It was 1979. Joaquín Vázquez of Arandas, Jalisco, Mexico, had just started living on the South Side of Chicago. When he initially arrived, he remembers sharing a room with nine people. Still, it was time to leave his hometown situated between Guadalajara and León for “work reasons.” “There weren’t many opportunities [in Mexico,]” Vázquez said. “I had to make the decision to look elsewhere.”
Esmeralda Sánchez knew something wasn’t right in Muncie, Indiana. As a first-generation Mexican-American living in Indianapolis from age 2 to 29, Sánchez had become used to a location with a vibrant and lively culture. In the downtown area of the capital city, Sánchez said there were multiple churches offering Spanish services, as well as taquerías, or taco shops, among other things. For her, seeing resources like these showed her there was an active community around her, something she said one Mexican restaurant can’t do.
Esmeralda Sánchez sabía que algo no estaba bien en Muncie, Indiana. Como mexicana-americana de primera generación viviendo en Indianápolis de los 2 hasta los 29 años, Sánchez se había acostumbrado a una ubicación con una cultura vibrante y viva. En el centro de la ciudad, ella dijo que había varias iglesias que ofrecían la misa en español, y taquerías también, entre otras cosas. Para ella, ver recursos como estos le demostró que había una comunidad activa a su alrededor, algo que ella dijo que un solo restaurante mexicano no puede hacer.
Era el año 1979. Joaquín Vázquez de Arandas, Jalisco, México, apenas había empezado a vivir en el sur de Chicago. Cuando inicialmente llegó, él recuerda que compartía un cuarto con nueve personas. Aun así, era hora de irse de su ciudad natal ubicada entre Guadalajara y León por “razones de trabajo”. “[En México] no había muchas oportunidades”, dijo Vázquez. “Tuve que tomar la decisión de mirar para [los Estados Unidos]”.
On a typical Saturday afternoon, the parking lot near 3 Hermanos Supermarket off of Wheeling Avenue in Muncie can be seen filled with people and cars. Music can be heard from open windows of trucks, and people scatter in and out of the small market, either joining or leaving the line that’s formed down the center of the store.
We are not supposed to be perfect. We are not supposed to never fail. Making mistakes is the hardest thing I’ve ever done, but I’ve walked away with so many valuable lessons because of it.
When Senate Bill 480 goes into law, this life-saving care will become unavailable for all trans Hoosiers under the age of 18 in the state of Indiana. Many of our legislators have decided to go against the advice of medical professionals to ensure their bigotry becomes the standard by which all Hoosier parents must abide.
Members of the community remember Beatrice “Bea” Moten-Foster and Muncie’s first bi-weekly, African-American newspaper.
I want to be clear. I love this community, and I would never want to come off as if I were bashing it, but there are real issues facing us, and if we continue to uphold power structures that are similar to those we are attempting to free ourselves from, we will never get further in our fight.
Nov. 8 midterm Election Day is almost here. Before you go to the polls, check out what candidates in the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate, as well as Indiana Secretary of State race stand for.
