Nationally known multicultural speaker Bobby Gonzalez spoke about Latino heritage to the Latino Student Association and Hermandad de Sigma Iota Alpha Inc. on March 2.
The event focused on the indigenous heritage of Latinos and reconnecting to those roots. Maria Negrete Padron, advisor to the Latino Student Association, said they chose Gonzalez to speak because, “a lot of our students don’t know much about the Indigenous backgrounds of Latinx people.”
Gonzalez said he once went on a TV show for Spanish Heritage Month and the host mentioned how he loves Spanish food and culture. Gonzalez, having roots from both the Native American Taíno and from Puerto Rico, understands how broad of a statement that is and said, “we are a lot more complicated than that.”
Being from the South Bronx of New York City, Gonzalez spoke about the melting pot of cultures seen there. Gonzalez serves as the master of ceremonies for local, biannual powwows, an Indigenous social gathering with singing and dancing, in the Bronx. In 2018, Gonzalez received the ‘Indian of the Year’ award by the Thunderbird American Indian Dancers.
Padron said that, while not seen here in Arkansas, the Puerto Rican parade in New York can be encouraging for Latinos who do not see their heritage celebrated where they live.
One people group Gonzalez talked about are the Garifuna, the people resulting from the introduction of Africans brought to the Caribbean as slaves to the Indigenous Caribs. “Somehow, we don’t know why, there are 150,000 Garifunas living in the Bronx,” said Gonzalez. Gonzalez talked about how Garifuna culture and language is preserved in New York City, far away from their Caribbean heritage.
Gonzalez spoke about how advanced some old civilizations were. Tenochtitlán, built by the Aztecs, had temples and libraries. Gonzalez also mentioned the Mayans’ understanding of astronomy and its use for farming and to even predict solar eclipses. Gonzalez said much of these advancements and history were lost due to Spanish conquistadors.
Gonzalez also spoke about notable Indigenous Latinos like Benito Juárez, the first indigenous president of Mexico. Gonzalez mentioned other names like historian Arturo Schomburg and Don Francisco, the host of TV show “Sábado Gigante.”
Padron said it is important for the LSA and others to know this history because it allows a deeper understanding of one’s heritage and even today’s language. One example Padron gave is how avocado and chocolate both come from Nahuatl words. “We don’t know unless we study it,” said Padron, going on to say that a lot of people lose knowledge of their culture when they assimilate to those around them.
When asked about how to find good news about Latin America, Gonzalez said “Do not listen to FOX or CNN.” Gonzalez recommended using BBC and doing independent research. He went on to mention the issue of misinformation on social media, saying he often does research on his own to avoid lies. Gonzalez emphasized this point when he ended the meeting by saying, “don’t trust everything I told you, do your own research.”
Gonzalez is the author of “TAINO ZEN” and “The Last Puerto Rican Indian: A Collection of Dangerous Poetry.” More information can be found at bobbygonazlez.com.
Hermandad de Sigma Iota Alpha Inc.’s Beta Kappa chapter will hold a zoom exhibition about women in the workforce on March 8. They can be found on Instagram @siauca.
The Latino Student Association will hold a Zoom event titled “Colorism within the Latinx Culture” on March 16. They can be found on Instagram @lsa_uca.
