Our American dream should unite, not divide us

I was born in 1960s New Orleans, at Southern Baptist Hospital, to Honduran immigrants. My father left us when I was 4 years old, but my mother instilled in us a strong work ethic, a belief system and lots of love. Most of the values my mother taught us are the same that sustain our great country: sacrifice, faith, hard work, dedication to family and the will to persevere in the face of adversity. My mother, Yvonne Fajardo, also is a dynamite cook. I can still savor the arroz con pollo, frioles negros con queso wrapped in tortillas caliente from my youth. It was rico!

Growing up, we literally spoke Span-glish at home—half the sentences in Spanish, half in English. My mother knew that in school, on the playground and on the streets we spoke English, so she was adamant that we speak Spanish at the house. She wanted her kids to be bilingual. Even though I didn’t like it at the time, I’m so glad she forced us because I now understand what a gift and asset she armed us with in being able to speak two languages.

Even before Katrina our Hispanic population was on the rise in Louisiana. And since the storm it is pretty clear Hispanics have done lots of the heavy lifting in the rebuilding process. Our community is now home to more Hispanics than ever. But what does that mean?

The U.S. government came up with the term “Hispanic” in the 1970s as a way to refer generally to people who can trace their origin to Spanish-speaking countries. The term “Latino” means having origins in Latin America, which includes non-Spanish speaking like Brazil, where Portugese is spoken. “Hispanic” and “Latino” are often used interchangeably, a point of contention in some communities.

When some Baton Rougeans hear “immigrant” or “Hispanic,” they react with prejudice. Maybe they think about newcomers taking our jobs and enjoying our freedom.

What we Americans take for granted in this country has been snapped up by new immigrants ever since this country was founded. They toil at jobs most of us are no longer willing to do, they live in cramped and uncomfortable conditions, and they’re ecstatic to receive paltry wages because for them it’s a step up, a step in the right direction.

In the past, the South has been known for its prejudice streak, and it threatens to hold back our state even now. Our growing Latino community remains largely unto itself, in many cases isolated, while in larger, more progressive cities Latino culture is woven into the city’s daily life.

Ask yourself this: When you see that Latino mom struggling to shop for groceries with a few small children in tow, how do you respond? Do you silently ask, “What are they doing here?” Do you wonder if your taxes paid for their food? Have you ever asked yourself what kind of harrowing journey that family took just to get here? Did your own ancestors make such a journey? If so, how were they treated when they first arrived?

The fact is that, like it or not, many more Hispanic people are choosing to call the Baton Rouge area home. It’s time that we as a community acknowledge and get to know our neighbors. You can start by reading this month’s cover story, “Latin Rouge,” and learn why they come, and what others have found.

You’ll get to know Jairo Alvarez, who left behind harrowing circumstances in Colombia, started at the bottom of the bottom in the United States and built a succesful company and career, chronicling the story in his authobiography, No Such Thing as Impossible. You’ll meet the Flores family, which left Guatemala so their children would receive a better education, and now their daughter is poised to become the first in the family to attend college. And you’ll learn about the changes Dr. Ronaldo Funes has seen in our Latino community the past 37 years.

I’m an American who happens to have Hispanic parents, and I’m proud of it. We can assert all sorts of meaningless distinctions based on the pigmentation of our skin or our names, but everyone knows we’re all simply human beings. No matter where we come from, we all face challenges every day, and we’re all just doing what makes America great: pursuing life, liberty and happiness.

Hot enough for you?

It’s time again for the Big Read, Baton Rouge’s second-annual communitywide program designed to get everyone on the same page. This time Baton Rougeans will be reading Fahreneheit 451, author Ray Bradbury’s 1953 sci-fi classic in which books are restricted and critical thought is suppressed. It touches on some timely themes such intellectual freedom, censorship, government control and the role of the media, and is sure to spark lively conversation and debates. Pick up a copy of the book and a free reader’s guide at any public library throughout the nine-parish Greater Baton Rouge area.

You can also catch the film Fahrenheit 451 at a family film screening at 2 p.m. Feb. 9 at BREC’s Independence Park Theatre, which will be followed by a panel discussion moderated by Louisiana Public Broadcasting’s Beth Courtney.

The Baton Rouge Area Chamber and East Baton Rouge Parish Library are sponsoring the program.

Visit ebr.lib.la.us to learn more about Bradbury’s classic and the One Book/One Community program.

Reach Julio Melara at [email protected].