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Finding Familiarity:
The Difference a Year Makes
Finding Familiarity:
The Difference a Year Makes
From the Beginning
Whenever I introduce myself, I often end up mentioning that I am from Milwaukee. I think it serves two purposes really. One, it allows for further conversation. People often ask me the typical questions of how long I have lived here, why I moved, and if I was a Packer fan. The second reason is that it allows me to connect with who I am.
This month (September 2024), I attended CLUES Fiesta Latina for the second time, tabling there for DARTS. It is a fun celebration of Latino culture with great music, food, and resources. It was also the perfect opportunity to reflect as to where I was just one year ago.
A New Job and a New Home
At my first Fiesta Latina, truthfully, I was lost. I was alone for the first time in my life having moved out of my father’s place. I had graduated from university and been thrust into the adult world alone overnight. Life events such as a difficult breakup and family drama took up most of my energy, along with the difficulties of moving and settling into a new area. Typical young adult things. I contemplated going back home to Milwaukee every day at one point.
At the time, I was one month in – I liked my job so far, so I kept involving myself in the diverse DARTS programs. I also hoped to participate in and help start programs dedicated to Older Latinos as well.
Finding Familiarity
The second time I attended Fiesta Latina, things were different not only for me, but for our outreach towards Latinos. Since this time last year, we launched Café y Conversaciones – a social event for Spanish-speaking older adults. It is a great group of people full of life and laughter. What I most love about the group is the variety of music that reminds me of the old CDs my mom would play. Seeing Latino culture, whether from Mexico or Puerto Rico, in the DARTS office truly makes me feel proud.
As I was talking to people at this most recent Fiesta Latina, I also noticed a change in myself. The first event, I did the bare minimum, only giving the information that you’d expect from someone new at the organization. I was still wrapping my head around what DARTS did. Through the familiar feeling of local Latino culture, I was able to transition and adjust to living in a new state and open up more. Milwaukee has a vibrant Latino culture, and to find that here was not only reassuring but exciting.
The Difference a Years Makes: Belonging
Now, I am no longer new to the area. I’ve lived here for over a year, and the city names like Mendota Heights or Edina that were once foreign, almost mythical to me, are now in a mental map in my brain on the same level as Milwaukee’s (though I still rely on Google Maps).
That time here made me more confident than last year, especially with the addition and deliberate and intentional outreach to the Latino community. That outreach has helped me create a sense of community and safety that I believe I would not have received elsewhere in such a short time.
Words, though powerful, are never enough. Belonging and familiarity cannot come from talking alone, but through the intentional action that follows meaningful conversations. I will continue to work so that others, both those that are like me and not, can find that sense of belonging.
Vicki, Chamille, Bridget, Andrés, Levi, and Jessie
Author
Andrés Alfaro (Author)
Andrés serves as a Service Coordinator at DARTS, a nonprofit for various aging services. There, he works in senior housing buildings, connecting older adults to services and being a listening ear. Andrés also frequently helps at the Breathing Space group respite, along with assisting in outreach within the Latino community. He received his bachelor's degree in psychology and political science from Marquette University. He has been at DARTS since 2023.Andrés currently resides in St. Paul. In his free time, he enjoys listening to music, playing video games, reading books, and watching Brewers baseball.