Vote, get informed and stay up to date in Spanish, Rain Language, Purépecha and Mixteco Bajo and English!
Always seeking to inform our communities, it is a pleasure to share with you a video that we have created to inform, motivate and provide easy access to the information offered by the King County Elections Department. We invite your family, friends, and any members of your community who you think would benefit from this information.
¡Vote, infórmese y manténgase al tanto en español, Language de la lluvia, purépecha, mixteco bajo e inglés!
Siempre en busca de informar a nuestras comunidades, es un placer compartir con ustedes un video que hemos creado para informar, motivar y brindar un acceso fácil a la información que ofrece el Departamento de Elecciones del Condado de King . Nos encantaría invitar a familiares, amigos y cualquier miembro de su comunidad que consideren que se beneficiarían de esta información.
Feliz Día Internacional de la Mujer! Hoy celebramos los notables logros y el progreso que han conseguido las mujeres en todo el mundo; y honramos la fuerza, la resiliencia y el coraje de todas las mujeres, en particular de aquellas que han enfrentado barreras sistémicas y discriminación.
Como organización latina sin fines de lucro, reconocemos los desafíos únicos que enfrentan las mujeres en nuestras comunidades, incluida la violencia de género, la desigualdad económica, el acceso limitado a la educación y a la atención médica. Sin embargo, también vemos el increíble potencial y poder que poseen las mujeres para crear un cambio positivo y guiar a nuestras comunidades hacia un futuro más brillante.
Estamos comprometidos a apoyar y animar a las mujeres en nuestras comunidades latinas, ya sea a través de nuestros programas educativos, iniciativas de atención médica o defensa del trabajo.
En este Día Internacional de la Mujer, alentamos a todos a unirse a nosotros para celebrar las increíbles contribuciones que las mujeres han hecho y continúan haciendo en todo el mundo. Comprometámonos también a promover la igualdad de género y empoderar a las mujeres en nuestras propias comunidades y más allá.
Juntos, podemos crear un mundo donde todas las mujeres sean valoradas, respetadas y capaces de alcanzar su máximo potencial.
Happy International Women’s Day! Today, we celebrate the remarkable achievements and progress that women have made around the world, and we honor the strength, resilience, and courage of all women, particularly those who have faced systemic barriers and discrimination.
As a Latino non-profit organization, we recognize the unique challenges that women in our communities face, including gender-based violence, economic inequality, and limited access to education and healthcare. However, we also see the incredible potential and power that women possess to create positive change and lead our communities towards a brighter future.
We are committed to supporting and uplifting women in our Latino communities, whether through our educational programs, healthcare initiatives, or advocacy work.
On this International Women’s Day, we encourage everyone to join us in celebrating the incredible contributions that women have made and continue to make around the world.
Let us also commit ourselves to advancing gender equality and empowering women in our own communities and beyond. Together, we can create a world where all women are valued, respected, and able to reach their full potential.
In many Latin countries the generosity of the season and gifts to children is celebrated in many Hispanic and Latin countries as The Kings Day on January 6th. Our Aprendamos Juntos, Play & Learn, and Leadership Academy programs celebrated this traditional day on the 4th of January of this year. We want to thank Remitly and community members for becoming ‘Kings’ by sharing gifts with our Niños. Not only did the children have a chance to learn about our Three Kings Day tradition, they also got to enjoy the traditional Mexican Rosca de Reyes con chocolate, representative of the crown of one of the kings paired with “Xocolatl”, our Mesoamerican Cacao heritage. According to some traditions, whoever ends up eating the piece of bread that contains a small doll hidden in the pastry or sometimes an uncooked bean or a nut, will have to make Tamales for the same group on Feb 2nd, Candlemas Day. This year one of the students said he will bring Pupusas instead. Niños and adults had a wonderful time.
Español
En muchos países latinos la generosidad de la temporada y los regalos a los niños se celebra de manera diferente en muchos países hispanos y latinos como el Día de Reyes el 6 de enero. Nuestros programas Aprendamos Juntos, Play & Learn y Leadership Academy celebraron este día tradicional el día 4 de enero. Nos gustaría agradecer a Remitly y miembros de la comunidad por convertirse en ‘Reyes’ compartiendo regalos a nuestros Niños. Los niños no solo tuvieron la oportunidad de aprender sobre nuestra tradición del Día de los Reyes Magos y disfrutamos de la tradicional Rosca de Reyes con “Xocolatl” nuestra herencia mesoamericana. Según algunas tradiciones, quien termine comiendo el trozo de pan que contiene un muñequito, generalmente, escondido en la masa o, a veces, un frijol crudo o una almendra, tendrá que hacer tamales para el mismo grupo el 2 de febrero, día de la Candelaria. Este año el estudiante que le tocó muñeco dijo que traerá Pupusas a cambio. Niños y adultos se lo pasaron de maravilla.
Thanks to you, this year’s Progreso Para Los Niños Gala was a success! We would like to take this moment to thank you for your participation and continued support of Para Los Niños.
Together, we raised $67,846 to support our programs and services. Your generosity and involvement make it possible for us to continue assisting over 1700 Latino households with food assistance, COVID-19 information and vaccines, rental assistance, school, sports, and art supplies, and cultural educational activities through our seven different programs.
Our team works hard to support and bring awareness to empower Latino immigrant kids and their families through education, parent leadership development, and cultural heritage preservation. Thank you for your support to sustain our vibrant community.
In the last year alone we assisted over 1700 Latino households with food assistance, COVID-19 information and vaccines, rental assistance, school, sports, and art supplies, and cultural educational activities through our seven different programs. Ever since 2003, our team has been raising money to help this grassroots community organization founded by members of the community it serves—the growing immigrant, Spanish-speaking population in South King County.
What if we all came together to support this Mission? We can!
Giving Tuesday is an international campaign that is always the first Tuesday after Thanksgiving. This year it’s November 29, 2022. – and Para Los Niños is participating. We’re humbly asking for your support. Will you help us?
Your support is essential and very much appreciated.
Thanks to you, this year’s Progreso Para Los Niños Gala was a success! We would like to take this moment to thank you for your participation and continued support of Para Los Niños.
Together, we raised $67,846 to support our programs and services. Your generosity and involvement make it possible for us to continue assisting over 1700 Latino households with food assistance, COVID-19 information and vaccines, rental assistance, school, sports, and art supplies, and cultural educational activities through our seven different programs.
If you did not have a chance to donate yet, there is still time.
After two years of running a virtual event, we are excited to announce that Progreso, our annual fundraiser, will be back in person this year!
Celebrate in person with us at Club Sur on Saturday, November 5, 2022, starting at 4:30 PM with special live music from 5:00 pm to 6:00 pm by Sin Fronteras folklore. The Keynote speaker this year is new Highline Public Schools Superintendent, Dr. Ivan Duran.
Come enjoy tasty local food and drink and delight in live music all while supporting our mission and vision of fostering academic success for every Latino student through parent and community involvement. This is one party you won’t want to miss!
With your support, we are confident we can create that same sense of community that has inspired and engaged people from all over Washington.
Did you hear the big news? Our annual Gala, is back in person this year! This year, our theme is “Progreso.”
Mark your calendars for Saturday, November 5th at Club Sur. Come enjoy tasty local food and drink and delight in live music all while supporting our mission and vision of fostering academic success for every Latino student through parent and community involvement. This is one party you won’t want to miss.
We’re so excited to announce our keynote speaker for the evening—Dr. Ivan Duran! Ivan has served over 30 years in public education, most recently as the Chief of Acceleration and Recovery for the Renton School District. He previously served as superintendent for the Bellevue School District. As superintendent, Dr. Duran led with a focus on racial equity and inclusion, creating systems to support academic, social-emotional, and behavior development for all students.
Fondo 1: El Fondo de Asistencia del Condado de King está aquí para ayudar a los residentes inmigrantes del Condado de King que no son elegibles para el dinero del estímulo federal y los beneficios de desempleo. ¡Los solicitantes aprobados pueden recibir $1,000!
Fondo 2: El programa de Apoyo a las Tarifas de Inmigración del Condado de King está aquí para ayudar a los inmigrantes del Condado de King a pagar las tarifas asociadas con el proceso de inmigración.
Los solicitantes aprobados pueden recibir hasta $3,000 por individuo y hasta $6,000 por hogar, según las tarifas incurridas o previstas para el año 2022.
We want to celebrate the King County Adult Dental Program (KCADP) and expand our appreciation for the successful partnership and collaboration between Public Health – Seattle & King County and our grassroots community-based organization, we share a common goal to support the community. We are a great team!
Early learning, High Schoolers, Youth Programing Club, Aprendamos Juntos, and Adult Computer Lab
High Schoolers Graduates
Lia Muñoz is pictured here after graduating from Evergreen High School. She was an active volunteer in our program Aprendamos Juntos. Her help was and continues to be much appreciated.
Andrea Croasdaile was a part of our Latinx Youth Program. She actively attended our events and got frequent help from our youth organizers. She is pictured here graduating from Puget Sound High School. Monica and Christian are long time program participants. Congratulations to all!
Aprendamos Juntos Program
Aprendamos Juntos Program is a multigenerational After School program. Adults from the English classes and children 6 months to 8th grade graduated. We love to celebrate life milestones!
One after another the families arrived, hurrying to the buffet table to set down their offerings: empanadas, pupusas, chicken tinga, choco flan, and fanciful jello molds. For many, La Clausura – the closing ceremony – of the Aprendamos Juntos family learning program felt like a return to normalcy.
After two years of remote learning, job loss, quarantine, and anxiety, families could finally celebrate face-to-face, share food, and enjoy the creative performances of their children and dedicated teachers. Dressed in traditional clothing from the diferent states from Mexico, one classroom offered a tightly choreographed dance.
Another drew a round of boisterous applause as their paper maché volcanoes erupted in colorful smoke. But for many, the puppet show where colorful animal cutouts danced across the stage as participants sang a spirited Mexican children’s song stole the show.
Youth Programming Club
Pictured here are students graduating from our Programming Club. They were spoken to and inspired by software engineers, Janeth and Filiberto.
Early Learning Graduation
Early Learning is our program for children 3 to 5 year olds. Where parents and children meet to positively emphasize interpersonal relationships through play. We also collaborated with Zeno to introduce early learning in math through fun exercises with games.
Adults Computer Lab
This Learning Lab for parents was created with the aim to gain technology skills and reduce the barriers to technology access. Families are gaining skills to become comfortable and competent in navigating school programs, checking email, applying for jobs, doing basic research, and assisting children with homework assignments.
Onn May 3-4, thousands of people are going to show their support for their favorite Washington nonprofits during GiveBIG. On that day, your donation will help us achieve our mission to foster academic success for every Latino student through parent and community involvement.
From birth and beyond, PLN supports and empowers the entire Latino family through early learning, literacy and academic skills development, summer enrichment, and social justice parent leadership programs. Show your support for our organization and mission, by telling your friends and colleagues about why you support us.
“PLN helps me to be involved as a leader in my community to prove that the Latin community does count and deserves a place in this country. The biggest challenge I have ever had to overcome has been the fear to the culture and the language, and to a certain point fear of discrimination for being a Latin woman.” – Martha Vasquez, PLN Leader
We need your help with these three things:
● Mark May 3-4 on your calendar or donate now!
● Follow us on Facebook (@Para_Los_Niños) and Instagram (@plnhwa) to help build our momentum by telling all your friends and family why you support our organization through #GiveBIG.
● Spread the word! Forward this to your family and friends along with a personal note as to why you believe in our work, and why they should give on May 3-4. We can’t wait to celebrate the difference your generosity will make when you GiveBIG on May 3-4! Para Los Niños Staff.
Want to donate now?
Even a small donation would help us reach our goal. Your #donation will help us to provide basic needs support, financial and food assistance, accessible learning opportunities, and resources to support the health, mental health, and well being of the Latino immigrant community when you #GiveBIG TODAY.
While Black History Month is celebrated officially throughout February, it should be an every-day effort to uplift Black voices and celebrate Black stories. It’s also important to acknowledge that both the United States and Latin America have a history of overlooking the achievements of Black folks.
We typically associate Black History Month with African-Americans. Since this is commonly the case, what does Black History have to do with the Latinx community? There is a tendency to view “black” and “Latinx” as separate entities, as if they have nothing to do with each other. However, there are significant populations of Latinxs throughout the countries of Latin America who are of African descent. These African- descended Latinxs are commonly referred to or self-identify, primarily in the U.S., as “Afro-Latinxs”.
With that said, what do African-Americans and Afro-Latinxs have in common? We are black! Yet there is not nearly enough mention of the Afro-Latinx experience in the U.S. during this commemorative month. Looking back into our history, African-Americans and Afro-Latinxs share a common lineage. The conversation about the history of the transatlantic slave trade and the experience of enslaved people is typically focused on those who came to the U.S., especially in the South. However, only approximately 400,000 out of the 10.7 million of enslaved Africans who survived the Middle Passage came to the U.S. over the course of the transatlantic slave trade. Thus, the majority of the Africans who survived the voyage to the Americas arrived in the Caribbean and Latin America.
The Africans who arrived in the U.S. and Latin America left a significant impact on the African-American, Afro-Latinx, and broader communities. Their descendants continue to preserve, shape and maintain the influence left behind by their ancestors. From the music to the food, from literature and the arts to religion, there is a notable African presence that exists in both cultures.
In Celebration of Black History Month and in honor of the Black experience, we have highlighted a few links to articles and videos featuring people who have made notable contributions here in the United States and abroad in the fields of medicine, politics, music, and more!
One Nación: Afro-Latinos – In recognition of the estimated 1.5 Million Afro Latinos in the U.S., ESPN produced this feature discussing the Afro Latino experience.
Featured Afro Latinx author with Strong Afro Latinx Characters in their books:
Elizabeth Acevedo, author of:
The Poet X – Winner of the National Book Award for Young People’s Literature, the Michael L. Printz Award, and the Pura Belpré Award!
Clap When You Land – A novel-in-verse that brims with grief and love, Elizabeth Acevedo writes about the devastation of loss, the difficulty of forgiveness, and the bittersweet bonds that shape our lives.
With Fire on High – A novel in prose about a girl with talent, pride, and a drive to feed the soul that keeps her fire burning bright.
ESPAÑOL
Mes de la Historia Afroamericana 2022
Si bien el Mes de la Historia Afro-Americana se celebra oficialmente en febrero, debería ser un esfuerzo diario para elevar las voces negras y celebrar las historias Afroamericanas. También es importante reconocer que tanto los Estados Unidos como América Latina historicamente han dejado pasar por alto los logros de las comunidades negras.
Por lo general, asociamos el Mes de la Historia de las comunidades negras con los afroamericanos. Dado que este suele ser el caso, ¿qué tiene que ver Black History con la comunidad Latinx? Existe una tendencia a ver comunidad “negra” y “latinx” como entidades separadas, como si no tuvieran nada que ver entre sí. Sin embargo, hay poblaciones significativas de Latinxs en todos los países de América Latina que son descendientes de africanos. Estas comunidades latinas descendientes de africanos se denominan comúnmente o se identifican a sí mismos, principalmente en los EE. UU., como “Afro-Latino”.
Dicho esto, ¿Qué tienen en común los afroamericanos y los afro-latinos? ¡Somos comunidades de raza negra! Sin embargo, no se menciona lo suficiente la experiencia afro-latina en los EEUU Durante este mes conmemorativo. Mirando hacia atrás en nuestra historia, los afroamericanos y los afro-latinos comparten un linaje común. La conversación sobre la historia del comercio transatlántico de esclavos y la experiencia de las personas esclavizadas generalmente se enfoca en aquellos que llegaron a los EEUU., especialmente en el Sur. Sin embargo, solo aproximadamente 400.000 de los 10,7 millones de africanos esclavizados que sobrevivieron al Middle Passage llegaron a los EEUU durante el transcurso de la trata transatlántica de esclavos. Así, la mayoría de los africanos que sobrevivieron al viaje a las Américas llegaron al Caribe y América Latina.
Los africanos que llegaron a los EEUU y América Latina dejaron un impacto significativo en las comunidades afroamericanas, afro-latinas sumamente enriquecedoras. Sus descendientes continúan preservando, dando forma y manteniendo la influencia dejada por sus antepasados. Desde la música hasta la comida, desde la literatura y las artes hasta la religión, hay una notable presencia africana que existe en ambas culturas.
¡En celebración del Mes de la Historia Afro-Americana, hemos destacado algunos enlaces a artículos y videos de personas que han hecho contribuciones notables aquí en los Estados Unidos y en el extranjero en los campos de la medicina, la política, la música y más!
One Nación: Afro-Latinos – In recognition of the estimated 1.5 Million Afro Latinos in the U.S., ESPN produced this feature discussing the Afro Latino experience.
Destacado autor Afro-Latinx con personajes Afro-Latinx en sus libros:
Elizabeth Acevedo, autor de:
The Poet X – Winner of the National Book Award for Young People’s Literature, the Michael L. Printz Award, and the Pura Belpré Award!
Clap When You Land – A novel-in-verse that brims with grief and love, Elizabeth Acevedo writes about the devastation of loss, the difficulty of forgiveness, and the bittersweet bonds that shape our lives.
With Fire on High – A novel in prose about a girl with talent, pride, and a drive to feed the soul that keeps her fire burning bright.
We are celebrating! Our Aprendamos Juntos program has a new partnership with Glacier Middle School. We thank the principal, Vicki Fisher, and Highline Public Schools for allowing us to have our program on their premises.
The Aprendamos Juntos program integrates the simultaneous learning of children and parents to drive academic success, children’s emotional development, and support parenting. This program consists of two weekly sessions during the school year, where participants are divided into six groups: early age, pre-kindergarten, elementary and middle school children and parents in English classes of level one and two, with teachers from Highline College, an institution that has supported us for more than 18 years with teachers specialized in learning the English language.
¡Estamos celebrando! Nuestro programa Aprendamos Juntos tiene una nueva asociación con Glacier Middle School. Agradecemos a su directora, Vicki Fisher, y a las Escuelas Públicas de Highline por permitirnos tener nuestro programa en sus instalaciones.
El programa deAprendamos Juntosintegra el aprendizaje simultáneo de niños y padres para impulsar el éxito académico, el desarrollo emocional de los niños y apoyar la crianza de los hijos. Este programa consta de dos sesiones semanales durante el año escolar, donde se divide a los participantes en seis grupos: edad temprana, pre-kindergarten, niños de primaria, secundaria y padres de familia en las clases de inglés de nivel uno y dos, con maestros del Highline College, institución que nos apoya desde hace más de 18 años con maestros especializados para el aprendizaje del idioma inglés.
Agradecemos a Hilltop Elementary School y su principal, Corbin Busby, por el tiempo en que estuvimos utilizando sus facilidades para nuestro programa.
“(I appreciated) the knowledge we acquired about culture and personality – since this will help me perform my job as a promotora in the organization and my community.” – Participant in Para Los Niños’ pilot Promotoras de Salud cohort
When parent leaders at Para Los Niños recommended that we start a Promotoras de Salud (community health outreach worker) project to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, we were all in. We had already been sponsoring vaccine clinics and resource tables, but we needed the capacity to reach deeper into our community to counter the misinformation about the virus and the vaccine. From August to November, 2021, six Latina PLN members (including three Leadership Academy graduates), participated in 20 hours of training to reach deep into the South King County Latino community with COVID-19 prevention resources, accurate vaccine information, and more.
Adult English Class Writing Project: Our Cultural Traditions and Family Memories In the introduction to the bilingual children’s book, Family Pictures, writer Sandra Cisneros says, “They say every picture tells a story. But the pictures of Carmen Lomas Garza tell many, many stories.” When the Level 2 adult English students in our Aprendamos Juntos (We Learn Together) family education program opened their copies of Lomas Garza’s book and were asked, “Which picture reminds you of home and why?,” they had stories to tell. Her evocative paintings sparked memories of visiting the local fair in Oaxaca, spending a lazy Sunday afternoon on a beach south of Acapulco, or picking oranges at a grandparents’ house in rural Honduras.
The class used the vignettes in Family Pictures as a jumping off point for telling and writing their own stories.
Read their stories in the class booklet, “Our Cultural Traditions and Family Memories,
Also in December, PLN partnered with The Highline Heritage Museum, City of Burien, Southwest Youth and Family Services and other sister organizations to plan and organize La Posada, a Mexican Christmas tradition reenacting Mary and Joseph’s journey to find shelter. Several Adult English students wrote about Las Posadas celebrations in their Mexican villages and towns, but said they didn’t have the opportunity to celebrate here. The Museum’s annual La Posada event aims to change that!
New Traditions: Sea Hawkers Latin American Club and Tres Lecheria Toy Drive While many adult students wrote about customs practiced in their home countries, a few described new family holiday traditions celebrated in the United States. For several years, PLN has gathered holiday toys for participants in our programs. In the face of a pandemic that has devastated many families’ finances, it made sense to continue this new holiday tradition. Nationally renowned bakery, Tres Lecheria, partnered with us again this year. Then the Sea Hawkers Latin American booster club joined in, and we were able to make even more wishes come true.
While many adult students wrote about customs practiced in their home countries, a few described new family holiday traditions celebrated in the United States. For several years, PLN has gathered holiday toys for participants in our programs. In the face of a pandemic that has devastated many families’ finances, it made sense to continue this new holiday tradition. Nationally renowned bakery, Tres Lecheria, partnered with us again this year. Then the Sea Hawkers Latin American booster club joined in, and we were able to make even more wishes come true.
Si bien muchos estudiantes adultos escribieron sobre las costumbres practicadas en sus países de origen, algunos describieron nuevas tradiciones festivas familiares celebradas en los Estados Unidos. Durante varios años, PLN ha reunido juguetes navideños para los participantes de nuestros programas. Frente a una pandemia que ha devastado las finanzas de muchas familias, tenía sentido continuar con esta nueva tradición navideña. La panadería de renombre nacional, Tres Lecheria, se asoció nuevamente con nosotros este año. Luego, el club de refuerzo de Sea Hawkers Latin American se unió y pudimos hacer realidad aún más deseos.
También en diciembre, PLN se asoció con The Highline Heritage Museum, City of Burien, Southwest Youth and Family Services y otras organizaciones hermanas para planificar y organizar La Posada, una tradición navideña mexicana que recrea el viaje de María y José para encontrar refugio. Varios estudiantes adultos de inglés escribieron sobre las celebraciones de Las Posadas en sus pueblos y ciudades mexicanas, pero dijeron que no tenían la oportunidad de celebrar aquí. ¡El evento anual La Posada del Museo tiene como objetivo cambiar eso!
Also in December, PLN partnered with The Highline Heritage Museum, City of Burien, Southwest Youth and Family Services and other sister organizations to plan and organize La Posada, a Mexican Christmas tradition reenacting Mary and Joseph’s journey to find shelter. Several Adult English students wrote about Las Posadas celebrations in their Mexican villages and towns, but said they didn’t have the opportunity to celebrate here. The Museum’s annual La Posada event aims to change that!
Proyecto de escritura de la clase de inglés para adultos: Nuestras tradiciones culturales y recuerdos familiares.
En la introducción al libro bilingüe para niños, Family Pictures, la escritora Sandra Cisneros dice: “Dicen que cada imagen cuenta una historia. Pero las fotos de Carmen Lomas Garza cuentan muchas, muchas historias ”. Cuando los estudiantes adultos de inglés de Nivel 2 en nuestro programa de educación familiar Aprendamos Juntos (Aprendemos juntos) abrieron sus copias del libro de Lomas Garza y se les preguntó: “¿Qué imagen te recuerda a tu hogar y por qué?”, Tenían historias que contar. Sus pinturas evocadoras despertaron recuerdos de visitar la feria local en Oaxaca, pasar una tarde de domingo tranquila en una playa al sur de Acapulco o recoger naranjas en la casa de los abuelos en una zona rural de Honduras.
La clase utilizó las viñetas de Family Pictures como punto de partida para contar y escribir sus propias historias. Lea sus historias en el folleto de la clase, “Nuestras tradiciones culturales y recuerdos familiares”, AQUÍ
En respuesta a la pregunta, “¿Qué tradición cultural o recuerdo familiar quieres compartir con tus hijos?” Algunos estudiantes adultos escribieron sobre tradiciones esparcidas por toda América Latina, como el Día de los Muertos o Las Posadas, mientras que otros describieron celebraciones culturales específicas de una región, como la hermosa celebración de La Rama de Veracruz, en la que los niños encuentran y decoran una rama, luego viajar de casa en casa tocando música y cantando a cambio de pequeños obsequios en efectivo. Otros escribieron sobre tradiciones familiares personales, como los cumpleaños de los abuelos, que se celebraban con solo un día de diferencia cada diciembre, ¡lo que le da a la familia del estudiante una razón para organizar una fiesta anual que dura dos días completos!
Adult English Class Writing Project: Our Cultural Traditions and Family Memories
In the introduction to the bilingual children’s book, Family Pictures, writer Sandra Cisneros says, “They say every picture tells a story. But the pictures of Carmen Lomas Garza tell many, many stories.” When the Level 2 adult English students in our Aprendamos Juntos (We Learn Together) family education program opened their copies of Lomas Garza’s book and were asked, “Which picture reminds you of home and why?,” they had stories to tell. Her evocative paintings sparked memories of visiting the local fair in Oaxaca, spending a lazy Sunday afternoon on a beach south of Acapulco, or picking oranges at a grandparents’ house in rural Honduras.
The class used the vignettes in Family Pictures as a jumping off point for telling and writing their own stories. Read their stories in the class booklet, “Our Cultural Traditions and Family Memories, ” HERE
In response to the question, “What cultural tradition or family memory do you want to share with your children?” someadult learners wrote about traditions spread wide across Latin America, like Dia de los Muertos or Las Posadas, while others described cultural celebrations specific to a region, like the beautiful La Rama celebration of Veracruz, in which children find and decorate a branch, then travel from home to home playing music and singing in exchange for small gifts of cash. Still others wrote about personal family traditions, such as the grandparents’ birthdays which fell only a day apart each December, giving the student’s family a reason to throw an annual party lasting two whole days!
“(Agradezco) el conocimiento que adquirimos sobre la cultura y la personalidad, ya que esto me ayudará a realizar mi trabajo como promotora en la organización y en mi comunidad”. – Participante en la cohorte piloto de Promotoras de Salud de Para Los Niños.
Cuando los padres líderes en Para Los Niños recomendaron que iniciemos un proyecto de Promotoras de Salud (Trabajadoras de Salud Comunitaria) para responder a la pandemia de COVID-19, todos estábamos de acuerdo. Ya habíamos estado patrocinando clínicas de vacunas y mesas de recursos, pero necesitábamos la capacidad de profundizar en nuestra comunidad para contrarrestar la desinformación sobre el virus y la vacuna. De agosto a noviembre de 2021, seis miembros latinas de PLN (incluidas tres graduadas de la Academia de Liderazgo) participaron en 20 horas de capacitación para profundizar en la comunidad latina del sur del condado de King con recursos de prevención de COVID-19, información precisa sobre vacunas y más.
Promotoras de Salud es un modelo latinoamericano de educación para la salud comunitaria que se ha adoptado con éxito en comunidades de los Estados Unidos. El modelo centra las experiencias vividas de los educadores laicos, principalmente mujeres, para conectarse con las comunidades de habla hispana a menudo descuidadas por los proveedores de atención médica convencionales. PLN se asoció con el Departamento de Salud del Condado de King y la Red de Promotores del Condado de King para diseñar y dirigir cuatro sesiones de capacitación con temas que van desde la vacuna COVID19 y los conceptos básicos de las pruebas hasta las manifestaciones visibles e invisibles de la cultura.
Las sesiones sobre modelos de liderazgo comunitario y definiciones de equidad racial fueron populares entre los participantes. Una nueva promotora señaló “la oportunidad de compartir experiencias para comprender mejor los conceptos (de equidad racial)” como un punto culminante personal, mientras que otra elogió los métodos de capacitación participativa para aumentar su confianza y conocimiento de su nuevo rol.
A medida que la variante Omicron ha comenzado a extenderse, PLN agradece que podamos apoyar a nuestras seis promotoras de salud capacitadas y de confianza para que conozcan a nuestras familias latinas donde están para detener la propagación de COVID19 en nuestra comunidad.
“(I appreciated) the knowledge we acquired about culture and personality – since this will help me perform my job as a promotora in the organization and my community.” – Participant in Para Los Niños’ pilot Promotoras de Salud cohort
When parent leaders at Para Los Niños recommended that we start a Promotoras de Salud (community health outreach worker) project to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, we were all in. We had already been sponsoring vaccine clinics and resource tables, but we needed the capacity to reach deeper into our community to counter the misinformation about the virus and the vaccine. From August to November, 2021, six Latina PLN members (including three Leadership Academy graduates), participated in 20 hours of training to reach deep into the South King County Latino community with COVID-19 prevention resources, accurate vaccine information, and more.
Promotoras de Salud is a Latin American community health education model that has been successfully adopted in communities across the United States. The model centers the lived experiences of lay educators – primarily women – to connect with Spanish speaking communities often neglected by mainstream health care providers. PLN partnered with the King County Health Department and the King County Promotores Network to design and lead four training sessions with topics ranging from COVID19 vaccine and testing basics to visible and invisible manifestations of culture.
The sessions on community leadership models and definitions of racial equity were popular with participants. One new promotora pointed to “the opportunity to share experiences to better understand the concepts (of racial equity)” as a personal highlight, while another praised the participatory training methods for increasing her confidence and knowledge of her new role.
As the Omicron variant has begun to spread, PLN is grateful we can support our six trusted and trained promotoras de salud to meet our Latino families where they are at to stop the spread of COVID19 in our community.
Dear Friend, Thanks to you, this year’s ¡UNIDOS! Para Los Niños Gala! was a virtual success! I would like to take this moment to thank you for your participation and continued support of Para Los Niños.
Together, we raised $41,250 in support of our programs and services. Your generosity and involvement make it possible for us to continue assisting over 1700 Latino households with food assistance, COVID-19 information and vaccines, rental assistance, school, sports and art supplies, and cultural educational activities through our seven different programs.
If you did not have a chance to donate yet, there is still time.
Your donation to Para Los Niños will empower Latino immigrant kids and their families through education, parent leadership development, and cultural heritage preservation. Thank you for your support to sustain our vibrant community.
By giving a monthly donation, you become a Padrino or Madrina and contribute to the sustainability of Para Los Niños’ programs.
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