Interviews

Black joy can be served with frijoles, seasoned with Sazon, and fried twice until it floats the right way in the oil. In Puerto Rico, joy is food and flavors- like the three flavors that make up the soul. And since Puerto Ricans are so deeply food oriented, they often use flavors as a parallel for the ocio-cultural construction of race and feelings and just about everything else for that matter. Dorcas Calderon is Puerto Rican aka 3 different flavors of joy: Black, Taina, and Spanish. Plus 5 children and grandchildren and-a tool belt full of skills – una diva Campesina! A woman whose knowledge spans both rural and urban environments and infrastructures- biology and AI- and wifehood.  A woman of contradictions with the flavor of high glam Latina CEO and a construction boss. She never dreamed of her current life. Once, a feminine single mother encouraged her husband into the construction business. Years later, she now runs her own company: The first Latina-owned MWBE-certified construction company in Monroe County, New York. “Because everything in life changes,” She speaks many languages, streaming in between thoughts, webpage tabs, and content areas, and adjusting her intonation/verbiage to her audience. Socially, emotionally, politically, and intelligent she’s a thriver (I’ve abandoned the word survivor this year). Born in Puerto Rico, living in Rochester, a sometimes Buffalonian specifically-I’d pick her for a hitter any day. And now I’m volunteering-coaching T-ball this year. Her favorite school? Herman Badillo PS 76. Named after the first Puerto Rican congressman and mayoral candidate in a major city (New York City). Well-versed in our history, Dorcas says we all know about Puerto Rico’s black joy in Spanish. She’s right. Second, to knowledge there is silence. We don’t talk about blackness and during Black History month; I ask Why not? Ironically, race in the Caribbean was a topic of high discussion in Europe. Policies changing to match European fancy. The first African arrived with Ponce de Leon as a free man in 1509. 150 years later the Spanish offered freedom and land to Africans from non-Spanish colonies for emigrating. Then another 100 years later reversing and encouraged Europeans and specifically their slaves to move to Puerto Rico. Most slaves who were kidnapped and trafficked to Puerto Rico were from the gold coast- Many were Yoruba, Ashanti, Fon, Igbo, and Bantu. Did you know the Spanish Crown referred to Blackness as a defect? Allowing highborn “mulatto” Spanish subjects to apply and pay to be deemed legally white? My people were Bantu. On the 1872 slave census, my great-grandmother was recorded, 13, Elvira, daughter of Felipa, a Slave. Don Maximiliano Rivera- her owner’s name- the pain of generations in one name. We made it -out of the sugar cane field-No matter that her master set the price for her freedom. She paid for it.  Dorcas ancestors faced the same adversities and generations later there are still serious challenges for Latinas in Business; they are no longer owned but owners. Programs like the MWBE seek to acknowledge and mitigate the impacts of lasting economic discrimination.  A designation, but one that reminds us that “we” need to keep fighting for those who aren’t in the room and be authentic about why they weren’t in the first place.  And in case you need the language for future advocacy specifically within our community – I usually tend to phrase the question “well why are there no Afro-Latinas here?” “Has the question been examined using the lens of an afro Latina? “Everyone who has been asked to speak is white presenting.” “Why are there no black professionals included here” and so on. Dorcas says to be confident no matter, even if you’re the only woman in the room, and I’m going to remember that piece of #latinaherstory and Elivira and Felipa and the feeling of the Puerto Rican Sun.  THE INTERVIEW  — Who are you?  My birth name is Dorcas Calderon, from Puerto Rico, and mother of 5. A proud marine mom, and a grandmother of two, soon-to-be three. I am a serial entrepreneur, having multiple businesses.  I have a brother and 2 sisters.  There was an emphasis on the importance of education in my home. Growing up with my mom was very focused on education. As a child I was quiet. We spent family time together. I enjoyed being with my family all together at home. To me, family is number one and I am trying to maintain that tradition which is hard in this generation. What is the name of your business? The main company is Dorcas Construction Company. I am proud of the construction field that I am in. The second is Travel on Faith, a travel company. I have Tabitha Design, a shirt company, I design shirts and hats. Another is in the planning stages.  I wanted to implement my name because it’s original to me and it’s rare. I love it and I feel like it’s perfect. I chose Travel on Faith because as a Christian woman, faith is important, and traveling is a theme for me. Tabitha is the Greek version of Dorcas, I named it Tabitha Design.  What was your experience as a student?  My journey was different from any other student’s. I was a straight-A student throughout 11th grade; during high school I became pregnant. I attended young mothers while pregnant. The women there were not motivated the way I felt I was, so I challenged the GED. As a young mother, I dedicated myself to my children  and was a stay-at-home mom. In my mid 20’s, with all the kids in school, I decided to invest in myself again and go to college. I first studied accounting (Community College), then studied to become a medical secretary. I was worked as a medical secretary when I learned of the opportunity to become a clerk in Rochester Schools, and be closer to my children plus get better benefits. I worked for the school district as an Office Clerk III Bilingual.

I don’t know why I am less susceptible to patriarchies’ lie that professionalism is emulating whiteness. Maybe because I am already white (thanks mom) and that in fact being a white professional doesn’t make you even any ounce more professional. And that’s coming from my lived experience. Professionalism is about your ability, not your identity and or appearance. On top of being white, I am also Puerto Rican with a strong sense that Latin America has instilled in me called – glamour.  And Those of us who have watched Univision know that the news can be read in almost any outfit and mean the same thing. Being surrounded by innovative and free-thinking women lead me here – being less susceptible. My aversion to the “professionalism myth” is fortified by the amazing authentic women around me. Living testaments that- a woman is an art. Art cannot tone “it” down or dial “it” away. Art is seen- thus Stephanie Claire Moss. Haitian. Bold. Genius. Elegant. Regal and her fashion love her as if to say “thank you for wearing me today “.  Her kindness helps guide people through different worlds. An ambassador for me and the rest of our friends on campus to everything Harlem, Haiti, fashion, and Brooklyn related she guided me. Well truthfully, I begged her to bring me with her. And from Rochester to Brooklyn, we went! I have the fondest memories of waking up in a big white house on a Brooklyn summer Sunday afternoon surrounded by art. The art curated by Stephanie’s Amazing Mother depicted  women whose experience is fundamentally the history of Haiti. A history full of joy but such sorrow. The pain from the island- even though she was young. She carried it with her. I was stricken by her keen understanding of privilege and her knowledge of history.  The thing about Stephanie that mimics Haiti is the way she carries joy so strongly – joy is in her soul. Pure Joy can withstand any policy created from a place of darkness and envy. Because those that seek the light will find it.  Haiti’s history seems punctuated by three words – joy, jealousy, and freedom.  Others are so jealous of Haitians, that throughout history so many leaders have tried to penalize their very existence because (I reckon)- to be Haitian is to be excellent. The people have proved many a time they are stronger than any natural or man-made disasters that come before them. So much is known to the world about their boldness- about their desire to be free that it’s almost like the word “Haiti is synonymous with the word “Freedom”. Actively fighting to understand what that freedom means every time it is challenged is the opportunity of history. An opportunity Haiti has paid over and over starting with its French slave owners. Who were paid to free their slaves as were the Spanish in Puerto Rico –But the Haitians paid the evil price for freedom for a nation cumulatively. Over a period of about seventy years, Haiti paid 112 million francs to France, about $560 million in 2022.  I think that Stephanie’s motivation to serve the people when she is most needed and to coach others to succeed is part of the determination displayed by the richness of her culture. A teacher and life coach. She has purposely spent her time in schools where her talents were most appreciated and with children who need her. The youth are a source of great inspiration to her. Motivation is one of her emerging passions. Looking toward the future Ms. Moss sees the next phase of her professional journey in business, doing what I believe she has been doing for me for a while- life coaching.  Trilingual she speaks English, Haitian Creole, and Spanish. Stephanie has been striving for excellence her entire life and every time she achieves her goal, she adjusts the bar and sets it even higher and for that alone, she is #latinaherstory. THE INTERVIEW:   What is the name of your business/artistry/passion? As of today, I am not a business owner, but do have dreams and aspirations of becoming one. Over the past year, I’ve developed an affinity for life coaching, particularly relationship coaching, as I’ve had to navigate relationships in the past that were not favorable to my mental health. I was able to overcome grief and depression through therapy and life coaching but found that the consistent coaching practices from some very talented people I’ve had the pleasure of working with, helped to stabilize my emotional state more than ever. The talented coaches I’ve encountered have now inspired me to open my life coaching practice, specializing in the mitigation of relational trauma. My goal is to help people identify the negative ways they may be showing up in relationships and carve out a synchronized plan of attack that will elevate their relational skills romantically and personally. My 2023 goal is to enroll in an accredited Life coaching certification program, so be on the lookout for me!!  Where were you born and what values were taught in your home? I was born in Brooklyn, NY. Growing up in a very traditional Haitian household I was taught that education was the only catalyst to success. Education was the vehicle to financial freedom. Additionally, my mother and father, both Haitian immigrants, felt it Important for me to be well-rounded socially and educationally. I was enrolled in a multitude of sports activities, musical groups, dance, and frequented enrichment programs geared towards college preparation. I played the violin, basketball, and ran track. If I wasn’t playing sports, I was playing the violin at the MET in NYC. The standards and values in my household were set high. The expectation was to always try my best at any and everything because unlike my cousins in Haiti that were constantly being plagued by political chaos, I was privileged to receive an uninterrupted education. What was your experience as a student?  As a student, I maintained above-average

You can’t underestimate the power of self-motivation. Often, I think about my grandmother. In the moments before she decided to board the bus to the “March on Washington” with Martin Luther King jr.  What motivated her? I am often asked what motivated me. I close my eyes and sometimes I hear them laughing around me (even the adults laughed at me when I told them I wanted to be a lawyer). The most operative question is not really what motivates me today. Concisely speaking, “I have no choice.” Where I come from, we’re still fighting. We are still fighting for representation for visibility and acknowledgment — and our Evelyn Indyka Zapata is leading the fight.  Talking motivational talk to an 8-year-old me is nothing to play with. I had it rough, old school. “Your mom’s white, you don’t belong to us”, rough! “Go back to your country” – rough; “Sweetheart, it doesn’t matter you can read in Spanish”, rough”.  8-year-old me didn’t know how to read.  I didn’t know I was dyslexic back then, the school was racist, the children around me hated me, and they told or reminded me every day. My family was working overtime as Evelyn’s mom did. I didn’t even have new clothes on account that my parents were working their blue-collar asses off to send and keep me in the racist school system.  I remember walking to school in the pants I got from Amvets on Elmwood thinking, “I’m going to succeed.” Looking back, I was worn out, at least for a kid, hyper vigilant, code-switching, culture-shifting, jumping from one area to the next, where, if you looked rich you were a target to the next area, and where if you looked poor, you were called last for everything.  That girl, I want to hug her so bad. The rough little thing I was, maybe about 70 lbs. and all swinging at life with my softball bat. I call her forward when I need to be braced. Brave like Evelyn Zapata, who is one of the bravest civil rights advocates I know. Civil rights have defined the rights of citizens to political and social freedom and equality. Thus, our right to equitably participate in the repeal of marijuana prohibition is predominately expressed in our rights relative to administrative law, but also the shaping of general social public opinion.  I think it’s likely 8 yr. old Evelyn, she was not taking any shit either, a Manhattan girl with a bright mind and a fast tongue. The sound of a self-motivated person’s voice sounds different, and when I heard Evelyn’s voice, I knew. She was the master of her destiny. She started one of the most valuable platforms IG has ever seen, the “New York Cannabis Times” with 20k plus followers. Her role? Lead us, share information with us, decipher the world of cannabis and cannabis regulation for us, represent us to the outside world of cannabis “us”- the Latino community oh and publicly appear and advocate in person.  Evelyn’s greatest inspiration was her mother, she worked hard to provide for her as a factory worker and that impacted her view on economics. Evelyn knows one thing, the women, the Latinas, we will be growing the cannabis, we will be cutting it, doing the hard labor, and we need a fair turn at the mic when they call for voices and we won’t get one.  That’s an economic fact. But it’s A LOT harder to ignore the opinions of our Latina advocates who, like Evelyn, are fighting for all the Latinas who were disproportionately impacted by the prohibition of cannabis, predominately by holding our government leaders accountable.  Evelyn is like my grandmother, she’s like every other civil rights activist who personally knows the socio-emotional, and cultural impact it has on mass incarceration or has had on our people as the result of cannabis prohibition.  And at every turn of the page of the 240 plus regulation, she will be reminding them. And for that reason, I personally, with a law degree and all, have more hope. Take the time to follow Evelyn and COMMENT on the regulation. Comments on the proposed regulations should be directed to: regulations@ocm.ny.gov or mailed to New York State Office of Cannabis Management PO Box 2071 Albany, NY 12220 The Interview with Evelyn Zapata Where were you born?  I was born in the United States. I am of Dominican Descent; my mother was naturalized, and my stepdad was as well.  What was your experience like as a student?  My experience was, as a student, difficult. I was an A student, but I have ASD- the borderline between ADD – Like 3% Autistic. I had to read things about three times to understand them.  When did you decide you wanted to start a business? I have decided I wanted to start a business since I was a little girl. My grandmother owned a supermarket in DR (Dominican Republic) so we were inclined to do business. My mother had her cosmetology license, and she would work in salons she had her clientele so she would go from house to house. But her first job was working in a factory out of Brooklyn, my first job was working at one of my mom’s factories out of Brooklyn for the summer, and my second job was working also in a factory for the following summer. The second one was on Ohio Street, near 207 and Nagel, there was a factory there. Again, I was born in NYC in 1970. I always worked a day job and had a second job as well. What was your favorite job? I worked all over Manhattan Hospital, riverside cab service, paratransit, and black car services, I was a legal secretary, but my favorite job was selling weed. From the age of 19 to the age of 37 I supported the weed industry in the heights. We were at risk of becoming homeless. My mom was always the drive behind my