We are deeply disturbed and saddened by the recent, atrocious crimes against members of the Black community who are either recreating outdoors or simply going about their daily lives. The harassment of the Central Park birdwatcher has shaken Latino Outdoors to our core, but especially LO NYC, who has led birding walks through the Ramble in the past.
Nobody should have the police weaponized against them due to their race. We stand in solidarity with all Communities of Color who have experienced injustices in shared spaces, and especially with the Black community who is hurting most in this moment. Black, Indigenous, and other Communities of Color must not have our existence questioned in the outdoors, and Latino Outdoors will continue working to create inclusive and equitable outdoor spaces for all in New York City and around the country.
When the news cycle moves on, we do not want this message to be read and forgotten. We call on all mainstream organizations that seek to be better allies in the fight against racism and other forms of marginalization to take a stand in solidarity with all Communities of Color and other underrepresented groups.
This time on #YoCuento2020, Maritza Oropeza, an outdoor enthusiast whose go-getter approach to life is a gift from her mother, shares with us her story of discovering a love for the natural world as a young adult.
por Maritza Oropeza
In typical Latino culture, daughters are taught how to clean and cook to keep their men happy. Not me, I was raised by a single mom who worked two jobs and cleaned houses on the weekends. I was shown the miracles of what Fabuloso could do in a bathroom and how Vicks VapoRub could cure anything. I was taught to be a strong, independent, classy, go-getter that don’t need a man but when they get one, he’ll appreciate everything she has to offer.
I grew up in the small town of Grover Beach on the central coast in California. I was educated in predominantly white schools with most of my friends being gringas. Sleepovers were almost like a rite of passage for my sisters and me. They weren’t allowed. My Mexican mom could never understand why I’d want to sleep at someone else’s house. Especially, when I had a home to sleep in.
Many future outdoor adventures await the author.
We grew up poor but never without. My mom always reminded us that we had to work twice as hard because we were Mexican American. “We gotta prove to the Mexicans how Mexican we are and we gotta prove to the Americans how American we are.” As a teenager, trying to understand that was exhausting.
When I grew older and moved away to college, friends introduced me to the outdoors. I went on my first hike when I was 23 years old in Eugene, Oregon. It was beautiful and something I remember only seeing in posters or movies. Growing up, I was completely unaware of hiking, climbing and camping. Those outlets weren’t available for my sisters and me. Vacations were nonexistent, as my mother had no leisure time.
“Growing up, I was completely unaware of hiking, climbing and camping. Those outlets weren’t available for my sisters and me. Vacations were nonexistent, as my mother had no leisure time”.
Maritza Oropeza
After moving back home from college, I saw my younger self in Latino kids. I thought about how when I was their age, not long ago, it would have never have crossed my mind that you could just find a trail in the woods or along the coast and explore the natural world. It was never for lack of imagination or desire for new experiences. Those things are innate in every child. What was missing was someone to nurture and encourage them. Someone who was willing to pass along the joy that had been shared with them before.
When I turned 26, I got the opportunity to go to Yosemite with a group of friends from California whom I had met through an outdoor meetup. Everything about preparing for the trip felt foreign to me. I had to buy hiking boots, backpack, tent, socks. Anything and everything you could think of, I didn’t have.
A proud moment
My first summit was Half Dome in Yosemite National Park. It is one of my proudest moments. A seventeen-mile hike that brought us over 4,800ft in elevation. It was the most challenging thing I had done. Once I reached the summit, I was able to take in those Yosemite Valley views. It was truly magical. I rested and sat on top of the granite dome, taking in all its beauty. It was breathtaking, and I didn’t want that moment to end.
“My first summit was Half Dome in Yosemite National Park. It is one of my proudest moments”.
Maritza Oropeza
When I got back home from Yosemite, the first thing I did was look up the next hike I wanted to do and what groups I could become a part of. As I participated more in outdoor culture, I could see the barriers and how they exclude communities of color. Limiting outdoors culture to a “white people thing” seemed more apparent than ever and I vowed to change that.
For the next few years, I spent my vacations from work backpacking at National Parks every year. I am at 22 parks and counting.
“As I participated more in outdoor culture, I could see the barriers and how they exclude communities of color”.
Maritza Oropeza
The author’s passion for the outdoors comes across through her different adventures.
Now living in Portland, Oregon as an adult and having the knowledge I do about how excluded you can feel as a minority in a predominantly white town, makes me want to share my knowledge with all the Latino youths out there. As I embrace my identity as a Latina who loves nature, I still often feel culturally separate from the outdoor community. My goal is to give people of color and all youths access to the outdoors. Being poor should not be a barrier to the beauty of the outdoors. I want to empower young Latinos to believe that anything is possible even if our skin color is different.
In this installment of #YoCuento2020, Christian Arana, Policy Director for the Latino Community Foundation, recalls the moment he fell in love with the outdoors and urges us to make our voice and vote count in tomorrow’s Super Tuesday primary elections.
por Christian Arana
I have never been a nature person. In fact, the very thought of spending time outdoors brought misconceived notions of being pestered by bugs, climbing over fallen branches, and having no cell service to connect with the outside world.
Christian Arana, Policy Director for the Latino Community Foundation
But all that changed when I went camping for the first time in the summer of 2018.
Allow me to set the stage. A Latino kid from Los Angeles, CA with no tent, no sleeping pad, and no idea of how to start a fire goes off to Lake Tahoe to sleep outdoors with his friends. Luckily for him, his friends are quite experienced with camping and provide him with the necessary equipment and guidance.
But all goodwill towards this new experience is quickly erased when the campsite is paid a special visit by a brown bear. Not knowing what to do, he defers to his friends to scare off the bear and ensure that all food is securely stored in what I eventually learned is called the “bear box.”
And I’ll admit. I barely slept at all that night. But in the midst of being awake and listening to the sounds of nature, I quickly realized the sacredness of this experience. How clean the air and how bright the stars above me I thought to myself. And despite the fear that a bear visit brought upon me, I also thought of how I was just a visitor to this land, and how future generations can and should experience the beauty of this place and many places like it across the world.
It was a brief, terrifying, but edifying experience. It’s part of the reason why I am turning out to vote on March 3 for the California Presidential Primary.
At stake in this election is selecting a president who will craft policies that will protect our environment. Latinos come from a culture that respects and depends on the outdoors for survival. So, it is imperative that we all do our homework to see who is best positioned to ensure that our community can access and enjoy the outdoors for years to come.
The polling data supports it. According to a poll commissioned by the Latino Community Foundation in November 2019, combating climate change and pollution is one of the top 10 issues on the minds of registered Latino voters. For if climate change continues to erode our ability to breathe clean air, drink clean water, and be at peace in the world via the outdoors, it is not only harmful to our community, but to the world at large.
The author during a joint Latino Community Foundation – Latino Outdoors hike on 9/21/2019 at Lands End, Golden Gate National Recreation Area in San Francisco
On March 3, I ask all of you to think about the moment you fell in love with the natural world. Was it through a quiet walk in the forest? A camping experience on the beach? Or even climbing a mountain in one of our national parks?
Take that moment into the polling place. And exercise your right to vote!
