por Christian La Mont
Beginning on September 15th (the Independence Day for several Central America nations) and serving as a bridge between the end of Summer and the beginning of Fall, Latinx Heritage Month (or Latino Heritage Month, or Hispanic Heritage Month, or LHM, or HHM) ended on October 15th. But the celebration is far from finished, and it doesn’t need to last just one month.
Under the mountains of branded and marketed feel-good profiles of Latinx employees and artists this past month, there continues to be ongoing and serious internal conversations (entre nos) about our heritage: the term Latinx, about latinidad, about erasure, about colorism, about machismo, about generational prejudices and a lack of inclusion within our own community, about the lingering and painful legacies of colonization, about acknowledgement of Indigenous roots, about who we were, who we are, and who we want to be.
While we, as a global Latinx community, continue to have these important conversations to dig into some potentially painful truths and explore our heritage, it’s also incredibly important to celebrate our differences, our common bonds, and our unique cultural identities, and contributions to the world as Latinx folks. Whether we are outdoor leaders or activists, whether we prefer the forest or the screen, whether we always feel seen or are yearning still for some sort of authentic representation, it’s important to remember that el pueblo unido jamás será vencido. The people united will never be defeated. Next week, the glow of HHM or LHM will have dimmed across marketing and communications departments, so it’s up to us (once again) to continue to acknowledge, appreciate, amplify each others’ voices, share and retweet, and celebrate Latinx heritage: past, present, and future. To keep the celebration going, I compiled a list, in no particular order, of 20 Latinx Advocates, Activists, and Conservationists You Should Know About:
Teresa Martínez
As a Latina in conservation, Teresa Martínez has devoted her life working throughout the entire National Trails System. She is currently the Executive Director of the Continental Divide Trail Coalition: “To know that I’m a small part of something that, for 50 years, has been protecting landscapes like this is pretty amazing…So there’s just this deep commitment to give back to that.”
Xiuhtezcatl Martínez
He’s an Indigenous climate activist, author, and hip hop artist who was most recently on the frontlines of the Climate Strike and Climate March in New York City. As the Youth Director for Earth Guardians, Xiuhtezcatl has been an active voice conservation since he was only six years old and he was chosen to serve on President Obama’s Youth Council at age twenty four: “youth are rising with the oceans to lead the movements that will shape our future”
Álvaro Ugalde
Ugalde was a Costa Rican conservationist and is widely remembered as one of the fathers of Costa Rica’s system of national parks: “Without a vision and a sense of mission, there can hardly be a saga to tell or follow in any human endeavor…I believe, at least in conservation efforts, that there is no such a thing as a one-person show. The role of the leaders is to motivate and to enroll as many humans as possible in the pursuit of her or his vision, thus transforming it into a socially run mission.”
Katherine Lorenzo
Unapologetically owning her Afro-Latinidad, her heritage, her black girl magic and “Sazón Dominicano”, Katherine Lorenzo works to create spaces for underrepresented, marginalized and often ignored communities: “Owning my Afro-Latinidad has made me feel less alone, too. Yes, I work to give a voice to the Latino communities I organize in Nevada, but also to help other Afro-Latinos demand a place within the fight for a healthier environment. This space should belong to all of us. We have work to do.”
Fabián García
As a first-generation college student at UCLA, specifically Chicana/o studies, Fabián became an employee of the U.S. Forest Service where he currently spends a lot of time inspiring and encouraging Latinx youth and families to get outdoors: “We’re a high-touch community…If we don’t see it in our community, we’re not going to pursue it. If our uncle isn’t taking us hiking in the woods, or our neighbor isn’t taking us out there — we’re not going.”
Solimar Fiske
You may recognize Solimar’s storytelling and narrative-changing talents from her Instagram account @takingupspaceoutdoors, a platform she uses to highlight the beautiful amount of diversity that is already outdoors: “Speaking for myself, in the outdoors I am taking up space as a member of each of these under-represented communities: women, women of color, immigrants, people with indigenous heritage, people of mixed heritage, working class people, people with large bodies.”
Melissa Cristina Márquez
Communicating on Twitter and Instagram, Melissa freely uses the hashtag #LatinaInSTEM. She is a Puerto Rican and Mexican marine biologist, founder of FinsUnited, and travels the world speaking about conservation and about the importance of diversity and inclusion in science: “I am a huge believer of “you can’t be what you can’t see” so I hope that through the platforms I am privileged to have, that I can not only showcase to people that scientists come in all shapes and sizes, but that I can shine a spotlight on other normally underrepresented backgrounds.”
Bamby Salcedo
As the leader of the TransLatin@ Coalition, Bamby’s work is aimed at changing the structures that marginalize the transgender community and is forming a multi-state coalition of trans-led organizations that provide services, space, and resources for trans and gender non-conforming Latinx people: “The most fulfilling part of this work really is seeing once-shattered souls blossom, watching gloomy eyes begin to shine and seeing your community thrive.”
Héctor Manuel Ramírez
Héctor is a Latino Chiricahua Apache, Two Spirits, who has autism and bipolar disorder. His work as an activist and community organizer focuses on the intersectionality of issues affecting people, families, and communities with disabilities. He sits on the Board of Directors at the National Disability Rights Network: “Maybe it’s about time we start dealing at things like hate, cruelty, and discrimination as public health issues.”
Ana María Ruiz
As the General Manager for the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District, this trailblazing Latina oversees 170 staff members and is responsible for the implementation of the organization’s mission. After receiving degrees in geological and environmental sciences and then in urban and regional planning, she began her career with Midpen in 1998 and worked her way up to her current position.
Griselda Galindo-Vargas,
As the Principal at Brooke Elementary School, one of Vargas’ primary concerns is maintaining a safe and sustainable atmosphere for the kids in her after school programs. She has provided her students with beekeeping, gardening, and a butterfly gardening club in addition to keeping some chickens and rabbits around for kids to play with during recess: “Being a high-poverty school, we have a lot of children with trauma and a lot of anxiety…so it really helps to have animals.”
Liliana Madrigal
An expert in clean water, environmental sustainability, human rights, responsible supply chains and more, Liliana is a native of Costa Rica and is the co-founder of the Amazon Conservation Team (ACT): “There is a codependency between indigenous communities and the rainforest. Without the rainforest, these people cannot practice their traditions and lose their sense of identity. Without these people, there would be no traditional stewards to watch over the land and the forest.”
Jessica Jiménez
In addition to being a Mexican American advocate for disability rights, human’s rights, the environment, and young people, Jessica Jiménez is also an alumni for YO! Disabled and Proud, is part of the National Coalition for Latinxs with Disabilities and builds youth power in cities like Long Beach and San José.
Claudia Pineda Tibbs
This Salvadoreña-Americana is a scientist, birder, nature lover, ocean conservationist and sustainability advocate. “In a world where the majority of environment and conservation advocates tend to be white, I thought it was vital to share my point of view and experience as a person of color in order to turn the tide and create equity within this field.”
Marcos Trinidad
Marcos has spent his life making the world a more just and equitable place through his outreach and community engagement efforts. He currently works as the Director of the Audubon Center at Debs Park in Los Angeles: “I pay close attention to our feathered friends in the sky, I listen to the songs they sing. I listen because birds tell us a story about our neighborhoods. They tell us about the health of our communities. We just have to listen. Urban nature is such a joy to follow because our lives are overlapping with so many different species that are so magical. If we can appreciate the magic in them, we start to appreciate the magic in ourselves.”
SPECIAL MENTIONS:
Environmental Activists Under Threat
Many activists for the environment and for their community are under daily threat. Some have lost their lives. Some continue the work despite the dangers they face. Environmentalist deaths are rising at an alarming rate around the world, many of them Latinx and Indigenous.
Latino Outdoors Volunteers and National Team Leaders
As a volunteer for Latino Outdoors, I can gladly say that I am surrounded by outdoor leaders, activists, and changemakers who inspire me every single day. As a national organization that has teams in regions from the East Coast (welcome aboard, LO Connecticut and LO Arkansas!) to the Southwest and up the West Coast to the PNW, there is no shortage of reasons to celebrate. Our volunteers spend their week organizing and engaging in community outreach so that on the weekends we can introduce familias and comunidades to the outdoors – whether it’s an urban garden, a visit to a local park, a city meeting to advocate, or helping maintain trails in beautiful open spaces. On our website, you can click on the “Our Team” section and learn all about the amazing storytellers, activists, advocates, teachers, conservationists, and community members that make up the LO family.
Every individual story above is part of a larger canvas of stories and histories: that of Latinx folks fighting the good fight. We’re not a perfect people, there’s always room for growth, but community, caring, and culture are part of our heritage. Let’s never stop celebrating that.
Happy Latinx Heritage Month. #RethinkOutside
