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diggEditorial - Looking back, looking forward
Growing up, Labor Day weekend was the moment we looked back and reflected longingly on the joys of the summer. We also looked forward to a recommitment to school – new pencils and binders, a new back-to-school wardrobe, the annual promise to improve our grades and the excitement of new classmates of the opposite gender.
Now grown older, we continue this delicate balance of celebrating our past while concurrently planning our future. The United States is built on a foundation of immigrants who revered their past yet plunged into the future with culture as a safety net. As Latinos we find ourselves continuing to balance the past and future, a fragile place from which some would see us fall.
My father, Arthur Diaz, has long been a student of the past and a fan of the future. Growing up, we explored the jungles of western Puerto Rico; visited our relatives in the rural home of his parents Galicia, Spain; run side by side from the bulls at the Festival of San Fermin in Pamplona (we were both much younger); and enjoyed the ocean breeze, street musicians, and cigars on the Malecón in Havana. Most recently we celebrated his 80th birthday with a father-son trip to Buenos Aires because he wanted to learn the tango.
Each of these places holds significance my extended family’s history. Yet most of our conversations have always been about the future. For many of us, we have been encouraged by our families to respect and honor our past, yet enthusiastically embrace the future -- and to build upon the legacy of those who struggled before us.
The fear mongering over immigration and the Latinization of America has ignored the history of Latinos in Arizona. It is often led by bigots who arrived in Phoenix many generations after the Mexican families who built this city. The Latino community should not allow this fear to diminish our celebration of our heritage.
In this month’s issue we remember and celebrate that history. First, Don Rodriguez looks at the important social service organizations that have supported the Latino community over the years. We celebrate leaders of our community who will be recognized in this month’s Profile of Success event. And Ruben Hernandez updates what is happening in the old Golden Gate barrio, including what is the status of the long-promised cultural center on the site of Braun-Sacred Heart Center.
Finally, in an exciting development, we introduce a four-part series on the history of Latinos in Phoenix. This series has been commissioned by the City of Phoenix, Wells Fargo Bank and Salt River Project to provide an abridged version of a historical site survey recently completed by the city. The complete version will be available in mid-September and online at participating Web sites, including www.latinopm.com. We are also introducing an online cultural center as an extension of www.latinopm.com designed to provide a cyber venue for our collective past.
September also is a chance for LPM to celebrate its heritage as we mark our 3rd anniversary. We thank our readers, advertisers, vendors, and friends for helping us bring the community to all of you. Recently we have been working on our future as well: a redesigned magazine. With a new appearance, organization and section packaging we hope to build upon your support but still bring a look and feel that keeps pace with our growing and increasingly sophisticated audience.
So join us as we celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with a reverence for our past and an eye on our future.
