Guest Blog: Bridging Culture, Community, and Nature: Latina Leadership Benefits Maricopa County's Parks
By Isabel Chavez
I’m proud to be an 8th generation Arizonan. My family has traced our long history in Arizona back to the 1740s. Both my maternal and paternal grandparents were farmworkers, tending the fields. My father was a farmworker as well.
My family settled in Pima County after an uncle bought a plot of land and invited his brothers to join.
Arizona is what I know best. I was brought up in South Phoenix, and moved after gentrification pushed us out. Afterwards, my family moved to Golden Gate Barrio. I find comfort in familiarity and today, my children go to the same elementary school I did.
My family didn’t practice outdoor experiences like camping or hunting, but growing up, special occasions were marked by picnics at the park. One of my fondest memories is running through the water of a stream at the park laughing with my cousins. Family celebrations and major life events are still celebrated at South Mountain Park. From baby showers and weddings, to graduation festivities and birthdays, we’re under the shaded comfort of the ramadas. South Mountain is personal to me. It is the landmark my children and I pass coming home from road trips, it is the symbol marking that we are home.
Still, when I think of outdoor practices that involve living off the land, I think of my time in Chihuahua, Mexico. Every year, my children and I would visit my (now) ex-husband’s family and every year I would learn a new lesson from them on sustainability. There, (the people in Chihuahua) they didn’t run the land, the land ran them. The earth was sacred to them and they constantly reminded me and my children that everything we could possibly need comes from the land. “With what we grow in our fields, we can sustain ourselves. We can fuel our bodies and our vehicles,” they’d say. Once, a cousin pulled corn from a stock. I asked him what he was planning to do with it and he responded that the corn could be eaten, the cob fed to the chickens and cows, and the husks would go to the wood burning stove.
I also remember the first time I went to Chihuahua, I asked my (now) ex-mother-in-law where to dispose of my breakfast scraps. She told me to look outside the door. I proceeded to dump the contents of my breakfast plate into a small plastic bag hanging from a rod. She asked why I had dumped my scraps when they served a second purpose. The coffee grinds and the egg shells were compostable. The rinds from the watermelon would feed the chickens and pigs. Composting takes on a whole new meaning when it’s a tool for survival.
Since then, I’ve recognized the many ways in which the Latinx community relates to the land and our environment, and it has motivated me in my role on the Maricopa County Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission. I was appointed to the commission by Maricopa County Supervisor Steve Gallardo, after having worked with him on grassroots community outreach to the Hispanic community. Supervisor Gallardo thought I should be on the commission to better reflect the diversity of his district and as someone providing a new perspective. The commission acts in an advisory role to the Board of Supervisors on matters pertaining to parks and recreation. When I walked in the room on my first day, I realized how right he was.
As a middle class, average joe Latina, my goal on the Maricopa County Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission is to represent the interests of the Latino community. Maricopa County is 31% Hispanic, and ranks fourth of eleven U.S. counties with more than 1 million Hispanics. Like my family, a lot of Latino families in Arizona enjoy spending their time in parks. That is how many of us experience and enjoy the outdoors. Being able to take in the fresh air and focus on our well being is critical. It’s why I believe so passionately that protecting park resources is necessary for communities to build outdoor connections. If we don’t stand up to support parks and public lands, they’ll inevitably be used for development purposes. I don’t sit on the Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission for the title - my job is to honestly, authentically, and unashamedly share our experiences and to give back to my community. Being on the Maricopa County Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission has allowed me challenge our Board to consider our community, to have open and honest discussions about racial profiling, and to have a dialogue about policy that hasn’t always reflected the interests of the Hispanic community. Being appointed to the Commission is a testament to the commitment that leadership becomes a reflection of our diverse community. I celebrate the multicultural elements of our state and work hard to ensure that our community members can enjoy their time outdoors.
Like so many others in Arizona, I appreciate our warm year-round climate and don’t take it for granted. Close to my house is a pond, and one of my favorite things to watch besides the hummingbirds are the ducks landing in the pond. The sounds of the birds and animals is so comforting that it feels like home.
With colleagues and friends, I enjoy camping and hiking, and learned to hunt for squirrel in Payson after a friend suggested we try it. We’d shoot using a small caliber rifle, like a 22, and then harvest it like you’d harvest a deer. I also enjoy trying different activities like deep water fishing at Redondo Beach in California. We rode out to sea for about 3 hours before casting our lines.
It is through these experiences that I understand how deeply connected we all are to land and nature. Outdoor experiences are woven into our culture and traditions and reflect our resilience. For these reasons and more, I strive to ensure that our community members can enjoy their time outdoors and continue the legacy of our cultural practices.