Posts Tagged: hispanic
Farmers of color share their contributions, concerns in UC SAREP webinar series
When agricultural advisors came to the Cochiti Pueblo in New Mexico during the 1940s, they lined the irrigation ditches with concrete, in the name of boosting efficiency and productivity. But in single-mindedly focusing on water delivery, they neglected to consider how the previously inefficient seepage sustained nearby fruit trees.
Their actions, as well-intentioned as they might have been, disrupted the local ecosystem and killed the trees that had fed many generations, according to A-dae Romero-Briones, who identifies as Cochiti and as a member of the Kiowa Tribe.
“In my language, we call the extension agents ‘the people who kill the fruit trees,'” said Romero-Briones, director of the Food and Agriculture Program for the First Nations Development Institute, a nonprofit that serves Tribal communities across the mainland, Alaska and Hawaii.
The historically tense relationship between Indigenous peoples and government-affiliated programs is one of the many complex dynamics discussed in a six-part webinar series, “Racial Equity in Extension,” facilitated by UC Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program.
Making communities of color in the agricultural sector more visible is a priority for Victor Hernandez, a sociologist and outreach coordinator for the USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service. Hernandez, who has organized “Growing Together” conferences for Latino and Black farmers, is trying to get more farmers of color to participate in the upcoming 2022 Agricultural Census.
“If we cannot quantify the demographic, we cannot justify the need,” emphasized Hernandez, explaining that his office uses the data to direct resources that advance equity in service, program delivery and distribution of funds.
A legacy of mistrust
At the same time, however, Hernandez also acknowledged the challenges in registering growers of color for the census, conducted by the USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service. (According to Brodt, USDA's most recent agricultural census, dating to 2017, counts approximately 25,000 producers of color among 128,535 total producers in California.)
“Many of us that are considered socially disadvantaged or historically underserved…a lot of times our peoples come from [nations with] oppressive governments,” Hernandez said. “And so when you come to the United States and you begin to build your life here, to go and engage with the federal government is not the first knee-jerk reaction.”
On top of government mistrust and fears of deportation or detention, other immigrant groups have seen mainstream agriculture – borne by the “Green Revolution” wave across the globe – replace deep-rooted cultural practices, said Kristyn Leach of Namu Farm in Winters.
“It just makes these small farmers distrust our own knowledge, the knowledge that's existed for centuries – before the kind of current iteration of agriculture that we're situated within right now,” said Leach, who works to preserve the agricultural heritage of her Korean ancestors, and facilitates a farmers' collaborative called Second Generation that adapts Asian crop varieties to climate change.
According to Romero-Briones, a collective memory of supplanted culture also lingers in Indigenous communities. In the Cochiti Pueblo, “primarily a subsistence agriculture community” with a long history of corn cultivation, their practices are distinct from those in the mainstream – including regenerative and sustainable agriculture.
Building relationships takes commitment
Given that legacy of cultural displacement and appropriation, how do extension professionals and other agricultural advisors slowly rebuild trust with communities of color? For Romero-Briones, it begins with a genuine respect for Indigenous practices, and she urges interested people to contact their local tribal historic preservation officer to begin strengthening those connections and understanding – beyond a couple of phone calls.
“As someone who works with Indigenous people all day, even I need to recognize sometimes I have to meet with people up to 12 times before we actually start talking about the work that I initially wanted to talk to them about,” Romero-Briones said.
In a similar vein, Chanowk Yisrael, chief seed starter of Yisrael Family Farms, encouraged listeners to reach out to members of the California Farmer Justice Collaborative – an organization striving for a fair food system while challenging racism and centering farmers of color.
“To use a farm analogy: we've got this ground, which is the farmers of color who have been neglected for a long period of time,” said Yisrael, who has grown his farm in a historically Black neighborhood of Sacramento into a catalyst for social change. “It's not just going to be as simple as just throwing some seeds and things are going to come up; you're going to have to do more – that means you got to get out and do much more than you would do for any other community.”
Investing time in a community is one thing – and backing it up with tangible resources is another. Technical expertise is only the “tip of the iceberg,” Leach said, as historically marginalized groups are also seeking land access and tenure, more affordable cost of living, and access to capital.
“All of those things are actually much bigger burdens to bear for most communities of color than not having the knowledge of how to grow the crops that we want to grow, and not knowing how to be adaptive and nimble in the face of climate change," Leach explained, highlighting California FarmLink as an essential resource. (The “Understanding Disparities in Farmland Ownership” webinar includes a relevant discussion on this subject.)
Bringing diverse voices to the table
Another key is ensuring that farmers and farm workers of color are represented in management and decision-making processes. Samuel Sandoval, a professor in the UC Davis Department of Land, Air and Water Resources and UC Cooperative Extension specialist in water management, develops outreach programs in English and Spanish for everyone from farm workers to the “boss of the boss of the boss.”
“It has to be changed,” he said, “because at the end, the person who is going to operate the irrigation system and turn on or off the valves, the person who is looking if there's a leak or not – that's the person who's not being informed, or has not been informed on purpose.”
That exclusion of certain groups can lead to a loss of invaluable knowledge. Leach said there is a real danger in ignoring the wisdom of communities that have contributed so much to the foundation of food systems in California and around the globe.
“These really kind of amazing, sophisticated and elegant agroecological systems that we don't often legitimize through the scientific language and perspectives aren't seen as being really technically proficient – but, in many ways, they're more dynamic and more resilient than the things that we're perpetuating right now,” she said.
As a concrete example, Sandoval said that while extension advisors and specialists conduct studies to remedy a plant disease, farm workers might be developing – separately and in parallel – their own solutions by asking for advice from their social networks via WhatsApp, a phone application.
A reimagining of collaboration, Sandoval said, would include (and compensate) people working in the field for sharing their perspectives – bringing together academics and farmers, integrated pest management experts and pesticide applicators, irrigation specialists and those who do the irrigation.
A need to look within
Concerns about inclusion and validating alternate sources of knowledge apply also to the recruitment process in extension. Leach said that she has seen listings for advisor jobs that would require, at a minimum, a master's degree – which would automatically disqualify her, despite her extensive knowledge of Asian heirloom vegetables.
“When you look at a job description and you see ‘Asian crop specialist,' only required qualification is a master's degree, and then somewhere down the long list of sort of secondary desired, recommended things is some knowledge of Asian crops or communities…you know that just says a lot in terms of what has weight,” Leach explained.
Before organizations can authentically connect with communities of color, they should prioritize diversity in their own ranks, said Romero-Briones. First Nations Development Institute had to ensure that they had adequate representation across the many Tribes that they serve.
“Before we start looking out, we have to start looking in,” she explained, “and that means we have to hire Indigenous people who know these communities.”
For extension professionals and other members of the agricultural community in California, the UC SAREP webinar series has helped spark that introspection and a meaningful reevaluation of institutional processes and assumptions.
“These discussions have been tremendously illuminating and eye-opening,” Brodt said. “But hearing and learning is just the start – it's incumbent on us, as an organization and as individuals, to take action to ensure that farmers of color and their foodways are truly respected and valued.”
The “Racial Equity in Extension” series is made possible by professional development funds from Western Sustainable Agricultural Research and Education.
/h2>/h2>/h2>/h2>Hispanic Heritage Month: Collaborative Spanish Project Grant Awarded
The majority of resources offered through the UC Master Gardener Program are only available in English, so when an internalUC Agriculture and Natural Resource (UC ANR) grant arose to develop online educational resource materials in other languages it was the perfect opportunity to expand its gardening resources for Spanish speakers. UC ANR and UC ANR-affiliated academics and staff from across the state submitted proposals for review in hopes of getting projects funded and out into their communities.
Extending the UC Master Gardener Programs' reach and impact to non-English speaking audiences is key to achieving the program's mission of reaching all Californians. According to the 2019 census data, the most common non-English language spoken in California is Spanish; 28.8% of the overall population of California are native Spanish speakers. For this reason, building the UC Master Gardener Program's resources in Spanish is a significant priority area.
Award with a twist
While evaluating the proposals, Strategic Initiatives leaders discovered four proposals with similar gardening themes, and after careful consideration granted the award but with a little “twist”. The four proposals would be combined to form one collaborative project. The proposals shared common goals and had overlapping scope, so the Director of the UC Master Gardener Program, Missy Gable, was charged with coordinating a collective effort to develop food gardening resources in Spanish and distribute these new resources through the UC Master Garden Program channels.
Thanks to shared goals a creative team formed, including awardees:
- Dr. Lucy Diekmann, Urban Agriculture and Food Systems Advisor in Santa Clara County
- Mimi Enright, UC Master Gardener Coordinator in County
- Maggie Reiter, former Environmental Horticulture Advisor in Tulare/Kings Counties
- Dr. Yu Meng, Youth Family and Community Advisor in Imperial County
Collaboration and unexpected outcomes
With a spirit of collaboration, the group worked alongside UC Master Gardener volunteers, local community organizations and partners, and UC Communication Services News and Outreach in Spanish staff to create and release a series of food gardening videos in Spanish.
The project also funded a comprehensive vegetable gardening resource that is set to be released in 2022 in both Spanish and English. The teamwork didn't stop here though, YFC Advisor, Dr. Yu Meng initiated the development of a new UC Master Gardener Program in Imperial County so collaboration will continue and expand to meet the needs of residents in our southernmost locations.
Vídeos de jardinería en español (Gardening videos in spanish)
The statewide UC Master Gardener YouTube channel is now hosting a playlist of videos in spanish titled, Vídeos de jardinería en español . These videos are available for individuals or local programs to share on social media, websites, or anywhere the program is reaching the gardening public.
- Cultivando alimentos en su jardín seguramente: Growing food safely in your garden
- Beneficios de tener un jardín de verdure: Benefits of having a vegetable garden
- Fertilidad de la tierra: Mantener su tierra saludable con abono, estiércol, y cultivo de cobertura: Soil fertility: Keeping your soil healthy with compost, manure, and cover crops
- La jardinería en contenedores: Container Gardening
- Clima Desértico: Preparación de su Jardín en el Condado de Imperial: Desert Climate: Preparing Your Garden in Imperial County
- Germinación de Semillas: Cultivos Estacionales y Técnicas de Brotación: Seed Germination: Seasonal Crops and Sprouting Techniques
- El Manejo de Plagas e Insectos en el Jardín : Pest and Insect Management in the Garden
- Primeros Pasos: Diseñando su Jardín : First Steps: Designing Your Garden
Full YouTube playlist link: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLw6OczuNHpWDc1YzCKXqj2PYQnDTl6Hx9
A special thank you to those working in front of and behind the camera and computers to get these videos produced. The videos have already reached thousands of people in communities across California and beyond!
Join us LIVE
UC ANR and the UC Master Gardener Program are joining the celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, Sept. 15 through Oct. 15. Hispanic Heritage Month is celebrated nationally to acknowledge Latinos' contributions and vital presence in the United States. UC ANR has already held several zoom forums and there are three more to come. The below events will be presented in Spanish.
Links to join will be sent to registrants prior to each event. Registration required: https://surveys.ucanr.edu/survey.cfm?surveynumber=35503
- Oct. 6, 1-2:30 PM - Zoom community forum in Spanish
Be better parents, how to make your kid a leader.
Guest speakers: Claudia Diaz – 4-H youth development advisor - Oct. 13, 1-2:30 PM - Zoom community forum in Spanish
How to have a successful vegetable garden
Guest speaker: Master Garden Volunteers from UCCE Contra Costa County - Oct. 15, 1-2:30 PM - Zoom community forum in Spanish
The power of a nutritional meal
Guest speakers: Susana Matias Medrano/Nutritional Science & Toxicology/ UC and CE Berkeley
Sources:
2019 US Census, https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/news/updates/2019.html
Data USA, California. https://datausa.io/profile/geo/california
UC ANR Employee Blog, https://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=29017
Hispanic Heritage Month Happenings
UC Agriculture and Natural Resource (UC ANR) and the UC Master Gardener Program are joining the celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, From Sept. 15 through Oct.15, Hispanic Heritage Month is celebrated nationally to acknowledge Latinos' contributions and vital presence in the United States.
Over the coming weeks UC ANR will hold several zoom forums with topics ranging from how to stop the implicit bias towards Latinos and other ethnic groups, what do we need to know to better understand the Latino community. To the indigenous migrant workers, who are they? What are the most pressing needs? These communities were hit hard by COVID-19.
Registration is required for these events (links provided below), however they are being recorded and posted to the Hispanic Heritage Month 2021 website for those who can't make it.
Hispanic Heritage Month Honorees
We are celebrating three Latino UC ANR professionals in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month. Congratulations to Liliana Vega, Leticia Christian, and Gersain López, each have an informative, short 2 minute video explaining their work and will be part of a forum on Sept. 29. They were chosen for being Latino professionals who serve their communities while always upholding UC ANR's public values of academic excellence, honesty, integrity, and community service. Watch the honorees videos below.
Zoom Forums
All the zoom forums will be from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Wednesdays and moderated by Ricardo Vela, manager of News and Information Outreach in Spanish (NOS).
The below events will be presented in English. Links to join will be sent to registrants prior to each event. Registration Required: https://surveys.ucanr.edu/survey.cfm?surveynumber=35590
- September 15, zoom forum, 1-2:30 PM
One size does not fit all! – Myths, Stereotypes and Discrimination against Latinos.
Guest speaker: Victor Villegas /Oregon State University/Latino advocate.
Testimonies from: Christian Gomez Wong, Beatriz Nobua-Bherman and Bertha Teresa Felix-Simmons. - September 22, zoom forum, 1-2:30 PM
Indigenous Migrant Communities – “The forgotten ones in the age of COVID19”
Guest speakers: Arcenio López/ Exec. Director Mixtec Indígena Organization Project (MICOP) - September 29, zoom forum, 1-2:30 PM
Meet the HHM 2021 Honorees
Guest speakers: Katherine E. Soule /Liliana Vega – 4-H; Tuline N Baycal/Leticia Christian – CalFresh Healthy Living, UC; Jairo Diaz/Gilberto Magallon/Gersain Lopez – Desert Rec.
The below events will be presented in Spanish. Links to join will be sent to registrants prior to each event. Registration Required: https://surveys.ucanr.edu/survey.cfm?surveynumber=35503
- October 6 zoom community forum in Spanish, 1-2:30 PM
Be better parents, how to make your kid a leader.
Guest speakers: Claudia Diaz – 4-H youth development advisor. - October 13 zoom community forum in Spanish, 1-2:30 PM
How to have a successful vegetable garden
Guest speaker: Master Garden Volunteers from Contra Costa County UCCE. - October 15 zoom community forum in Spanish, 1-2:30 PM
The power of a nutritional meal
Guest speakers: Susana Matias Medrano/Nutritional Science & Toxicology/ UC and CE Berkeley
Registration and Website Links
Please help us make this year's celebration a success, spread the word about the events.
Those interested in attending the September forums should register here.
For the Spanish community forums, please register here.
For more information, Zoom backgrounds and phone wallpapers
- Hispanic Heritage Month 2021 (Main page) http://ucanr.edu/hhm-2021
- Hispanic Heritage Month 2021 (Recursos, Resources) http://ucanr.edu/hhm-2021-recursos_resources
- Hispanic Heritage Month 2021 (Recetas) http://ucanr.edu/hhm-2021-recetas
- UC ANR Honorees Page https://tinyurl.com/ycpcdufh
Questions, Contact:
Ricardo Vela, rvela@ucanr.edu, (951) 660-9887
Why we celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month
Hispanic Heritage Month begins on September 15 and continues until October 15. The purpose of the celebration is to recognize the contributions and vital presence of Hispanics and Latin Americans in the United States.
President Lyndon Johnson first approved Hispanic Heritage Week in 1968 and expanded to a full month by President Ronald Reagan in 1988. Finally, Hispanic Heritage Month was officially enacted as a law on August 17, 1988.
Why is Hispanic Heritage Month held from mid-September to mid-October? It was chosen in this way to reserve two significant dates for Spanish-speaking countries. On the one hand, Independence Day is celebrated in countries such as Mexico, Chile, and five Central American nations (Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, El Salvador, and Costa Rica).
Also, Columbus Day or Día de la Raza was commemorated, a date celebrated more by Italian-Americans than Spanish-speaking immigrants.
Hispanics and Latinos in the United States are getting stronger every day; it is undeniable. But they are more recognized for their culinary richness and the attractiveness of their rhythms, such as Mariachi, salsa, cumbia, mambo, and merengue, than for their essential contributions the professional level. Although, at the national level, there are all kinds of professionals who, with their work, have contributed to the cultural, social, and economic wealth of this country.
Hispanics who have helped improve our lives range from an astronaut to a winner of the Nobel Prize in Physics.
Luis Walter Alvarez, born in Mexico and naturalized American, was an experimental physicist, inventor, and professor who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1968.
Franklin Ramón Chang Díaz is a Costa Rican mechanical engineer, naturalized American, physicist, and former NASA astronaut.
Ellen O. Ochoa is an engineer born in Los Angeles, CA, to Mexican parents, who became the first Hispanic woman to travel to space and was a former director of the Johnson Space Center.
Did you know that, according to the Census Bureau, there are 60 million Hispanics in the country? And that more than half live in three states: California, Texas and Florida? Two-thirds of Hispanics in the United States have their origins in Mexico, followed by Puerto Rico (9.5%) San Salvador (3.8%), and Cuba (3.6%). The rest come from the twelve countries where Spanish is the official language.
According to the Census Bureau, college enrollment has increased over the past decade, and 49% of Hispanic high school graduates enrolled in a university. The U.S. Department of Education recognizes six University of California campuses as institutions serving Hispanic students, including UC Irvine, while UC Merced is one of the universities in the country with the highest percentage of Hispanic students.
UC Agriculture and Natural Resources joins the celebration
This year UC ANR the celebration by recognizing three Latino professionals who serve their communities while always upholding UC ANR's public values of academic excellence, honesty, integrity, and community service.
Claudia Diaz - 4-H youth development advisor for Riverside and San Bernardino counties. Claudia has received numerous awards and recognitions for her work with underprivileged youths in urban areas. She has been with UC ANR for five years.
Sonia Ríos - Subtropical horticulture advisor for Riverside and San Diego counties. Since an early age, Sonia knew her future was in agriculture, her grandfather and her father worked in agriculture and taught her the love for nature and the fields. She has been with UC ANR for almost nine years.
Javier Miramontes - Nutrition program supervisor for Fresno County. Javier enjoys the opportunity his work gives him to serve the community where he grew up. He finds it very rewarding to teach parents, senior citizens, and Highschool students about the importance of a healthy diet and how to create a sustainable environment. He has been with UCANR for over five years.
UC ANR COVID-19 Update: Safety standards updated with new requirements; Hispanic Heritage Month; Town Hall 9/17
UC ANR COVID-19 safety standards updated with new requirements
To ensure that UC ANR's safety standards conform with UC guidance and with the State's guidance for Institutes of Higher Education, the Emergency Response Team (ERT) has prepared the Modified Stage 2 Safety Standards, Addendum #2. The addendum must be attached to each location's site and program-specific safety plan and the updated information must be shared with the employees and volunteers working at your location.
Some of the new information of note that is included in this addendum:
- New stricter guidance regarding face coverings/masks
- Face coverings/masks are required when: a) interacting in-person with any member of the public; b) working in any space visited by members of the public, regardless of whether anyone from the public is present at the time; c) working in any space where food is prepared or packaged; d) working in or walking through common areas, such as hallways, stairways, elevators, etc.
- Face coverings may be removed when working in a private office or workspace that is inaccessible to the public.
- No indoor meetings (for Counties on State Monitoring List or experiencing widespread disease transmission)
- Enhanced investigation and follow-up protocols on COVID positive employees now required
- Monthly review/update of Location Safety Plans now required
- Discontinue use of drinking fountains – water bottle refill stations may still be used
- Ensure implementation of distancing/access controls – such as signage to mark 6' distances in any waiting areas or barriers to control access at reception desks, etc.
- All visitors must now complete symptom screening when coming onsite
We continue to monitor changes in the state's guidance and will adapt UC ANR's safety standards as necessary.
Hispanic Heritage Month
Register now for ANR's upcoming events to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, Sept. 15-Oct. 15. News and Information Outreach in Spanish is hosting four virtual events to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month (HHM) which recognizes Hispanics' contributions and vital presence in the United States. All events will be held in English. Learn more about Hispanic Heritage Month.
Events will be on Fridays from 3:00-4:30 PM on the following dates:
Sept. 18: Discussion and Documentary: The Mexican American Deportation
Sept. 25: Meet the HHM 2020 ANR Honorees: Claudia Diaz, Sonia Ríos, Javier Miramontes
Oct. 2: Discussion and Documentary: The Chicano Moratorium and the Zoot Suit Riots
Oct. 9: COVID-19 and Hispanics
Find out more about the events here. Contacts for further information: Ricardo Vela, ANR News & Information Outreach or ANR Program Support Unit, 530-750-1361.
Sept. 17 Town Hall
Mark your calendars for the UC ANR Town Hall focusing on Hispanic Heritage Month on Thursday, Sept. 17 from 1:30-2:30 PM. Login info and past recordings are located at https://ucanr.edu/sites/anrstaff/All_Hands/.
Zoom Info
https://ucanr.zoom.us/j/99952515909?pwd=ZEpBSm5jYkFmVTQ1VUxPUWpHR0h5UT09; Password: 559926; Webinar ID: 999 5251 5909
By telephone: US +1 669-900-6833 or +1 253-215-8782 or +1 346-248-7799 or +1 301-715-8592 or +1 312-626-6799 or +1 646-558-8656
International numbers available: https://ucanr.zoom.us/u/aep8C9Dy84
Celebration Corner
Summer 2020 presented an opportunity to re-imagine activities for 4-H programs throughout California. With in-person events and overnight camps cancelled, 4-H staff and volunteers forged ahead to plan engaging virtual camp experiences. Two examples of their success were the “Our Wild California” and “4-H Grown at Home” virtual summer camps. Each week-long camp engaged more than 100 youth in online learning about anything from fire science to Zentangle. Another success was the 4-H Virtual Code Camp presented by the California 4-H Computer Science Team; more than 60 students learned from teen-led coding activities for varying skill levels. Additionally, more than 70 Latinx youth participated in the first virtual version of the annual California Juntos Academy that included sessions on career exploration and navigating higher education.
Glenda Humiston
Vice President