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Tag: Latina

Maria Jose Ramirez leans against a rail with tall natural grass in the background

I am a woman from Santiago Chile

por María José Ramírez

First, I am a woman from Santiago Chile, a city with over 7,000,000 people and with a vibrant city life, but in a country that is frequently considered “the end of the world”. Surrounded by the immensity of the Pacific Ocean, the loneliness of the Atacama Desert and the impenetrability of the Andes cordillera, it could be considered an island. With almost 4,000 miles (6,435km) of coastline, for me, being outdoors meant going to the beach, or any place with a water, biking to the top of the San Cristóbal hill every weekend, and enjoying the city’s parks. However, even if I was very physically active and enjoyed being outside, to the surprise of many, I never considered myself a very “outdoorsy” person. I never really camped, having done so only a handful of times by the age of 30.

From a very young age, I was interested in positive youth development, collaboration and learning how to help people to lead more authentic lives. Although my school focused mostly on academics, it also emphasized involvement in youth sports during middle school and high school. This gave me an appreciation for how out-of-school programs can help young people get to know themselves better, reflect on their values and to determine who they want to be. That interest eventually led me to start a PhD in Experiential Education at the University of Edinburgh in 2016, and then to The Pennsylvania State University for completion of my PhD in Recreation Park and Tourism Management, where I researched the perceived long-term influence of youth expeditions on participants’ lives.

Photo shared by María José Ramírez

“Upon arriving in the UK, I began to learn about youth expeditions and organizations like Outward Bound, NOLS, and The British Exploring Society. Neither I nor my friends had heard about youth expeditions or these organizations, but since I was interested in youth development, this seemed like a good opportunity to expand my knowledge”.

María José Ramírez

Expeditions have a long history, part of which relates to conquering remote places. This was a tradition that I was not familiar with from “the conquering side” but from the “conquered” one – we were taught that America was “discovered and conquered” by European expeditions, and we learned nothing about whether or not indigenous people ever went on expeditions, and if so, what the nature and purpose of these trips were.

During my time at Penn State, I had the opportunity to go on a three-week expedition to the Yukon with the British Exploring Society, and on a 7-day canoe expedition to the Delaware Water Gap with Outward Bound Philadelphia. These experiences broadened my understanding of working with teams in remote situations, learning to trust others and realizing how much more we can achieve if we have people supporting us.

Now, love has brought me to the “country roads” of West Virginia. Living in Morgantown, a city with a population of around 30,000 people in Appalachia has come with its challenges. Being from a big city, planning what to do in the outdoors is overwhelming; kayaking, hiking or blueberry picking are not things I used to do, and there are many other activities that I’m sure I haven’t even heard about yet. One thing that is clear, though, is that West Virginia has a wealth of outdoor recreation opportunities, including biking, climbing, swimming and exploring its rugged, rural landscape.

I am so excited to belong to the Latino Outdoors community, and am looking forward to bringing my research and lived experience to bear as we support each other in exploring the outdoors together!

A Homecoming in the Outdoors

por Nadia Rodríguez

Growing up in Queens, New York within a Latino immigrant family the closest I got to being outdoors was the neighborhood playground, along with occasional trips to Central and Flushing Meadow Park. These were short day trips that consisted of barbecues, lawn lounging, and sneaking over to the handball courts to crush on whatever dreamy boy was around. In essence, these were socializing opportunities and not necessarily moments designed to commune in nature.

the experience was torturous; my only escape was the woods.

My interest in the outdoors was originally ignited during a short residency I had in the Upstate New York area. I was 6 or 7 years old and was sent off to live in a now-defunct facility called the Asthmatic Children’s Foundation (ACF) for a year or so. Though my parents had the best intentions in placing me there, the experience was torturous; my only escape was the woods. Nestled in between a network of lush trees, mountains, and lakes stood an industrially designed single-story building where I was housed with other Brown and Black asthmatic city kids. We all had different issues acclimating to our new surroundings and reacted accordingly. Some acted out while others created alternative families with the other kids. I did a little of both, but I also made the surrounding woods my haven. I hid amongst the trees, ran in fields, caught tadpoles, and made up imaginary worlds to escape into. Once my parents recognized how unhappy I was living there, they pulled me out and brought me back home. I was happy to be back, but I missed the woods. I missed the feeling of being alone yet connected to something bigger than myself even if I didn’t recognize that feeling for what it was at the time. It wouldn’t be until my adult years that I would ever really get to visit the woods in the same way.

My interest in the outdoors was reignited by the promise of a trip to Alaska that did not end up panning out. And although I was unable to make it that far out into the Northwest, I was determined to make it as far out as I could. I reached out to a good friend who lived in Washington State and shared my plan with him. He offered me his support, a place to stay, and his company on my journey. So with that in mind I bought a ticket, trained weekly, and started collecting gear for my trip. To say that this experience changed my life would be an understatement—it was a homecoming. We ended up driving through and camping out on Mt. Rainier, hiking arbitrary trails that caught our fancy along the way. Everything up there felt magical, lush, and picturesque, like a postcard or state emblem come to life. I could taste the earth in the air.

Spending time outdoors is how I find peace and connection, not only to the Earth, but to my ancestors who lived off the Earth. It is my inheritance.

Every sight I saw, every moment experienced, I experienced with my heart in my throat and excitement pulsing through my veins. It was a spiritual awakening of sorts and I haven’t looked back since. Spending time outdoors is how I find peace and connection, not only to the Earth, but to my ancestors who lived off the Earth. It is my inheritance. The outdoors were and continue to be my sanctuary. As Frank Lloyd Wright said “I put a capital N on nature and call it my church.”

Nadia enjoys a homecoming at Mt. Rainier National Park.

Being in contact with nature has tremendous healing powers and it belongs to us all. Too often Brown and Black communities do not have the same access to outdoor spaces as white Americans do, and we lose touch with nature and our connection to it. It is imperative that we maintain our lineage to the Earth and allow ourselves to experience everything the outdoors has to offer when we have the opportunity to do so. My hope is that we continue to create more and more opportunities for ourselves and for our communities.

Nadia Rodriguez is a hiking/camping enthusiast from New York who takes special interest in social and environmental justice, and equity advocacy. She works for the National Audubon Society and contributes to the organization’s ED&I efforts. She’s also the Co-Owner of Luna Ruda, an online retail business selling ethically sourced – fair trade products from South American artisans. Nadia enjoys spending time with her son, thrifting & record shopping, and engaging in self-care practices.

My Passion for the Outdoors as a Mexican American

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.