in accepting me and my children as fellow residents. I was never sure if it was because I was a “transplant” from the city or because I was Latina. I’m convinced that it was a mixture of both.

Through the last 30 years, I have made it a point to take on jobs that help marginalized people in Sullivan County, and I’ve tried to also explain to others how to communicate with those who have a different culture. 

I think that after many years of setting a good example I feel perfectly accepted by most people I encounter. I would not want to live anywhere else. Viva Sullivan!

Saraid Gonzalez,  Virtual Executive Assistant 

Being Latina means continuing the legacy of my ancestors to transform spaces not created for us and witnessing my parents’ sacrifices in pursuit of a better life.

Life as a bilingual Puerto Rican in Sullivan County has advantages and some unfortunate disadvantages.  Growing up in a Puerto Rican household, there is a dynamic culture, such as excellent food, music, dance, and telenovelas. My family stressed the importance of spirituality, faith, and working hard. All these things were vital to my success.

Latinos are the most significant minority in the United States and only growing.  Fluency in reading and writing another language should be a competitive advantage, especially in the workforce. However, I quickly learned this isn’t always the case, as those same traditions I had embraced weren’t always welcomed outside of my home. As a child, I struggled with balancing embracing my culture and customs and not showing my roots to the world outside due to my experiences with prejudice. 

As I got older, I learned that this carries over to the workforce and that it wasn’t just me. Latinos suppress parts of their personas at work, such as appearance and communication style, to better fit in with the mainstream. 

I found myself doing the same to try to “make it” or get ahead. I was hiding the very things that make me who I am. Today I know that a large part of my success and drive comes from the morals and values my Hispanic culture instilled in me at a young age. It is my identity. 

If we instead embrace our differences and utilize them, we can be more competitive in a global market rather than trying to fit into the one that currently exists.

Patricio Robayo, Journalist and Radio News Producer

Since I am a transplant, I have never felt my Latino roots connected to Sullivan County, even though I spent summers here throughout my youth. 

My father bought a piece of land in the 80s; it was the first property my immigrant father could call his own. My weekends were spent cutting the grass, having bonfires in the back, and hiking trips in the forest. 

I grew up on the east side of the Bronx to a Puerto Rican mother and an Ecuadorian father, whose cultures clashed in our household, each side fighting for dominance. I am not sure who won. Unfortunately, I never felt truly connected to either culture.

If I were playing soccer in high school, I would feel Ecuadorian. Other times I said I was Puerto Rican, most of those times when I was around my Puerto Rican family. 

I wish there were a stronger united Latino/a community here in Sullivan County. In my short time living here, I’ve had the privilege of meeting wonderful, strong, smart Latinos in Sullivan County. 

I have noticed that they all had something in common - either they or their families made their way to the County for a better life, worked hard, and faced discrimination and stereotypes to get to where they are now. 

I believe representation matters, not only in entertainment but I think in local government, businesses, and schools. 

The Latino community is growing in Sullivan County; you only need to see the most recent census data to know it is true. How can we connect, share ideas, have art shows, start podcasts and festivals, and share life stories? 

I’ll start. Hi, my name is Patricio. 

Deputy Sheriff Serafin Rodriguez, Jr. – Jail Division 

Spanish Heritage Month for me is a month where a lot can be looked at from before my time when my parents came to this country from Puerto Rico. They faced some struggles at first but eventually learned that with a lot of patience and courage, you can accomplish whatever you want and live a life where you can feel happy in this country. All of these opportunities were spoken of and shown to my siblings and me, and as we were growing up, you could see more and more Spanish-speaking people advancing in certain aspects of life. Now, not only do I try my best to speak and show my children what our culture and way of life are all about, I am currently working with my grandchildren on showing them how to follow specific paths in life to accomplish whatever they would like in their future. 

Sergeant Christopher T. Zayas – Jail Division of the Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office 

To me, Hispanic Heritage Month is a time to remember the Hispanic culture through cooking, art, and language. It is a time to honor all my Hispanic ancestors who have sacrificed and contributed to my generation to improve the lives of ourselves and our families.

Deputy Sheriff Jennifer Wowk – Jail Division 

No matter where we come from or what we’ve been through, our heritage remains with us. Hispanic Heritage Month is a time to embrace who we are, our culture and sense of community.  

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