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Tag: Cynthia Espinosa

The Struggle Continues; ¡La Causa Vive! by Cynthia Espinosa and Zoraida Martinez

Cesar_Chavez (1)

¡Si Se Puede! ¡Viva La Causa! These are words that as a farm worker, activist and Latinx, I found inspiring to grow food, take care of the land and inspire others that yes, we can. We can grow our own food, we can fight for our rights as human beings, yes we can create the space for our brothers and sisters to share their voice, passion, and gifts. This is what Cesar Chavez has inspired in me. Cesar Chavez, born on March 31, 1927 outside Yuma, Arizona, has left a mark of power, dreams, and pride to migrant farm workers, civil rights activists and Latinos. After his family lost their farm in 1938, his family and him became migrant farm workers throughout California area facing the hardship and injustices that migrant farm workers still face today. In 1965, Cesar along with Dolores Huertas founded the National Farmers Workers Association, later being named the United Farm Workers Association (UFWA) in Delano, California. Along with Filipino grape pickers in Delano, UFWA organized a Grape boycott in the U.S. and Canada along with having grape growers sign the union into their contracts with farm workers (The Cesar Chavez Foundation, 2012). Cesar Chavez work has left a mark to other civil rights organizations for migrant farm workers such as the Coalition of Immokalee Farmers in Immokalee, Florida and Justicia Migrante, Migrant Justice in Burlington, Vermont. The legacy of Cesar will grow throughout our history in many different environmental fields in which Latinos are present; from farm workers, to conservation of our National Parks. Cesar has left us with a foundation to move forward towards equality of growers and migrant farm workers, exemplary leadership among civil rights movements, and pride of our roots, from our culture to our hometown, Cesar wants us to always remember that ¡Si Se Puede!

 

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Up until the sixties, farm workers were mistreated and no one seemed to be able to do anything about it. During World War II, when there was a scarce amount of labor, migrants were being welcomed to the United States to be able to pick the fields. At this time the Bracero Program was initiated under President Truman. The amount of work that was to be done to the number of people actually being admitted to the US under this program was relatively small. There was an increase in migration from Mexico. It was decided that the program would be extended to have people legally in the US while working in the fields. In a span of sixteen years, there was an annual average importation of 200,000 Braceros per year. Although legally in the US, these migrants suffered the deterioration’s of living in the fields. Cesar’s saw the struggle of working in the fields and living in such poor conditions that he started a movement that would forever influence the movements to come.

 

The traction that the movement picked up was an incredible stepping stone for other movements to come. The sixties were a time for change that would be seen across the entire country. From the beginning, with the Civil Rights movement that made a tremendous impact on other movements as well to fighting for equality. All of these movements brought to light the injustices that were seen from schools to workplaces. The movement that Cesar Chavez created along with Dolores Huerta and Larry Itliong influenced students in schools that saw how they were being marginalized because of skin color. A lot of Latinxs and Chicanxs saw a disparity in higher education and they started a movement for students to have rights in all levels of education, Movimiento Estudiantil Chicanx de Aztlán. A movement that until this day still runs strong all across the country seeking equality in higher education, a space in which the population of Latinxs enrolled and that graduate has not been high. M.E.Ch.A has been highly influenced by Cesar Chavez and the movement that he helped get started inciting more and more Latinxs to follow a higher degree than just high school.

 

A fair living wage and decent living conditions is what farmers demanded. An equal opportunity to send their kids to school and a chance to live a life without fear of getting deported at any time. Farm workers have seen so many injustices and the fight for better working conditions was achieved through hard work. There is no doubt of the influential power the Farm Workers Movement has caused in the country. People now are fighting for a living wage that can sustain their families because the cost of living keeps going up but wages have remained the same. People are fighting for better working conditions because they saw the power that lies behind numbers and a movement is starting to rise in which everyone, migrant or not, has better pay and living conditions. The struggle will continue but paving the way for those generations to come will make this country a better place for all those that need to “sacar a su familia adelante.”

 

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The fight that this movement taught us is that we need to continue looking for a way to move forward as a community. The toughest thing that we will face as a community is the adversity and the wall put by others in order for us not to move forward. The Latinx community will always have struggles but with unity and strength any setback that we get presented we will be able to overcome it. Fighting for better treatment at work and better wages will be a fight that will not be over soon but at least we are voicing our concerns and we are showing that we are here and we are not going anywhere. Cesar would be proud of what his movement has brought to the country and he would see that we are fighting the good fight y que ¡la lucha sigue!

References:

Mayo, A. F., Brummel, B., Lopez, G., Bolero, D., Pessah, M. M., In Wolfmeyer, D., Southern Poverty Law Center. Bill Brummel Productions (Firm). (2008). Viva la causa.

Southern Poverty Law Center: Teaching Tolerance Project. (n.d.). Latino Civil Rights Timeline, 1903-2006. Retrieved from:http://www.tolerance.org/latino-civil-rights-timeline.

The Cesar Chavez Foundation. (2012). About Cesar. Retrieved from: http://www.chavezfoundation.org/_page.php?code=001001000000000&page_ttl=About+Cesar&kind=1

United Farm Workers. 2016. http://www.ufw.org/_page.php?menu=research&inc=history/03.html

Latino Outdoors Interview: A Conversation with Tarah Hines

We always love profiling our leaders in the movement and in the field. Here is another interview in our series to showcase the individuals that embody the Latino Outdoors story, ambicultural leadership in action. Here is Tarah Hines, proud Afro-Latinx changing the world by her permaculture teaching, activism, and grassroots organizations in Florida.  

 

Tell us your story, what is your connection to the land and conservation?

Land to me is deeply rooted in happiness. Growing up in upstate New York, I was outside every chance I got. Running around during recess, making forts with sticks, walking through forests, playing in creeks, the list goes on. One of my most vivid childhood memories is planting flowers with my mother in front of our house. I link nature with how happy and free I felt and I was conscious of it even back then. It only makes sense then that conservation comes naturally to me to preserve the places where I still feel so much love and find so much peace.

 

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Ziplining in Herb Hillz located in Daegu, South Korea.

How is this connection celebrated/expressed and understood/misunderstood in your community and culture—in the broader conservation community?

Seeing the pride my mother takes in her yard and eating from my grandmother’s, I think this connection is expressed through family ties and ancestral knowledge. Working together to grow or harvest something as a family, or even just enjoying the outdoors together at a park or beach is something I see still intact. I think in the broader community however, I’ve talked to many people who connect caring about land and conservation to being white. The great thing is though, I’ve talked to even more people who don’t. That narrative of “it being a white thing” is played out. We have been a part of land conservation and environmental movements for a very long time and I think the broader community is remembering that as are we. It’s a part of the history that many of us are re-learning.

Afro-Latino(a/x) identities are connected to the outdoors, the environment, and conservation—how are those words reflective of YOU, how is it expressed, what does it look like?

One of the ways I describe myself is an Earth Soul, meaning I am conscious of the connection I have with the environment and the outdoors. I don’t think I reflect any of those words but more so embody them by just being who I am. The way I live my life, how I decide to dress, the things I choose to support with my money and time, the organizations I associate with. All of the above contribute to my personal relationship with the environment and conservation. It’s become so much a part of me now that people I don’t even know know where I stand.  But that’s not to say that I am perfect or have done everything I need to do. I’m always a work in progress.

What needs to change and how do we grow, celebrate, and have the broader conservation movement connect with the role and values Latinos(as/x) bring to the field?

Visibility is a huge part of how we grow and celebrate Latinxs roles in the field. Sharing our personal stories through organizations like Latino Outdoors or the Black Permaculture Network help to show that we are actively taking part in creating change in our communities and beyond and shedding light on what is being done. We need to work harder though to fill the gaps within our communities as well, especially surrounding those of us who are of African descent and recognizing that intersectionality of being Latinx.

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Visiting the Ybor City Garden!

Why does this issue and work matter to you?

I have already seen what happens when I become disconnect myself from the natural world. Even as a young person my physical, mental, and spiritual health suffer when I remove myself from the outdoors and conservation. This work matters to me because it is so critical to my well-being and to everyone else’s. As I said before, what happens to the Earth, good and bad, affects us. What I do as an individual and what we do collectively right now will determine not only how the rest of my life will go but my nephew’s and niece’s lives and their children’s lives. If I can make their lives better by speaking up a little more and making a few little changes why wouldn’t I? Not to mention people of color are disproportionately affected by climate change in the first place.

What does success in all this (an Afro-Latinx conservation identity, community connection, land conservation with Latino(a/x) support, diversification of conservation movement, etc.) look like to you?

First it looks like unity among all Latinxs and active partnerships with other like-minded groups. It looks like infrastructures and curricula in place created by us, or at least in heavy partnership with us, that make land conservation and outdoor activities available to and enjoyable everyone.

How has work with (your organization/current project) connected to/is reflective of all this?

I am a huge advocate for Self-care and Self-love. I strive to embody that. I believe that if we love our Selves, how can we not love the Earth? If we care for our Selves, how can we not care for the Earth? What happens to the natural world greatly affects us. In order to take care of me, I need to be in the best environment possible. The air I breathe, the food I put into my body, the water I drink. How can we preach care of Self and then leave trash on the side of the road or let the ocean sweep up our plastic bottles? Through my current project Barrels Away! in Old Seminole Heights in Tampa, Florida, my work with the Black Permaculture Network, and by building my own brand, Earth & Alkemy, I encourage people to ask themselves these same questions. It is my hope that the simple answer they will come eventually come to is, we can’t.

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One of my all time favorite sayings is by Anais Nin “Ordinary life does not interest me” Image taken by my friend, Christy Marie Photography.

New Years Resolutions: Outdoors Edition by Cynthia

Happy New Years! It is 2016 and many people are ready to start the new year with resolutions to either be healthy, share time with the loves ones, or go onto a new adventure. I am very excited to share that I made not one resolution, but six resolutions that are all focused in the outdoors in some way or the other. Here I share my resolutions with descriptions and fun images!

  1. Growing food!
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    Image taken at my former job in New Hampshire as we put the garden beds to ‘bed’ for the winter. I will be doing the same this year at my new job with Growing Places in Leominster, Massachusetts.

    Growing up in the warm, tropical island of Puerto Rico, I had the privilege to learn how to grow vegetables, herbs, fruits, and other delicious food. Gardening has been part of a family tradition for many generations and I find gardening to be my zen! I get to plant a seed, tend for it and later on harvest the fruits of my labor. I hope to garden this year, spend time with family and friends at the garden, and enjoy delicious meals we create with the garden products! My favorite and family tradition dish we make is Sofrito, a delicious sauce that is pretty much the secret ingredient to a lot (if not all) Puerto Rican food dishes. My family and I also save seeds of cilantro and peppers as we LOVE those crops!

  2. Volunteer at a farm!
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Image taken: September 2015 at my friends, Kohei Ishihara’s farm: Movement Ground Farm in Berkley, Massachusetts.

I love farms! My past experience with putting my hands in the dirt, weeding, and of course, meeting new people have been at farms. I have friends who are farmers and I love them for taking on, what I consider, the most important job in the world! Being nurtures, growers, and feeders of their communities, farmers are superheroes on my book. Therefore, I love supporting farms by visiting, volunteering as much as I can during the season, and purchasing their goods!

 

3. Keep on researching Latino/a/x Outdoor and Environmental work!

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LO loves being part of America Latino Eco-Festival! L-R: Jose Gonzalez, LO Founder, me being silly, and Asnoldo, LO Colorado Ambassador. Image taken: October 2015

I love reading, writing, and learning more about my cultural roots and the environment. My resolution is part of my ongoing career as an Environmental Educator. I want to keep learning from Latino Leaders, community members, and other in the Environmental movement their steps, questions, answers, solutions, and much more in regards to Latinos and the Environment. I hope to attend conferences, connect with other human beings that are interested in the work of making the environment an inclusion to all. I want to also learn more and part-take in the conversation about the Afro-Latino(a/x) identity in the Environment in the United States. I can’t wait for what I will discover!

 

4. Keep on walking in the woods…

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Did a morning walk in the small trail next to my work office! Image taken: January 2016

I want to keep on taking walks and hikes in many trails as possible. I enjoy being in the woods, using my learned skills of plant identification, take some time for me in the woods! There is something about being able to walk in the woods, maybe it is the sounds of the wind embracing the trees, the sound of my boots against the snow/ice as I make my way to the magical land called the woods. I am looking forward to many walks and hikes with loved ones, by myself, and new people!

 

5. Discovering more spiritual practices related to the outdoors!

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Altar created during the America Latino Eco-Festival. Image taken: October 2015

As a spiritual being, I enjoy anything related to madre tierra. This year, I want to learn about more spiritual practices which include rituals, writings, and much much more that bring me to the outdoors. I am in the journey of discovering more the spiritual practices of my cultural roots. My family has a mixed ancestral spiritual practices coming from both Africa and the Tainos. I am in the self-discovery phase of these spiritual practices and I am hoping that year I will be  able to tie in the new information with my current spiritual believes. I am very honored, thankful, and excited for this resolution!

 

6. More time with my familia outdoors!

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My family and I got to see the Springfield Christmas Parade and enjoy arts, music, and quality time together! Image taken: December 2015

There is nothing more precious than spending time with your loved ones outdoors. It is fascinating, fun, full of laughs, jokes, and love. I am looking forward to spending time with my family and friends in outdoors activities. Many outdoors activities I have done with my family have been attending outdoors events such as parades, go to the park for a walk, attend the pool during the summer, and create funny looking snow mans during the winter! These are all full of memories for me and have been ideal to get us outdoors, enjoy one another, and experience nature!

 

These are my six new years resolutions which I am extremely proud to put into place for me. They all include the outdoors in many ways! I would love to read/hear your new years resolution and how they include the outdoors by sharing on the comments section!

Happy New Year!