OUR CULTURE IS NOT A COSTUME

1 Comment / Food & Culture /

OUR CULTURE IS NOT A COSTUME By the time you’re reading this month’s issue of The Buffalo Latin Village, we will be smack in the middle of “Hispanic Heritage” month. All throughout the middle of every September and October, you will see television ads, print ads, internet ads and possibly, depending on the market, radio ads “celebrating” Hispanic Heritage. It’s just like Christmas. Suddenly, you’ll see a celebration of Latin American Flags and cultures, language, but if you blink, you’ll miss it. I’ve always been a little critical of the forced inclusion regarding our culturally different communities which were jammed into one “Hispanic” monolith, but alas, this is a battle I grow tired of every year. Outside of the forced inclusion of our cultures for the purpose of celebration, my frustrations are aimed at the commercialization of this monthly celebration and the way these “corporate celebrations” always focused on part of our heritage. My issues with the term “Hispanic” are tied to the way it ignores what makes up a person of “Hispanic” origin. All the attention is paid to “Hispania” but the cultural and genetic influences from our African and Native Indian ancestors go unacknowledged. Furthermore, and this is something I mentioned a few columns ago with regards to how we don’t all fit within one identity. Puerto Ricans and Puerto Rican culture is as like Argentinians and Argentinian culture as Canada is to Australia. Yes, they speak the same language, but they are not the same people. However, having one “celebration” and throwing everyone under that one umbrella basically ignores the beauty of our separate Latin American cultures all in the name of inclusion. It’s like whenever a person says “I don’t see color” when it comes to issues of race. This phrase has always made me cringe because, to not see color is to not acknowledge the struggle and history people of a certain racial makeup have had to endure, in this racially biased society we live in. I’m in no way saying we shouldn’t acknowledge or celebrate our cultures, I just have a hard time understanding why so many are OK to see corporations and others who quick to jump on the “Hispanic” bandwagon, celebrating this month with Tacos, Trumpets, and Salsa. Our culture is not a costume, it isn’t a thing you can pull from a closet once a year and celebrate like an old musty Santa Claus outfit sitting in storage. We live and celebrate our culture year-round, and seeing corporations, businesses and entities only stop once a month, in the middle of two months, every year to finally say, “Oh yeah, you guys” is a little insulting. I guess anything is acceptable so long as corporate dollars are involved. We should celebrate our cultures, our identities, and traditions, but also make a point of seeing each for what we are; individual cultures that have a similar experience, but very different traditions, even if we speak the same language. Latinos aren’t one monolithic culture, instead we are many pillars, each with our own stories to tell. Read More From This Writer All Post Business Culture Food Government Health Interviews Lower West Side Business & Economic Development Medical Music Our Community Peace People Sports OUR CULTURE IS NOT A COSTUME October 18, 2021/No Comments POST TITLE (CAPITAL) Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus Read More A PRESSURE-COOKED CULTURE September 18, 2021/No Comments A PRESSURE-COOKED CULTURE As another month goes by and my film (Boricua Soy Yo) production continues, I’m amazed at the Read More A LIBRARY OF FLAVORS August 18, 2021/No Comments A LIBRARY OF FLAVORS This past month, I had the pleasure of attending the opening of an exhibit at Mills Read More Load More End of Content.

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STIRRING THE POT

Community /

STIRRING THE POT Consider the statement “If God is with us, who can stand against us” or better “if we’re within citizen rights to manifest our community’s future, what’s holding us back?” Biblically speaking, God told Joshua “Go! Take the land! Every place you step on I give you as inheritance. I will be with you!” So, let’s look at the matter at hand remembering the thought “If you don’t use it – You Lose It”. All around the community there are abandoned buildings and neglected vacant lots. Chances are they are already being designated as part of some future Urban Development Plan that has little to do with an Urban Restoration Plan for residents to benefit from. The path of least resistance would be to test converting a vacant lot into a community garden. What good is that? Well for sure it would prevent it from becoming another local dump site. It would bring residents together, especially Latinos (and others) with good old farming skills, to plant fruits and vegetables for decor and periodic harvest. It can become a replica, a scenic reminder of our “Campesino/Jibaro Roots.” It can become an outdoor site to hold small periodic cultural presentation/exhibits that can grow into something worth bringing indoors (like an abandoned building). Mind you, there has always been community board funds for such neighborhood beautification projects (e.g., for fencing and building supplies). Now let’s say that down the road those behind closed doors developers want the lot back. Fine! Let them suggest an alternate site to move to. At best, moved enough times, the local area can be beautified one lot at a time. Imagine that idea being mass produced by different resident groups in different areas throughout the community. Imagine involving summer camp youth and senior citizen centers. WOW! Talk about community restoration IN ACTION! Forget about opposition! Consider what support can come from local agencies trying to prevent dump sites, politicians seeking voter support, or homeowners seeking to improve their property value. Consider the empowering shot in the arm such a venture would bring to residents feeling helplessly defeated. Consider, after a few mini victories, those very residents getting inspired to say “Hey! What else can we come together and accomplish?” Can you see the possible potential enough to at least start calling us with interest in such ideas and/or alternative suggestions you may have? You’re not alone! The Buffalo Latino Village is here for you. We seek not only to inform but to inspire and advocate community pride, unity and most of all, ACTION. So, let’s see what responses you provide for me to consider adding to next month’s article. Come on! This column is about empowering each other. Maybe, if you Speak and I Write, we can come together and make things happen. TEST ME! TEST YOURSELF! And let’s Stir the Pot. Next – Shaking the Tree. Continue to read all my columns, by visiting: https://2bspoken.blogspot.com/ Read More From This Writer All Post Food Government Health Interviews Lower West Side Business & Economic Development Peace People STIRRING THE POT October 17, 2021/No Comments POST TITLE (CAPITAL) Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus Read More COMMUNITY EMPOWERMENT IS AN ACTION PLAN September 17, 2021/No Comments COMMUNITY EMPOWERMENT IS AN ACTION PLAN This column has expressed community empowerment from a dark perspective, the maladies and shortcomings Read More CRIME, PUNISHMENT, AND JUST-U.S. (Part 2 of 2) August 16, 2021/No Comments CRIME, PUNISHMENT, AND JUST-U.S. (Part 2 of 2) “Nobody has a more sacred obligation to obey the law than those Read More Load More End of Content. Meet Our Columnists / Writers

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AN INTERVIEW WITH AN EDUCATOR: SAMANTHA DIDRICHSEN

Interviews, People /

AN INTERVIEW WITH AN EDUCATOR: SAMANTHA DIDRICHSEN I had the privilege of meeting a former teacher/educator from the Bronx, NY, who is now living in Buffalo.  I don’t know how we started talking about Education but she opened up and talked to me about the way politicians and government give very little or no priority to Education; you can see it in the way they treat teachers, educators, and the teacher shortage nationwide, and the on-going need for qualified teachers in troubled areas. With all these concerns, you would think teachers would be welcomed with open arms, but that is not the case. After talking to her for a while, I took interest in her story and asked her if it was ok for me to publish her story by asking her questions regarding her experience. Here it goes: Latino Village: Can you begin by telling us a little about your background and your educational preparation for becoming a teacher?  Samantha Didrichsen: Most of my career, thus far, has been in the realm of early childhood education, which in New York, ranges from birth to second grade. I hold two education degrees: a Bachelor of Science (Early Childhood Education), with a concentration in Biology from SUNY Fredonia in 2015; and a Master of Science in Education (Special Education & Early Childhood Intervention),  graduating from  Hofstra University in 2017. With the two degrees, plus my exams are taken, I am certified to teach both general and special education students within the early childhood population. I also specialize in ABA (applied behavior analysis) from my Hofstra program, which uses the science of behavior analysis to change social behaviors. Many times, this is associated with the treatment and education of those with autism, but this can be used for anyone. The techniques that I use in my carbeer for all my students comes from ABA. I’ve held several different types of positions since my Fredonia graduation. I’ve been a toddler teacher, a behavior technician, an elementary school special education teacher, a preschool special education teacher, and an early intervention teacher, and some I’ve held at the same time! Latino Village: What made you decide to go into teaching?  Samantha Didrichsen: When asked this question, people tend to have some sort of dramatic story to tell about how a teacher affected them and made them decide to become teachers. This is not my story. Truth be told, I wasn’t sure what to do with my life for a very long time. As a child, I had this dream of being a published writer, mostly inspired by J.K Rowling. I was an avid reader (I’m jealous of past me). I would write so many different stories of my original characters or fan fiction from different anime series. One time I wrote an original story that went beyond two-hundred pages! I did it all for fun. I was pushed to go to college. My father had gone to college, and my mother tried, but it wasn’t for her. They wanted their children to do better than them, and I can understand that. When I was a junior at Massapequa Senior High School back on Long Island, I spoke with my A.P English Composition teacher, Mr. Merges, about my idea of getting a degree in Creative Writing. He told me to think about that—maybe consider English education instead. We went back and forth slightly about this. I feel that he understood my love of writing but maybe wanted some job security for this poor young woman who had some serious self-esteem issues. There was a point where he told me, “You know you’ll have to get a master’s, right?” and I said, “That’s okay.” He shrugged and said, “Alright then!” After looking more into it, I felt that English education wasn’t for me. However, I found something else that I might like, which was early childhood education. It struck a chord with me. The high school had a relationship with Junior Achievement to do volunteer work in elementary school classrooms in the district, and so I signed up and did that. I also earned high school credit to help me graduate on time (I had moved into the district and was short a credit) by completing a summer internship called Summer STARS, where you volunteer as an assistant at the summer school. I enjoyed working with the preschool students the most, so that sold it for me. Latino Village: If you don’t mind me asking, how much did your education cost? Samantha Didrichsen: In total, my entire education, grants, and scholarships put into it cost me a little less than $100,000 in student loan debt. If I could estimate my cost per degree, I believe that my time at Fredonia cost me somewhere between $25-28,000. From there, however, is where I had to take the big pill for my state-mandated master’s degree. Hofstra was extremely expensive. Getting into a SUNY or a CUNY for your graduate degree is an accomplishment, as they are exceptionally selective because of the limited seats and lower cost in tuition and fees. At that time, I required housing if I were to continue my education in New York, and I didn’t want to teach full-time and get a degree at the same time. While I loved Western New York, Buffalo State was the only one that had the early childhood special education graduate degree that I wanted, but they didn’t offer graduate housing. So, I was forced to look back in the New York City and Long Island areas at their private institutions, as the CUNYs also didn’t offer houses.  Hofstra did, and the graduate program that I graduated from with them was also affiliated with a big federal grant to boost the amount of early childhood special education teachers in the field. Since I needed housing, Hofstra easily put another $80-90,000 into my debt within two years. Latino Village: I rememberr that you had taught in the Bronx, in a

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