Where were you born and raised?
Born in Guatemala until I was 6 years of age. Then, I moved to the US, specifically to Kansas City, KS, and was raised here ever since.
What is your family heritage?
We are from Guatemala, or also known as chapines. Guatemala is known as the eterna primavera or the eternal spring. My parents are the first generation to establish here, and i am 1.5 generation. Was not born here but raised here. KCK is what I call home.
What is your occupation?
I am currently an Associate Relationship Manager at NeighborWorks America for the Midwest Region. But in my off time, I co-founded Urbanworks, LLC., an organization that seeks to continue to do do community building and engagement through arts and green initiatives. Also, I am involved with a different non-profit organizations that do work with the arts, Latin communities and advocacy.
How have you supported or contributed to the local Hispanic/Latinx community?
A lot of my work entails in beautifying and enhancing our communities, developing projects and programs that help bring in services in certain areas of immigration, and representing and raising awareness of our Latin Communities. Strongly, believe that we need to be in the table in order to know what is going on and best advocate for the well-being of our communities.
How do you connect with your Hispanic/Latinx culture?
I have a huge connection to the LatinX culture. I continue to seek ways to support our community and help bring awareness to the amazing people we have here locally.
What is your favorite childhood memory?
My favorite childhood memory is doing folkloric dancing with Rose Marie Mendez. We would always go to present in different events and as we learned how to dance, we, also, learned about the heritage and representation of each region and dance.
What does Hispanic Heritage Month mean to you?
It means that we celebrate ALL our hispanic countries independence. Knowing that each one brings so much for us, and there is so much to learn and celebrate. It means we still hold on to our roots, and we are proud of them! I love seeing all the different representation of Latinos! We are here!
In your opinion, what is the most important issue facing the Hispanic/Latinx community?
The most important issue in my perspective is being able to have opportunities and exposure for our communities. Letting our next generations and current ones know that they have a lot to offer and that there are spaces for them to be in. The more we can give our communities opportunities, the more we can help open doors for us to represent.
