Let’s Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month

Each year from September 15 thru October 15, Hispanic Heritage Month serves as an important opportunity to uplift and celebrate the rich heritage of Latinx changemakers (“Latinx” is a gender-inclusive term used in place of the gendered “Latino” or “Latina”).

It’s no secret that we love activism and change. And what we love even more is partnering with organizations equally as committed to equipping a new wave of activists with the opportunities and resources to promote civic engagement and create real, systemic change. Our friends at the Hispanic Access Foundation (HAF) are doing just that. They connect Latinx individuals with partner organizations to help improve lives and create an equitable society. Their mission is simple but impactful: One day, every nation in America will enjoy good physical health, a healthy natural environment, high-quality education, economic success, and civic engagement in their community.

This Hispanic Heritage Month, we teamed up with the Hispanic Access Foundation to highlight some of the incredible work they are doing in the Latinx community and share the story of a young changemaker carving her own path in the world.

Meet Deliannie Martinez, a 22-year-old alum of HAF’s MANO Project. Keep reading to learn how she is serving and strengthening her community, what being a part of the Latinx community means to her, and how she loves to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month each year.

"My favorite thing about being in this [Latinx] community is simply that. It’s a community. There is such a strong sense of unity. There's so much pride in being surrounded by people who you can relate to."

DoSomething: Hi Deliannie! Welcome to DoSomething. Tell us a little bit about yourself.

Deliannie: Hi! My name is Deliannie Martinez, and I am a 22-year-old senior at Rhode Island College working towards a degree in General Science and Biology Secondary Education. My parents are both from Guatemala. I spent this past summer as an Environmental Educator and Community Outreach intern at Providence Parks Urban Wildlife Refuge Partnership in Providence, Rhode Island, through the Hispanic Access Foundation’s MANO project. I also currently do undergraduate research on fish nerves!

DoSomething: We’re excited to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with our members. Why is Hispanic Heritage Month important to you?

Deliannie: As a first-generation, eldest daughter to two Guatemalan immigrants, it's always very reassuring to know that in this very messy world, I am not alone. There are people who look and sound like me, like my parents, and like my community, that are doing things worth mentioning. There is art, food, music, literature, research, and so many other valuable components of our Hispanic culture that are unmeasurably beautiful. Although this pride and celebration should be an everyday occurrence, I am excited to celebrate our culture and heritage during this year’s Hispanic Heritage Month.

DoSomething: What special point of view has Hispanic Heritage Month helped give you?

Deliannie: For Hispanic Heritage Month, I really wanted to highlight Hispanic/Latinix individuals that are involved in conservation efforts or nature-based organizations, on our social media. After spending a couple of hours digging around on the internet, I realized just how hard this task was. I was slightly disappointed to see a lack of attention being brought to all these amazing individuals that I know exist out in the world. I can find websites dedicated to Hispanic/Latinx artists, writers, political activists etc., and though those are individuals who rightfully deserve to be acknowledged, I felt conflicted.

I developed a stronger desire to want to know more about people who look and sound like me that are doing amazing things to help our environment. I wasn’t aware of this until this year’s Hispanic Heritage Month. Like I mentioned before, I KNOW these people exist out there, there just isn't enough attention being given to them. They don't exist within a very public spotlight. You have to be actively looking for them in order to find them, they do not just simply pop up randomly on your news feed. I think they should.

DoSomething: What’s your favorite thing about being part of the Hispanic/Latinx Community?

Deliannie: My favorite thing about being in this community is simply that. It’s a community. There is such a strong sense of unity. There's so much pride in being surrounded by people who you can relate to. Much of my summer was spent connecting with the Hispanic/Latinx community in Rhode Island. It was amazing being able to reach out to families in their native language and knowing deep down inside that there was truth behind every “I’ll see if I can make it”. And many families did. We always made it a point to end our summer events with some sort of meal and it always kind of ended up being an impromptu picnic. As the music played in the background and people of all nationalities gathered together, it felt very wholesome.

DoSomething: What was the biggest lesson you learned during your time at the MANO project?

Deliannie: I have mentioned it several times to so many different people and in so many different forms, but: education is SO much more than what goes on within the walls of a classroom. I was prepared to spend my life teaching Biology in front of a classroom full of students. While this is something that I can possibly end up doing, I learned I cannot limit myself. I need to get out there and meet people who can teach me all the various possibilities that exist. I need to get out there and introduce myself to anyone and everyone that I come across in my particular field of interest. If it weren’t for the MANO project I would have never felt comfortable with even the idea of networking. I would have never been the one to introduce myself at a professional event. I would have limited myself to what I know and what I am comfortable with, and as a result, I might have not reached my full potential. I still haven’t reached my full potential.

DoSomething: Through the MANO Project, you had the opportunity to intern at nature-based organizations. Can you tell us a bit more about your experience?

Deliannie: When I first read the internship description, I thought to myself: “Seriously? This exists and I’m NOT already doing it?” It combined everything I was passionate about with everything I am interested in. I spent my entire summer doing all sorts of amazing things. Throughout the summer, I helped with Providence Parks Urban Wildlife Refuge Partnership Vamos a Pescar series designed to get the Hispanic/Latinx community more involved in fishing. Fishing was something that I grew up doing with my Guatemalan father and knew very well of its cultural importance. Many families come to this country and are hesitant to fish. Or, they never learned how to.

This summer I was able to help give these families a path of stepping stones in which they develop the skills they need for this to be a casual pastime in the future. I also worked with various organizations that already exist in Rhode Island to create programs that target Hispanic/Latinx communities. For this year’s Latino Conservation Week, I partnered with the Woonasquatucket River Watershed Council through a grant funded by Patagonia and HAF to host an event that provided the community with free guided canoeing trips along the Woonasquatucket River. I also got to do some amazing field work like bird banding, goose banding, and piping plover monitoring with USFWS and the Audubon Society of Rhode Island. I assisted in leading elementary field trips to RI’s Ninigret Wildlife Refuge. Really, all this summer has been spent trying to get members of the community to learn more about the nature that exists all around whether it be by teaching them how to fish, or going bug-catching with the city’s recreation centers.

DoSomething: DoSomething is the national hub for youth-centered activism. What other causes are you passionate about, besides environmental justice?

Deliannie: That is probably the biggest cause I am passionate about, especially living in a day and age where we all go on about our days with this “end of the world” fear lurking around in the background of our brains. Besides environmental justice, I’m passionate about mental health advocacy, especially in school. I remember being in high school and wishing I could take mental health days and literally forcing myself out of bed. Within the Hispanic/Latinx community and especially with the older generations, it's a taboo topic. This is still a conversation I find myself having to have with people who don't believe mental illnesses exist.

"I’m passionate about mental health advocacy, especially in school. I remember being in high school and wishing I could take mental health days and literally forcing myself out of bed. Within the Hispanic/Latinx community and especially with the older generations, it's a taboo topic. This is still a conversation I find myself having to have with people who don't believe mental illnesses exist."

DoSomething: Looking ahead, where do you see yourself in 5 or 10 years? What type of difference do you hope to make?

Deliannie: This is a very tough question. Just this past year so many different doors opened up for me. As of right now, I plan to graduate in May with a degree in education and hopefully continue on to graduate school. In 5 years, it's very possible I might be in a Biology classroom of my own. Likewise, it's also possible I might be employed somewhere as an environmental educator. Or, I might be off doing conservation / environmental research either as a career or in pursuit of a PhD. Whatever it is I end up doing, I hope some good comes out of it. As an educator, I have the best possible audience with whom to share my passions with. I hope to ignite interest and curiosity in my students or in anyone I come across. I know not everyone is going to immediately jump into a science career, and honestly, that's not what I hope for. I want people to be curious enough to do a quick internet search and see how they can get involved on the various projects that happen locally.

DoSomething: We always end with this question. What is one piece of advice you’d give our members looking to make a difference?

Deliannie: No matter who you are or where you are from, there are people who will always be there who share your same points of views. I didn’t know I cared about environmental justice until I met people who were actively doing things to make small changes. Change comes in so many forms. For me, educating underserved communities is how I believe I can help. This may be what you want to do, or it might not. Whatever it is you want to do, whatever it is you’re passionate about, find people who can support you. Find people who may already have their toes in the same water you’re about to jump into.

Major props to Deliannie! We’re constantly in awe of young people like Deliannie, and YOU, who are using their passions to make a difference. As we close out Hispanic Heritage Month, we are taking inspiration from the Hispanic Heritage Foundation, the MANO Project, and Deliannie to celebrate everyone’s unique story and continue to advocate for leaders of change.