SIUSLAW NEWS ❚ WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2018
Voices
from 1A
At the same time, Liza
Alvarez was also finding it dif-
ficult to connect with the Latino
community. Alvarez, who
works for the Siuslaw Public
Library System, has been look-
ing into ways to bring the com-
munity together through a vari-
ety of programs both through
the library and with the Latino
community as a whole.
After the documentary
screening, Alvarez, along with
her friend Rosy Dominguez
Guillens, and Sanders, as well
as her mother Rosa Hernandez
and sister Andrea Sanchez, sat
down to discuss the state of the
Latino community in the
region, why they believe it’s so
disjointed, why Latinos would
benefit from a more cohesive
community and how the entire
population of Florence, Latino
or not, could benefit from a
broader understanding of the
Latino culture.
As a high school senior who
moved to America when she
was 11 months old, Sanchez’s
entire life has been a bridge
between two cultures and two
generations.
A DACA recipient who will
soon be going off to college, she
spoke about what it was like
growing up in the region.
The following transcript is
taken from a discussion with
Sanchez and others within the
Latino community.
(Editor’s note: While the
conversation has been edited for
length and clarity, the conversa-
tion is presented in their own
words.)
What is it like growing
up as a second-generation
Latino?
ANDREA: For me, it wasn’t
as bad as it was for my siblings
because they were the first
Latino family in Mapleton. So,
you did get people feeling
uncomfortable.
When I was growing up in
elementary school, I would get
pulled from class when another
Latino came to school, because
I was the first Latino girl who
went to school here. They
would have me translate for
them — me, helping them, try-
ing to communicate.
It’s become a lot easier for
sure, but you still get those
moments when people give you
a weird look because you’re
speaking Spanish. Or because
you look different, or you act
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different. It’s just that we’re Americans; they were born
KARLA: Yes!
more watchful of what we do.
here.
LIZA: That’s how we greet
For example, I know there
But sometimes they don’t lis- each other!
are more students who, after I ten when they grow up and it’s
ROSA: Or hugs! At a family
graduate, will be in the DACA hard to understand them. And party I invited some friends of
program. And they don’t have it’s hard for parents to accept. friends; Americans. And us
somebody that they feel com- They don’t teach you how to women are always talking and
fortable telling so they
dancing,
talking
can help find scholarships
and laughing. The
What we miss is the chance to next day the gentle-
or schooling.
For me, it’s my mom show the community our culture.
man asked, “Were
and my sister who have
the women drunk
— Karla Sanders yesterday?” No,
been helping me because
they’ve gone through it
that’s how we are!
already.
KARLA: Very
But for another student?
respect others.
passionate. That’s what my hus-
I got my DACA stuff thanks
ROSA: One time I go to band says, “You’re very pas-
to (Karla) because she was the school, she was probably in sionate.” I’m like, hmm ...
one who looked up the informa- middle school, and I see a
LIZA: It’s just a way of
tion. It’s expensive for students daughter and mother talk and being. We don’t see it as pas-
who don’t know or can’t apply fight and the little one tells sionate. It’s relevance. I met (an
for DACA at the moment. It’s b***h to her mom. Would American) girl who went to
Cuba with me, and she said, “I
tough because they put up such Andrea say that to me? No!
a barrier and it’s so expensive to
I am the mom. She needs to know that I am pretty, but it’s
do those kinds of things.
respect me. Because I respect just that all the Cuban men
I’m lucky that I am in the her. It’s so sad because the little always want to kiss me when
position I am. I can go to ones learn everything. We lived they meet me.”
(Everyone laughs as Rosy
schooling. I have opportunities before in a little community,
to get scholarships and all of with the gate and everything. sarcastically says, “OK.”)
LIZA: No love, you are very
these other things that some When my daughter went to the
don’t.
swimming pool, the little ones pretty, but it’s not because of
When I first started, there said, “No, no, get out. My dad that. It gets lost in translation.
ROSA: And here if a man
were some times I would get says you can’t swim with brown
does it, they think it’s like sexu-
comments about the color of people.”
my skin in my freshman year of
These are little ones. It’s sad. al harassment. My husband is
high school. I went home to my
KARLA: The kids today so friendly. When sees an older
mom and said, “I’m so angry.” don’t just have the strong values lady, he tries to give her his
But I don’t want to say anything of a family that I grew up with hand and help, but ...
KARLA: The ladies are like,
because I know that if I say or my parents grew up with. I
“What are you doing? Don’t
something, and it comes out the don’t see that anymore.
wrong way, I’m going to be the
We love that they’re open touch me!” He’s just trying to
one that gets in trouble.
and they’re outspoken and they be polite and help.
LIZA: Yes, and Latino cul-
People say, “Well times have have freedom of speech. They
changed, that it’s not like that.” have so much more opportuni- tures tend to look each other in
KARLA: I’m worried it’s ties. But they don’t know when the eye when they talk. If
going backwards right now.
not to cross a line and be over- you’re not looking at someone
ANDREA: You just feel like bearing and rude. They need to in the eyes, it’s like a lack of
respect, and sometimes other
you’re being watched. It’s easi- be respectful with one another.
er than how it was for my sib-
LIZA: Definitely. For exam- cultures are not that way.
KARLA: Yes, and they take
lings, but it’s still always in the ple, I feel that just the way I
back of your mind.
speak to my Latin friends ver- it in a different manner.
ROSA: It’s culture shock.
KARLA: It just seems like sus my more Anglo-American
LIZA: When I go visit fami-
the less you have in common, friends are very different. Just
the more they put you away.
the way I speak is more ly and decide it’s time to say
At some point, it just has to reserved. When I’m speaking to goodbye, let’s say it’s 8 p.m., I
stop. We are not trying to be someone from Latin culture don’t leave until 8:30 because I
here to ruin people’s lives. then my voice gets louder, and I have to say goodbye to my god-
mother, my godfather, my
We’re trying to be here to be get more excited.
cousins, the neighbors. It’s the
part of a community and to be
(The group laughs.)
better and help our community
LIZA: And I get more custom.
KARLA: When we say bye
grow and to help each other.
touchy feely. You know? You
to someone at our house, my
But right now, it just seems slide into it naturally.
like it’s going backwards to
I was speaking to my friend, husband, says, “Okay, let me sit
slavery times. If you’re a cer- and her boyfriend is Anglo- down somewhere.”
(The group laughs.)
tain color or you look different American, as well as mine is,
or you don’t speak the right and we were commiserating
What do you miss when
way, you are segregated and over the fact that sometimes we
pushed away.
just say something and get real- you don’t have a full-fledged
ly excited, and our boyfriends Latino community?
LIZA: I feel that coming
What are the differences will be like, “Calm down.”
between the cultures?
That’s just the way it is. It’s vis- from California and a Latino
ROSY: We are so different. ceral. I am not upset, I’m not family, a community is some-
We have different genealogies, mad. I’m not getting all “huffy thing I’m missing since I moved
we have different customs.
and puffy.” That is just who I here a year ago. I miss the cul-
ture, I miss my friends. I miss
When we come into this am.
country, it’s very hard to accept
So, when you are in a place the humor.
KARLA: Warmth.
everything here. And we have that is more isolated from that
LIZA: The warmth, the
to do that. Because kids grow culture, you don’t express your-
up, and they want to be like self fully. And you’re more food. And I just get very excited
Americans. And they are reserved. You just have this when I meet somebody from
trepidation that you’re going to my culture. I’ve run into a lot of
offend somebody, or somebody Latinos in this community, so I
know that we exist, but we’re
is going to think bad of you.
One thing that I miss so scattered and we don’t have a
much, and I think it’s more central meeting point to just talk
common in Cuban culture, is and share resources and stories.
KARLA: I think time is
that when you see family and
friends and you’re like, “besos” especially hard, since almost
everyone in town works either
— kisses.
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in logging companies or the
restaurants. Their time is either
really early in the morning, or
really late after they close the
restaurants. I think that’s a big
problem. We don’t even have
time.
What we miss is the chance
to show the community our cul-
ture.
Not to bring politics into the
discussion, but it’s not just us
being drug lords or cartels or
rapists or whatever. We have a
whole background, a whole cul-
ture that once they know it, they
fall in love with it. I think that’s
what’s missing here.
ROSA: But there are people.
I met Nora Kent when I started
here in 2001, she was very
friendly and helped a lot of peo-
ple. I think she’s the first person
I knew here in Florence and she
tried to help all our people.
Especially all the Mexican peo-
ple. It’s necessary when you
know nothing.
ANDREA: We just want to
have people know who we are,
who we really are, and just
learn how to accept and be edu-
cated about our culture and the
things that we enjoy. And just
show them the traditions that
we have.
People here do celebrate Day
of the Dead, and they want to be
able to celebrate more. My
mom always wants to throw a
party where there’s dancing and
music. That would be a cool
thing to see happen here
because there are a lot of
Hispanics and Latinos, but we
don’t usually all mingle togeth-
er.
It would be nice where the
Latinos and the public can come
in and see and enjoy things that
we like to enjoy and just get to
know us a little more, and we
get to know them a little more.
ROSY: There are a lot of
Latinos here, but it’s like
they’re hiding in the bushes.
(Laughs) We need to somehow
let people know that we can
meet somewhere.
ROSA: I think it’s important
to meet with other Hispanic and
Latino people, to help each
other. I don’t know if people
coming from California or
Mexico did it legally, but it’s
hard when you start to live in
one place.
I hardly get out because of
work. If I need to learn some-
thing I get on the computer, and
I study and study, but when I go
to the store I see that there are
new people that I don’t know. I
want to say, say, “Hey do you
know who might know this per-
son?” That’s what I would like
to do. I would like that all of us
knew each other.
In part two of “In Their Own
Words,” to be published
Wednesday, March 7, the group
discusses why it is important to
have a vibrant Latino communi-
ty in the Siuslaw region, why
there is not one currently and
how helping one community
can strengthen all communities
in the region.
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