Hello Chappaqua Residents! The Council for Race, Equity and Inclusion would like to honor Hispanic (LatinX) Heritage Month in Chappaqua which began back on September 15th by incorporating the many Hispanic voices in the community. As a Dominican, I find that this time of year holds extra meaning as it gives me the opportunity to share aspects of my heritage and life with others that I know and that are interested. In that spirit, we, as a committee, feel that the best way to honor the Hispanic heritage is to ask the Hispanic members of the community to share how they continue to honor the Hispanic Heritage in their households and what Hispanic Heritage Month means to them. We hope to post these stories onto the E-community newsletter throughout the remainder of Hispanic Heritage Month to give others in the community a chance to learn more about Hispanic heritage in a meaningful and local way. You do not have to share your name but of course you are more than welcome to. As an example, I am including what the month means to me and how I try to honor my heritage in my household:
Porfirio Gonzowitz, CREI co-chair: I was raised in a very traditional Dominican household and for me that means knowing the history, all of the good; the importance of family, the recipes, the language, especially the dialect, and making sure I know how to dance to the music (family parties made this a MUST) and the bad; the contentious relationship and history with Haitians and Dominicans of Haitian descent, the colorism that is associated with it, and the current political landscape and its challenges. For me, the month means sharing what I was taught about my culture with my students that I teach daily, my friends, and my family. It means sharing all of that good but also educating others on how to grow from the bad. I try to honor it in my household by playing Merengue and Bachata music in my home every weekend morning, cooking Dominican dishes (rice, kidney beans and steak with seasoning is a big hit!) and teaching my children Spanish (they also attend the classes in town which are amazing!).
Please feel free to share your stories with us at crei@mynewcastle.org and we will give them visibility to the community so that they can share in our joy and learn more about why we hold this month dear.
