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!
For the first Yo Cuento Blog installment of 2020, immigrant and NPS Park Ranger, Cristina Martínez, generously shared some of her story with Christian La Mont, LO’s Social Media and Los Angeles Program Coordinator.
Christian La Mont: What is your name and where do you currently live?
Cristina Martínez: I am Cristina Martínez from Los Angeles, CA.
CLM: What was your first memory of the outdoors?
CM: Either looking for bugs in my abuela’s garden or going to a city park.
Abuela’s garden
CLM: Can you give us some background about your personal and professional relationship to the outdoors?
CM: For a significant part of my life, I have considered urban parks my “great outdoors.” I grew up in a Mexico City neighborhood that had quite a number of urban parks and deportivos (parks with fields for different kinds of sports) within walking distance, so I spent a lot of time playing soccer with other kids. My family would also take frequent trips to el Bosque de Chapultepec, one of the largest urban parks in the Western Hemisphere.
“For a significant part of my life, I have considered urban parks my “great outdoors.”
Cristina Martínez
Not long after I turned 9 years old, my mom made the tough decision to leave the country and migrate to the “U.S.” in the search of “better opportunities.” This meant leaving behind my home, family members, friends, and also my connection to parks that had been an integral part of my childhood.
Once in this country, I wasn’t spending a lot of time in the outdoors for different reasons our community is too familiar with: (1) discriminatory policies that have placed more refineries than green spaces where we lived in Wilmington, CA; (2) no reliable transportation to go anywhere far, as we couldn’t afford a car for many years; (3) my mom was working multiple jobs as a housekeeper, making free time a luxury that wasn’t going to be spent going outdoors.
9th grade Cristina on her first overnight outing
It wasn’t until high school that I got to reconnect with the outdoors in a larger capacity when I became a member of my high school’s Environmental Club and got to partake in outings to places such as the so called San Bernardino and Santa Monica Mountains. Thanks to a special partnership with the Sierra Club, this organization sponsored our outings by providing transportation, gear, and guides so that we would have accessible and safe trips. I once again began to have an intimate relationship with the outdoors that continued to flourish and eventually influence my career interests.
Through classes offered by my college’s environmental science department, I was given the privilege to conduct ecology research in some incredible ecosystems. My introduction to the US National Park System was through a marine ecology field course that took place in Virgin Islands National Park, the very first National Park I visited.
CLM: What is the Latino Heritage Internship Program, and how did you first hear about it?
CM: The Latino Heritage Internship program (LHIP) is part of a larger initiative by Hispanic Access Foundation to increase the involvement and representation of Latinxs in “public” lands. The internship program does so by collaborating with the National Park Service and offering paid internships for underrepresented groups to work in various National Park Service units across the nation.
I heard about LHIP through social media, in what I would say was a stroke of luck. I happened to be scrolling down my feed on Facebook when I saw an older student at my undergrad institution share it on Facebook.
Cristina, during her Latino Conservation Week event as part of LHIP
CLM: Is that how you started your career with the National Park Service?
CM: Definitely. I would not have considered a career with the NPS if it wasn’t for LHIP.
“I would not have considered a career with the NPS if it wasn’t for LHIP”.
Cristina Martínez
CLM: Tell us about some of your impressions and experiences as a Latina in the National Park Service?
CM: Though I have been grateful to work in some truly gorgeous and dynamic places, it has come at the cost of being away from my community and dealing with constant microaggressions. Being a seasonal Park Ranger comes with a lot of challenges already, a big one being not having guaranteed employment year round, which is not sustainable and serves as an institutional barrier towards low-income individuals. Add to that the challenges that come with being a woman of color, and it can be discouraging to remain in this line of work. It is clear as day that the workforce of the National Park Service does not reflect the demographics of our country, which is why programs such as LHIP exist as a response to the lack of representation of individuals from various groups.
Along those lines, I’ve had many Latinx visitors come up to me and express how excited they are to see for the first time a Park Ranger that “looks like them.” These are interactions I have treasured, for not only do they validate the significance of having our communities represented, but serve as reminder to continue pushing the agency towards actions to create a truly inclusive workplace. I am extremely grateful for the many individuals that have and continue to put in the work towards transforming the “NPS culture” as a whole.
CLM: You’ve taken amazing photos of your time in the NPS, how important is storytelling to you as a Latina in the outdoors?
CM: Storytelling is transformative, validating, and a way of communication that I am still learning a lot about. When I read stories from other people who’ve had similar life experiences, it validates my feelings and has served as a huge part of healing for myself. As an interpreter and storyteller, I have the platform to tell the stories that places hold to visitors, especially the stories that are difficult but important to share. I have the platform to figuratively and literally pass the mic to voices that continue to be erased so that they tell their story. And with this platform, I have also found it important to share my personal story with the outdoors to visitors. Not because I am seeking acceptance from them; but instead, to disrupt the “mainstream” outdoor narrative. I tell my story for those in the audience that have similar experiences as mine, for it may make them realize they are not alone in the way they have experienced the outdoors.
“And with this platform, I have also found it important to share my personal story with the outdoors to visitors. Not because I am seeking acceptance from them; but instead, to disrupt the “mainstream” outdoor narrative”.
Cristina Martínez
CLM: What are some of your favorite memories of nature: sights, sounds, smells, etc?
CM: I love the smell and sound of the ocean.
Kayaking!
CLM: How did it feel to go from a city like Los Angeles to a vast wilderness?
CM: It was quite the transition in many different ways. For instance, I went from L.A. traffic to a place that only has one road and no stoplights. Though not dealing with traffic was nice, it was isolating to be away from my family and ethnic community. I mean, the one grocery store in town didn’t have Takis!
CLM: What advice would you give to a young Latinx person who might be interested in a career in the outdoors?
CM: There will be people like professors and academic “advisors” that will push the importance of internships, even if they’re unpaid because at least it’s “good experience.” Although it may be tempting to go for the unpaid internship since the environmental field is flooded with them (though I am noticing more paid opportunities in the field), time and labor should be paid. While there is potential worth in doing an unpaid internship (I did one summer of 2015 while working simultaneously at another job), the priority should be well-being. It is so crucial to ask oneself if having little to no income will create a stressful situation and if this stress is worth the “experience” of said opportunity. It is also important to remind yourself of your worth and be surrounded by a community that will remind you of that when you can’t yourself. “Imposter syndrome” made me feel inadequate to apply for paid internships that I did come across, making me believe that I was only worthy of “unpaid” opportunities. In conclusion: Apply for paid opportunities if that’s what you need, because they will expose you to different ways one can have a career in the outdoors.
CLM: What advice would you give yourself from 10 years ago?
CM: Don’t be so critical and harsh on yourself; and that the boy your after isn’t gonna matter!
CLM: Any last thoughts or closing words?
CM: I am so thankful for this community that challenges me to be better and continue learning (and unlearning) even if it makes me uncomfortable. That is why I consider storytelling transformative: because it is a powerful tool that changes perspectives. Thank you for having a platform where we can share those stories.
I’m just your average 26 year old Latina who hails from the San Gabriel Valley. My papis are both from Jalisco, Mexico but coincidentally met in the United States. They fell in love 30 years ago and raised 4 beautiful babies, and so here I am.
I graduated from California State University, Chico in 2014 with a degree in bilingual Liberal Studies, which prepared me for a career as a bilingual elementary school teacher. I’ve since held some amazing teaching positions that have allowed me to live all throughout Northern California, Ecuador, and Mexico, where I’ve met and interacted with so many inspirational humans.
Over the last two years I’ve made the transition into Outdoor Education. My parents have always encouraged a love for the outdoors, but it wasn’t until I moved to NorCal that I really fell in love with outdoor life. Backpacking through Lake Tahoe, going on weekend hikes at Bidwell Park, and swimming in the Sacramento River are just some of the many activities that fueled my appreciation and love for Mother Earth. So when I was given the opportunity to combine my two loves: teaching and being outside, there was no way I was going to turn it away.
“My parents have always encouraged a love for the outdoors, but it wasn’t until I moved to NorCal that I really fell in love with outdoor life”.
Kaitlyn Medina
Being a leader with ARCC Programs has allowed me to travel the world, teach, and have my classroom be outdoors. I lead groups of students on 3 month Gap Semesters. We, my co-leader and I, teach communication, leadership, and travel skills. We also facilitate discussions which touch on different themes, like environmental conservation, public health, education, and micro-finance, as well as country-specific social and political issues. We use the many places we visit as unconventional classrooms in hopes that students grow as more tolerant, appreciative and kind people.
This also has allowed me to share my life experiences, not only as a woman in the workforce but as a woman of color in the outdoor community. Throughout my trips I’ve had dozens of meaningful conversations with my students, especially the young ladies, about what it’s like to be an adventurer and the benefits that come with becoming an educated and strong-willed woman.
We talk about how it can be tough to be heard in a space dominated by male voices and the way society views us as weak or less than. We also talk about what it’s like to be a person who has an impact on others and how to use that platform to empower others.
I’ve been able to see that I have an impact on my students in many different ways, but it’s the small, subtle changes that make my heart the happiest—when a young woman speaks her mind in a group of young men without fear, when they carry their packs up mountains without seeking help from others, or gathering up the courage to perform a hidden talent in front of a crowded room. I can’t and won’t take all the credit because let’s be honest, they’ve always been strong, beautiful, courageous women, I just help them realize it’s been there all along, and that they should never shy away from their greatness.
I can feel a bit isolated, out of place, and sometimes even incompetent as a woman of color in the outdoor industry, but I’ve taken those insecurities and run with them, constantly trying new sports and activities. Never in my life did I think I’d be white water rafting in Patagonia, hiking the ancient Inca trail in Peru, sliding down volcán Acatenango in Guatemala, or scuba diving the Caribbean reefs of Honduras.
“I can feel a bit isolated, out of place, and sometimes even incompetent as a woman of color in the outdoor industry, but I’ve taken those insecurities and run with them, constantly trying new sports and activities”.
Kaitlyn Medina
I’ve learned that exploring unfamiliar territories, especially as a Latina, comes with fears and many unknowns, but it’s also exhilarating and life changing. I’m able to show my students, sisters, cousins, and friends that we can do anything. Despite the countless times I’ve been told, “No puedes hacer eso porque eso solo lo hacen los hombres,” this has only made me want to do it even more.
While I’m an excellent teacher, powerhouse leader and role model to my students, I don’t think I’m a picture perfect example or some idol that people should look up to, in fact I’m very much an imperfect being. I constantly look to my students and peers to inspire self growth and perspective on life because I’m still trying to figure out how to be a healthy, happy, and strong person. But I do know that by just following my love for being outside and doing things that bring me joy, my niñas can see that anything they want to do is possible despite the color of their skin, where they or their family come from, hardships they’ve faced, or any negative stereotypes that might be associated with them.
Being outdoors has allowed me to find balance within myself. I’ve learned to love my body and be thankful for all that it can do and where it can take me. I’ve learned to find peace in places that are so much greater than I will ever be and to slow down, smell and appreciate the beauty that is the wilderness.
If you’ve been thinking about being more “outdoorsy”, just go and do it. Push yourself a little out of your comfort zone. Who cares if you don’t have name brand gear? I literally hiked throughout South America in $15 shoes and $8 Costco pants. Someone once told me “The gear doesn’t make the athlete. It’s the person in the gear who determines who they will be.” So give it a try! Who knows, you might end up getting paid to hang out with really cool humans while you venture throughout South America.
