Public Employee Press

Focus on Honduras
Union celebrates Latino Heritage Month

By ALFREDO ALVARADO

The spicy aroma of Caribbean food accompanied the sounds of salsa in September and October at the union's 20th annual celebration of Latino Heritage Month.

The DC 37 Latino Heritage Committee organized the events that brought members, family and friends together to celebrate their heritage. As the Nov. 2 election approached, Committee chair Santos Crespo welcomed everyone by reminding them to vote.

This year the committee highlighted the diverse culture of the Central American nation of Honduras and the Garifuna community. Descendants of the Arawak and Carib Indians and Africans, the Garifuna live along the Caribbean coast in Honduras, Nicaragua and Belize.

The traditional music of the Garifuna was featured Sept. 24 when Local 420 presented James Lovell and the Afrigarifuna Youth Ensemble.

Gustavo Santos from the Labor Council for Latin American Advancement, a member of the Garifuna community, was the keynote speaker. He urged participants to work for immigration reform. "Being an immigrant myself, I understand what's at stake," he said.

Garifuna culture celebrated

Speaking on behalf of DC 37 Executive Director Lillian Roberts, Assistant Associate Director Henry Garrido called the celebration "an opportunity to pay tribute to those leaders who came before like United Farm Workers leaders César Chavez and Dolores Huerta."

José Francisco Avila, president of the Bronx-based Garifuna Coalition U.S.A., which provides social services for the Garifuna community in the city, was the keynote speaker for the closing celebration hosted by locals 372 and 1549 on Oct. 8.

"Our story is one that is rarely told," said Avila. There are 200,000 Garifuna living in the Bronx, upper Manhattan and Brooklyn, according to Avila.

The committee honored Gloria Sepulveda of Local 372 and Alvin Williams of Local 1549 for their contributions to the union and community activist Luis Matos for his humanitarian work.

SSEU Local 371 featured cultural presentations from Yerba Buena, Zon del Barrio and singer George Lamond at its Oct. 1 event. Veteran community activist Ramon Jimenez, the Freedom Party's candidate for New York State Attorney General, was the keynote speaker. "It's an honor to be invited to speak to members of DC 37," said Jimenez, who ridiculed the notion that unions are a special interest group.

"Working people are the majority," said Jimenez, who got a standing ovation when he called on members to support the rights of immigrants, regardless of their legal status or country of origin.