EDITORIAL NOTE |
UNITED IN OUR SECOND ANNIVERSARY
BY NICOLÁS OLANO
Happy Birthday!
Sol de Medianoche was born two years ago. Its first steps were directed towards creating a voice and a medium through which the Latin community could express its identity, its needs and its goals. The ultimate goal was to unite us as a community and to show our Alaskan friends who we are. Sol de Medianoche’s mission is to Inform, Educate & Unite. On our second anniversary we want to reiterate those goals and stress that this paper belongs to all of the Latin community and its goal is to unite and better the lives of all of its members.
Out first step is to determine: who we are as a community? What are the characteristics that distinguish us as a group?
We are immigrants.
The first thing we note is that all Latinos in Alaska, are or have ties to immigrants. Being an immigrant is not defined by whether or not one has one document or another, but rather by the truth that we came from somewhere else to Alaska and that our roots texted into many parts of the world. So, whether born in Alaska, if our past generations came from the lower 48 or we came directly from our country of birth, we are immigrants in this land. Therefore, we must thank our hosts, the first peoples of Alaska and Alaska Natives throughout the state – Gracias.
Traditions.
The traditions that each of us brings are what distinguishes us as a community. Our food, our music and our celebrations are things that make all Latinos proud. Our food! Who wouldn’t die for an empanada, a taco, an Argentinean steak…? The list of our foods is endless, and they all have that special touch that makes them unforgettable. Our music. Salsa, merengue, son, reggaetón, or a Mexican ballad, bring memories that make us dance and sign, no matter if we are from an island or from the top of the Andes. Our celebrations distinguish us as a diverse community, they bring history, memories and happiness while they give other communities around us an opportunity to know who we are.
Language.
First, we must acknowledge that no one here in Alaska can differentiate our different accents. To most Alaskan ears our accent is exactly the same: English with a heavy Spanish accent that sounds like a song from Shakira or Enrique Iglesias. Second, we must celebrate that we can all understand each other without need for more. This is a great advantage and we must recognize our language is a tool that we can and must use to evolve as a community.
Distance.
Something else that marks us as a community is the distance between us and the lands we left behind. This forces us to find the things we have in common as Latinos in order to overcome the weight that distance sometimes brings. We are far away from the support and protection that the governments of our original countries could provide. Consulates are few and obtaining the benefits from our countries of origin is hard. Yet, it is clear that distance ultimately brings us together as a community. We have to find those commonalities and use them to grow stronger as a community.
Needs.
As a Latin group we have similar needs. We need help with the language, immigration, keeping our traditions alive, dealing with the distance, and finding ways to survive in our community and make this a better place for our children. It is here, in response to these needs, that Sol de Medianoche provides a unifying voice.
Hope.
From our Latin soul, our warmth, love, and strength of heart and intellect is born the hope that in Alaska we will continue to illuminate the horizon. In the summer the days are long, in winter the nights are eternal, and each of us is a light in the darkness, a beacon for our Latino community. In this, the second anniversary of Sol de Medianoche, we reflect on the potential that our community, and our children have to help build a just and rich world for everyone in this great state.
Sol de Medianoche was born two years ago. Its first steps were directed towards creating a voice and a medium through which the Latin community could express its identity, its needs and its goals. The ultimate goal was to unite us as a community and to show our Alaskan friends who we are. Sol de Medianoche’s mission is to Inform, Educate & Unite. On our second anniversary we want to reiterate those goals and stress that this paper belongs to all of the Latin community and its goal is to unite and better the lives of all of its members.
Out first step is to determine: who we are as a community? What are the characteristics that distinguish us as a group?
We are immigrants.
The first thing we note is that all Latinos in Alaska, are or have ties to immigrants. Being an immigrant is not defined by whether or not one has one document or another, but rather by the truth that we came from somewhere else to Alaska and that our roots texted into many parts of the world. So, whether born in Alaska, if our past generations came from the lower 48 or we came directly from our country of birth, we are immigrants in this land. Therefore, we must thank our hosts, the first peoples of Alaska and Alaska Natives throughout the state – Gracias.
Traditions.
The traditions that each of us brings are what distinguishes us as a community. Our food, our music and our celebrations are things that make all Latinos proud. Our food! Who wouldn’t die for an empanada, a taco, an Argentinean steak…? The list of our foods is endless, and they all have that special touch that makes them unforgettable. Our music. Salsa, merengue, son, reggaetón, or a Mexican ballad, bring memories that make us dance and sign, no matter if we are from an island or from the top of the Andes. Our celebrations distinguish us as a diverse community, they bring history, memories and happiness while they give other communities around us an opportunity to know who we are.
Language.
First, we must acknowledge that no one here in Alaska can differentiate our different accents. To most Alaskan ears our accent is exactly the same: English with a heavy Spanish accent that sounds like a song from Shakira or Enrique Iglesias. Second, we must celebrate that we can all understand each other without need for more. This is a great advantage and we must recognize our language is a tool that we can and must use to evolve as a community.
Distance.
Something else that marks us as a community is the distance between us and the lands we left behind. This forces us to find the things we have in common as Latinos in order to overcome the weight that distance sometimes brings. We are far away from the support and protection that the governments of our original countries could provide. Consulates are few and obtaining the benefits from our countries of origin is hard. Yet, it is clear that distance ultimately brings us together as a community. We have to find those commonalities and use them to grow stronger as a community.
Needs.
As a Latin group we have similar needs. We need help with the language, immigration, keeping our traditions alive, dealing with the distance, and finding ways to survive in our community and make this a better place for our children. It is here, in response to these needs, that Sol de Medianoche provides a unifying voice.
Hope.
From our Latin soul, our warmth, love, and strength of heart and intellect is born the hope that in Alaska we will continue to illuminate the horizon. In the summer the days are long, in winter the nights are eternal, and each of us is a light in the darkness, a beacon for our Latino community. In this, the second anniversary of Sol de Medianoche, we reflect on the potential that our community, and our children have to help build a just and rich world for everyone in this great state.