Loyalty and Hairdressers

Chufo, a fellow Latino Librarian colleague of mine that works at DPL’s central library gave me this great analogy about Latino Loyalties. Given that library professionals are primarily Anglo women we needed an analogy to explain how loyal our Hispanic culture can be to their beloved librarians, even those who are not bilingual and bicultural.

Think of your hairdresser for a moment. How loyal would you say you are to this person? How much do you trust them with your hair? How long did it take you to find this person? How often have they moved and how far did you follow them to their new location, even if it was now inconveniently across town? Does it matter how much in advance you have to make an appointment? Do you switch hairdressers just because the price goes up or do you stay and pay the new rates?

The loyalty that most women feel for their hairdressers is very similar to the relationship that Spanish speaking patrons build with librarians who they can speak to, understand them culturally and who help them with their life’s needs.

Chufo and I began swapping stories of patrons who have followed us not only from one branch to another, but from one library system to another. I have a particular patron who happens to also be from my mothers home state of Veracruz. I met him around 2004 in the Glendale Branch of the Arapahoe Library District. He then followed me to Aurora Public Library from Mission Viejo branch, to Tallyn’s Reach branch and finally to Central branch. Then I got laid off and hired at the Belmar Branch at Jefferson County Public Library and he showed up there. He even came to visit me at the Wheat Ridge branch when I did a short 3 month stint at that branch.

So he’s been my loyal patron over 8 years following me through 3 library systems, 6 branches all the while helping him and his family, his friends, people he works with, fellow poets, and even girlfriends. I’ve helped him learn computer skills, create a resume, find work, publish poetry, perform programs at libraries, and even spent time celebrating a birthday or two.

 I’ve even had one patron from as far away as Fort Collins follow me to my new jobs in Denver metro area. And Chufo has experienced many of the same types of patron loyalties serving his Latino community members.

I’ve taught in many a workshop that if you are doing outreach right, the individual becomes the institution. Loyal patrons won’t say, “Go to the library for help” they will instead say, “Go see Larry, he’ll help you. You can find him at the ____ library….”         

At this point you know you have earned the communities trust and loyalty.

GOOOOOOOOOOLLLLLLL!!!!!!!

Watching the Olympics this year and creating blog entries got me thinking about those who are bicultural or immigrants to a new country. There is not always an easy answer to the dilemma of roots, culture, love of country and loyalty.

Leo Manzano won the Silver medal for the USA in the 1500-meters final. He celebrated by carrying both the USA and Mexico flags. While there has been some disapproval for his choice of celebration, I TOTALLY understand and support his pride and love for two  countries and his choice of celebrating.

I was on the edge of my seat watching Mexico play Brazil for the Gold medal in the men’s soccer final. I cheered for Mexico the whole time, but days before, I cheered like crazy for the USA women who were playing Japan for the women’s Gold in soccer. Had the USA played Mexico in either of those finals, I would have rooted for Mexico. Yet, if Mexico swam against Missy Franklin of the USA in any swimming event, I would have rooted for Missy. Why? Franklin is from Aurora and has my local Colorado loyalty.

I have a very close friend who was born in California, but raised in Mexico. She lived her entire life in Mexico and returned to the USA as an adult. She eventually met and married a man from Colorado. They had their HUGE 3 day wedding in Mexico.

I’ve had conversations with her husband, when inevitably; the USA plays Mexico in world cup soccer games. I asked him, “Who do you root for when USA plays Mexico?” He told me that in any sport when USA plays Mexico, he pulls for the USA, ALWAYS! But, if anyone else is playing against Mexico, he roots for his newly adopted second home, Mexico. His wife, born in the USA, raised in Mexico, always roots for Mexico.

He asked me who I was pulling for in the current USA vs Mexico soccer game we were watching. I told him Mexico. He seemed a bit surprised by this, because he sees me more as a US citizen, which I am. By my heart more often than not is with Mexico in sports.

Being bicultural is a unique thing, very difficult to explain. You have to live it to know it and truly understand it. I can no more deny one part of myself and  embrace the other 100% than you could deny using your left arm and left leg just because you are born right handed. They are BOTH a part of you and the left and right sides work together to make you who you are.

I was born in the USA, making me a legal USA citizen. But I was raised and have lived, and worked extensively in both cultures, Mexico and USA. I have strong ties to my Mexican mother, my family from Veracruz, my Mexican culture, Mexican food, and Spanish language. I prefer black beans and tamales wrapped in banana husks because that’s the cuisine in Southern Mexico. I have the outdoors in my blood because my Michigan relatives were lumberjacks, hunters and trappers. It is all a part of who I am, all mixed up with divided loyalties given any situation.

In Mexico, like the rest of the world, we are CRAZY for soccer!!! There are two types of Mexicans, those who are Chivas fans, and those who are America fans, both multiple champions of the national title in Mexico. Americans have never completely warmed to Soccer, nor seem to realize or care that it is the world sport, probably in part because it is perceived as boring and low scoring sport. But it is precisely the low scoring that makes it so emotional and exciting!

My family are all Chivas fans, and the first time I watched a game with my cousins around the age of 8, Chivas scored a goal. I was shocked at how my two cousins celebrated. They ran around the house for 10 minutes screaming and celebrating the goal in every imaginable shape and form. Fist pumping, running, sliding, jumping, flag waving, hugging, kicking a soccer ball, kissing their Chivas toys, kissing the rosary, making the sign of the cross, slapping player posters, promising good behavior if they win, you name it.

I thought they’d lost their minds.

As I grew older I came to appreciate and love soccer and all the emotion tied to it. Every shot that misses is gut wrenching disaster. Every shot your goalie blocks is a miracle. Every shot that hits the goal post a heart attack.

So who do I want to win a soccer game between the USA and Mexico? The choice is a no brainer: MEXICO!

An entire COUNTRY will do more celebrating during one GOAL made by Mexico than the handful of Americans if they won the World Cup championship. And I promise you, if Mexico is ever in the finals for the World Cup, I swear to the virgin Mary (let me pause to make the sign of the cross) I will be in Mexico City watching. If we win, you find me circling the “la Angel de la Independencia” statue in downtown Mexico with a million other paisanos freaking out just like my cousins did the first time I witnessed a Chivas goal with them.

So what can you do with this information in a library setting?

There will always be a place in their heart for their country of origin.

No matter which immigrant population you work with, there will always be a connection to the country they left. Provide library materials in their language, cultural connecting programing, bilingual staff, celebrate their countries festivities, milestones, achievements, and yes, sporting events.

Everybody immigrant loves soccer and follows the World Cup

Do you know which country is hosting the next World Cup? I do and so does every new and old immigrant: BRASIL! 

Why not capture the passion by offering family friendly World Cup Soccer program with televising the soccer games in the library, foosball tables and other soccer type games and giveaways. But be prepared for some wild celebrating if their team wins.

Cultural Chasms and How to Cross Them

When cultures differ, libraries don’t need to understand all the ways they differ. Libraries need to understand what different style service and program approaches will be successful to welcome them to your library services and programs.  

I have a friend who emigrated from Mexico, and he once told me that if his entire family is not invited to a party, he doesn’t go. I totally understood what he was talking about. He was really talking about being invited to parties by his Anglo friends.

 In Mexico, and I assume many other cultures, you are an extension of your family. Where you are invited to an event, your family is not only welcomed, but frankly expected to show up. When I lived in Mexico for 5 years I heard many a joke regarding this cultural reality. Basically they state that a person, or group of people, show up to a wedding or party and are barred from entering at the door. The person explains, “Oh, I’m cousins with the guy who couldn’t come to the wedding/party.” He’s promptly welcomed in with open arms and a slap on the back, “PRIMO, BIENVENIDO!”      

So there’s no RSVP’ing by a certain date, no “adults only” events, no you + a guest type invitations, no you must have a ticket to enter, arrival and departure times. Why, might you ask, does this have anything to do with libraries serving Latinos? Only the whole Enchilada!

The Mexican part of me gets really worried when I see library programs that require advanced tickets, sign up lists, have strict start times, and/or age restrictions. They simply go against everything we stand for culturally. These normal library practices might as well read, “YOU ARE NOT WELCOME!” in huge, RED,  Spanish language letters.

So how are we different culturally?

FAMILY – We will go everywhere and do everything as a HUGE family, grandparents, parents, babies, toddlers, kids, teens, uncles, and cousins all together. If a library program or event isn’t family friendly, we will not come or won’t return. If you reject one of us, you reject all of us. So you better be prepared by having family oriented programs where everyone is welcomed and well received.   

SPONTANEOUS – We are more likely to just show up spur of the moment.  We don’t plan ahead in advance, particularly if tickets and sign-up sheets are involved. After all, if primo Raul throws a party (even if we have tickets to a library program) we’re going to his party! Calendars in Mexican households are hung because of the nice pictures, not to know what day it is or plan upcoming events. That’s why they’re all from 1960’s. I find it best to spread the word during the days leading up to the event.  

ARRIVING LATE, STAYING LATE – Bet the farm on it! If you start on time, we’ll miss the start of the show, and we won’t care if we disturb you by walking in late. Be smart, start 5 minutes late, welcome everyone, rearrange the attending group (ok everyone, scoot closer or move back), talk about the library, upcoming programs and events, introduce the presenter. Hopefully by then, 15 minutes have passed and most of the Latinos who are coming have arrived.  At the end of the program, if the Latinos enjoyed themselves, they will stick around. This means they felt welcomed and enjoyed themselves and want to continue in your welcoming aura. Plan on an activity for the whole family that keeps the “party going”.

 

What to do when there is a TOTAL lack of Spanish speaking, bilingual librarians available to hire??

Let us face a Library World Reality: Even if libraries had the funding, commitment and initiative, there are very few library assistants, librarians, or parapros who speak Spanish FLUENTLY that you can hire to fill the void. Even fewer are bicultural. Why is this? Let's look at MLIS degree candidates...why so few.

If you are a minority Spanish speaker that did well enough in high school, have the initiative and, god forbid the finances to pay for an undergrad degree and a masters, WHY would you choose a profession that has little respect. low pay and an expensive master's degree with little return on investment financially? Frankly your family (and probably you) would look at yourself as a failure for not taking the opportunity to become a college educated lawyer, doctor, or business person. In my case I studied biology as an undergrad and faced the same dilemma explaining it to my family in Mexico. When I became a librarian, believe it or not, my salary actually increased and then everyone was happy with my "new profession".

The FEW Spanish speakers that are out there are already placed, and you can only steal them away if you offer more money and freedom to do the job the COULD be doing for you.

One fact that I see as a big barrier is how CLIQUISH the Library Profession can be. If you don't have your MLIS, somehow you don't measure up to work in a library. There are plenty of great professions that would make great Bilingual librarians if we gave them a chance. TEACHERS and SOCIAL WORKERS are professionals that have many of the qualities that transition well to library work. Many TEACHERS nowadays are jaded and discouraged by the education system, and many more have experience, but more importantly, are TRUSTED by the diverse communities they serve the school. Library pay is on par or SHOCKING: maybe BETTER than teacher salaries, and much of what they do in the classroom is done in a library without all the negative aspects of the current education system with federal and state regulations and testing, and political pressures. In a library a TEACHER would get to do all the things they ENJOYED about education WITHOUT all the NEGATIVES that are associated with school education.

Social workers would also make great library professionals. They know how to network with a community, finds resources, organize people and projects and find the resources patrons need to conduct their lives.

If it were me, the next time a position opened, I hold a meeting calling for Spanish and Bilingual Teachers and Social workers to come to a free luncheon provided by the library and present a worksession on what it is like to work in the library, provide library tours and presentations by front line staff who are available to answer any question they had about the library world. Then, let them know you need and encourage them to apply.

But even at the basic level any branch can find Spanish speaking staff. I would suggest that a branch take the next page or shelver position and make a concerted effort to only hire a LOCAL, COMMUNITY BASED, Spanish speaker. A language barrier is just that, a BARRIER. If this individual was empowered to be called over to the Children's desk, Adult Reference desk or Circulation desk to assist translating for Spanish speakers, it would go a long way to show the community that it was serious about serving their needs and support local youth in the process. individuals for higher positions could be groomed by this process and you may even get a few to consider becoming Library Assistants or Para-professionals over time.

What makes a Latino Librarian a Perfect Fit for the R-Squared Risk and Reward Conference?

 Using the iconic Piñata as a metaphor, let's build a Library effigy using standard library philosophies and institutional norms, fill it with the expectations that Latinos and Spanish speakers want and need from a library, then destroy the old Library model using colorful examples explained biculturally so that predominant Anglo perspectives can understand them.

 Libraries and Latinos BOTH want what's inside the Piñata: The candy that represents the rewards and prizes that will bring an institution and a community together to help and support each other. Libraries in general ARE losing relevance in our modern world. We'd love a savior in the form of a large, growing population banging on our doors to be let in. And yet, it already exists right under our nose in the form of a large and growing Spanish speaking, Latino underserved population. The trick is attracting them to new and innovative, culturally relevant library services that will not only serve their needs, but allow Libraries to adapt and renew themselves. 

 Why, you may ask, do we need to destroy the traditional library model? Simply, it just doesn't work for Latino Communities on so many levels. In this blog, I'll attempt to address the following issues and others:

• Language, Cultural, and Political hot potatoes, barriers and roadblocks
• Lack of bilingual and bicultural staff in all service areas
• Lack of Cultural Competency among staff members
• Unfamiliarity with library rules, regulations and standard operating procedures
• Perceived unwelcoming and/or threatening environment in the Library
• Library services, collections and program miss-connects
• Lack of Library Vision and Mission encompassing Latino needs and services
• Lack of Latino leadership and voices at the decision making level in Libraries

Along with my unique perspective that I'll share in the Conference, I'll also bring a Pinata in the shape of a Library that we can all break open!! Because deep down every adult is jealous that only the kids get to have all the fun breaking something full of candy and toys!!

Got a question or a concern you'd like answered. Email me at larrymaynard@gmail.com and I'll address it anonymously in my blog.