Jose Ponce, a mathematical and statistical sciences lecturer, grew up on the other side of the border.
“I was born here, in Brownsville, Texas, but I lived most of my life in Mexico until I was a teenager,” Ponce said. “I came back to the United States. I had to learn English on my own, and then look for ways to complete my education.”
Asked about his transition from living in Mexico to moving to the U.S., Ponce said it was a difficult path.
“It was hard, you know, in the ’90s there was a lot of discrimination,” he said. “There [were] a lot of things that, today, people can’t do to you, but in those days, it was all about groups staying together and being non-inclusive of outsiders.”
Ponce said he knew that if he wanted to learn English, he had to start integrating with other groups.
“I reached out to other groups because I wanted to learn English and I wanted to learn English in a very good way,” he said. “So, I immersed myself into the other groups, even though they weren’t accepting me, but that didn’t bring me down. It made me learn English better so I could communicate [with others].”
Ponce said it is important to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, which runs from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15.
“It is very important because Hispanics make a lot of contributions to everything in this country, not only in education, but in the workforce, in government, in science and many other fields,” he said. “It is very important to recognize that we are a minority, that we’re no longer that minor and it’s fast-growing, and it’s part of everything.”
When Ponce was 16 years old, he returned to the United States to learn English and study. One thing he would tell that 16-year-old boy is not to give up.
“It doesn’t matter how they make you feel and what they say about you, and you are stronger than you think you are,” he said. “It took me some time to get through and bring down all those barriers and if I were to see myself, I will say, ‘You can do this faster. You can do this with determination. Don’t give up.’”
Azucena Herrera Aguado, a management clinical assistant professor, agreed that it is important to recognize the contributions of Hispanics.
“It is part of our culture and our traditions,” Herrera Aguado said. “We must have symbols that are associated with our identity. When we have something nice, we want to show it to others and so, I think, this month contains very important dates for those of us who are Hispanic [and] for those of us with Hispanic heritage.”
Her first steps as a member of the UTRGV faculty were to become an advocate and educator for the Center for Diversity & Inclusion and DREAM Resource Center and the DREAM Zone.
Herrera Aguado said her experience moving from Central Mexico to the Rio Grande Valley was not easy.
“Interacting with a language that is not yours is not easy,” she said. “Work hard, study hard, because part of the American dream has that formula. If someone comes to the United States but is not willing to follow the formula … the American dream can be distorted because it is not going to be the dream that they imagined.”
Herrera Aguado said she continues her family traditions through Mexican cuisine.
“For me, September is the month of Hispanic heritage,” she said. “This period from September to October, for me, is represented with jicamas. … Jicaletas are made with chile, lemon and chamoy. It is associated with many typical dishes, such as pozole, tostadas, enchiladas. So, this was what was done in my family. They taught me to celebrate the national holidays in this way and attend the parades.”
Something Herrera Aguado would have liked to say to her younger self when she came to the U.S. is to not be afraid.
“I would say, ‘Don’t be afraid,’” she said. “‘Do it. Make up your mind now. It will always scare you but that shouldn’t stop you. Start it and don’t leave it and go for what you want. Go for what your dream is.’”
In observance of Hispanic Heritage Month, UTRGV will host different events through Sept. 28.
The University Library is offering resources such as e-books, print books, streaming films and online exhibits during the observance. For more information and to access the resources, visit Hispanic Heritage Month LibGuides.
The Council for Cultural Activities and the Center for Student Involvement will host Café Latino Americano from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. Tuesday in Salón Cassia on the Brownsville campus and from 5 to 6 p.m. Friday in the University Ballroom on the Edinburg campus. Attendees may get a taste of foods from different Latin American countries.
From 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. Sept. 28, the Student Union will host a book club meeting on the book “Dominicana” by Angie Cruz in the Student Union Loft on the Edinburg campus and at the same time in the Student Union La Sala on the Brownsville campus. Students can sign up on V Link to receive a free e-book copy.
