INTERVIEW #26 : FEATURING DORCAS CALDERON 

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 re-started my business degree, only 3 classes away!  During Covid, I prioritized our business and paused my studies. How do you define a businessperson? I don’t just like winning. I like to see other people winning along the way. It’s not just about business, it’s about being a role model in a company that has a higher return than the actual profit. The satisfaction of motivating someone is incredible. I see businesspeople as people who work hard and want to see other people succeed in whatever way is good for them. What is the most important thing someone has taught you? What have I taught myself? Learning to fail in life,  If I failed, I was not happy; I thought that each failure meant that I was not making progress, but then I learned without failing you can’t succeed. Failing is ok and that it’s part of the winning process. I never even wanted a B, I wanted an A. As an adult, you must realize failing is part of winning. You can’t concentrate on not failing because it creates fear of failing. What was the name of your favorite school? My favorite school was Herman Badillo. It was my last school in Buffalo on Carolina St. When I left for Rochester, I cried. I loved that school. I had wonderful friends, and we had such dedicated teachers. We had a better curriculum than the one waiting for me in Rochester – sad to say.  I would have never thought that I would say this, my favorite job is construction. I can be so exhausted, but I am not tired of the job. And I am excited because I can earn that sense of accomplishment and completion. After all, I never saw myself in construction. I was a feminine pretty girl and never a tomboy. Now I know so much, and I have the whole package. What is your remedy for a long day?  A long hot bath! Something about being in the quiet calms my soul and transforms me and I feel brand new every time! Who is someone who inspires you?  My downfalls in life- me being homeless and me coming from a humble background inspired me to work harder to fight harder to achieve my goals. I told my husband we must open a business! He had the skill set and I had the business knowledge. We hit a hard time and I said we must make sure this doesn’t happen again. I am motivated to show my children that even though life is hard you must keep fighting to succeed. That is what motivated me- the hard times in life and realizing that I didn’t want that reality in my life. Where do you want your business to grow?  I want to have a company that has an equal gender ratio. I want to implement workforce development programs to allow for opportunities for women like myself to learn about how important the construction field is. But mostly I want to go where God has in store for me. I want to leave something for my kids and my grandkids. I am also working hard so that when I do end up where I want to be in life, I can bless my children and my grandchildren. I have the urge to take care of my children no matter how old they are. They will always be my babies.  What advice do you have for students who have experienced an interruption in their education? I would let them know that life is – ever-changing. Everything in life changes, we grow, and everything changes, our home, and our cars, having life changes is good- so you don’t stay stuck in one pattern. If I stayed in Buffalo, I likely wouldn’t be the woman that I am today. Change is good and sometimes we don’t see it that way because we are so comfortable in that comfort zone, and place and location that we don’t want to change it. Change makes you see things differently, and it makes you learn and grow. That’s one of the reasons I became a travel business owner — because now I want to travel the world. I am adapting my goals to my achievements, so change is good, and it helps in life. What advice do you have for women who walk into a room, and are the only woman there? Have confidence. No matter how much they think you can’t do what you’re doing. Show them. Women can accomplish more and beyond. I have been in this business for 7 years and people still consider me a novice, and a lot of guys give me advice like it’s my first day! If I got the job done that is the only thing that matters.  Just because I’m not doing how you’re doing it doesn’t mean that I’m doing it the wrong way. What do you say about being black in Puerto Rico? Parts of my father’s family have African lineage. Because of where we lived, we knew Black people were here and they left the legacy of Plena and Bomba. We proudly carry the traditions in Puerto Rico; we talk about being part African and their influence on the foods we eat. What are the values you want the world to know you for? I want people to see me like ‘that’s the woman that was able and wanted to see other people succeed.” Seeing women succeed in life is so beautiful, especially when you have people who support each other, very important. Having someone there making your life easier in the business field is important; having a business is not for the weak. I want people to remember me for my efforts to promote women in business. As a mother and friend, I always put people before myself. I think about the other person and sometimes I think about “what about me?” I never hold hate,  always forgive and I focus on building positive energy around me and positive relationships. I want people to recognize that part of my personality.