Raising Voices, Raising Awareness, Raising Power-A Katrina Perspective
Last Friday, August 20th, 2010, marked a significant historical moment that only the few hundred participants in attendance recognized and appreciated. For the first time in, well, decades, if not more than a century, New Orleans hosted a Latino-centered social justice conference that dedicated an entire day to voices seldom showcased together. Arts and health, language access and worker justice, wage issues and immigration, and so much more, were front and center during the Raising Voices, Raising Awareness, Raising Power conference that Puentes hosted.
Thanks in large part to support from our sponsors, Oxfam America, Catholic Charities, the Louisiana Disaster Recovery Foundation, and the many organizations that pitched in, the conference was a success, with more than 200 people registering, and over 170 in attendance. It was Puentes’ first-ever attempt at such a conference, and we feared that our lack of experience might result in a poor outcome. The opposite was the case. We had two panels running concurrently throughout the entire day, offering eight different panel presentations before and after lunch. Our audience was diverse and multi-lingual. The panelists were engaging, informative, and truthful. For the many who had never heard of the business owners who presented, or the artists who expressed themselves, or the workers who spoke from their heart and their experiences, this conference did what it was set out to do–it raised voices and raised awareness.
As a member of the Latino community, and as an immigrant who has been here so long that I dream in Saints colors, I would have never imagined such a conference possible in the past. Our community was so quiet before Katrina. I know from first-hand experience. I was part of the quiet many who did what most Latinos were doing in this community. I laid low. That is, I did the best I could in a community that sometimes accepted me and sometimes didn’t, that sometimes could help and sometimes couldn’t. Regardless of the time, situation or place, I did recognize, however, that while I lived in the community, I wasn’t fully considered a member of the community. This is where raising power enters the picture.
Power, contrary to popular belief, is not a dirty word. It is a fact of life. There is power in every private and public relationship on this planet. A mother holds power over her children. An older sibling might hold power over a younger sibling. A lover holds power over another. A teacher holds power over her students. A CEO holds power over his subordinates, and a politician holds power over the community. But you see, in each of these examples, power is a two-way street that is as much earned (or taken) as it is given (whether freely or by force). This two-way street enables both parties in a power dynamic, be they individuals or large communities, to negotiate and come to solutions that meet the needs of both parties. But if one party is significantly less powerful, then fair and equitable negotiations (on any issue) don’t take place, and when this happens, real tangible outcomes suffer. For example, English as a Second Language services in public schools for K-12 and for adult learners suffers when the community who needs these services has no voice, no recognition and no power.
So yes, raising power for the Latino community is a very desirable goal. We are part of the general community and deserve to take a rightful place at decision-making tables so that we can express our concerns. Prior to Katrina, our quiet, yet significant community, had little broad voice, and certainly experienced no sense of power in any significant way across the region. Today, this is changing, and the Raising Voices, Raising Awarness, Raising Power conference demonstrated as such. As we move into the future, it would be fruitful to consider how our voice, our increased presence, and our growing power could serve to help in the overall improvement of our general community. I personally hope for a New Orleans area that is significantly more populated, less blighted, and incredibly rich in its ethnic and national diversity across all neighborhoods. Rather than falling into antagonisms and fighting each other, maybe we should look at how we enrich each other by having neighbors who come from a different world, speak a different language, and perhaps have fresh perspectives to offer.
Tags: immigration, latinola, latinos, lucas diaz, new orleans, puentes, raising awareness, raising power