Author: Michelle Maluwetig

Felicidades to Graduates from El Centro de la Raza!!

Graduation is always an exciting time at El Centro de la Raza. From 8^th grade promotion to high school graduation, scholars enrolled in our youth services programs are celebrating their accomplishments.

Latina/o Excellence is the main theme for the season. This year, all graduating scholars received a sarpe graduation stole, serving as a reminder that our cultures are part of our success.

For our middle school youth promotion, their graduation stole says ‘Class of 2026’. This is no error. Our hope is that this sash will serve as inspiration for them to reach high school graduation.

Inevitably the question comes up, what are you going to do next?

For Kimberly, a senior from Thomas Jefferson High School in Federal Way, the answer is, “Right now, I just want to live in this moment, soak in this celebration. There was a time that I didn’t know if we would have a ceremony, so just being able to walk the stage is a moment I want to remember forever!”

Our Work Study Program at El Centro de la Raza

The work at El Centro de la Raza would not be possible without the brilliant Work Study students from our community.  They bring a renewed sense of possibility and energy and rejuvenate organizations by bringing the latest research.

This last quarter, we benefited immensely from the relentless work of two Work Study partners in the field of Social Work who helped our development department.  They worked in our procurement efforts to secure gifts to auction for our major fundraising event, the Beloved Community Gala, and later they focused on supporting our communications efforts, to tell the stories of our work. 

Marla Perez and Juan Galvez, we are so grateful for your work and applaud your work in the community and the visions you hold for the community work you will continue to do! Congratulations on your graduation and attaining your Master’s Degree in Social Work from the University of Washington!

Juan Galvez

To Juan, El Centro de la Raza’s fifty years of work is “a testimony of real change, fueled by empathy and good will.”  El Centro’s work is not only about serving the community, it is the community.  Creating awareness among the multiracial, and especially the Latinx community about the services available to them was a big motivator for Juan’s work at El Centro de la Raza. It also inspires Juan by showing him what is possible– his goal is to create a non-profit organization that supports undocumented immigrants in King County.

Juan was born and raised in Michoacán, Mexico and migrated to Washington when he was 16 years old. He attended high school at Lake Chelan, graduated from Western Washington University with a double major in Sociology & Spanish in 2018, and completes his Masters of Social Work at the University of Washington this June.

Beginning this summer, he will work for the Department of Children Youth and Families for two years. Thereafter, he plans to work as a school social worker and plan the development of a non-profit organization that will support undocumented Latinx immigrants in King County.

Beyond his work, we asked Juan to tell us something that would surprise people about him.

“I am a singer and song writer that has music in all streaming platforms! I am also currently a part of a group called “Los Preferidos del Ejido,” a new project that includes multiple talented musicians from all over the state of Washington.”

Look him up and have a listen! Thank you Juan!!

Marla Perez

Marla chose to work at El Centro de la Raza because the organization is committed to serving and empowering the individuals and communities. She wanted to learn about the organization’s efforts and support in raising awareness about their services so that as many people as possible could access their programs and resources. 

“What I find to be really unique about ECDLR is that they take different approaches to address systemic issues causing inequality and oppression while simultaneously supporting the people impacted by it.  ECDLR takes a holistic approach to support their employees, community, and society and I truly admire all that they do.”

Marla was born in Compostela, Nayarit and raised in Bothell, WA by a single mother with the help of all her siblings. Her love for her mother, sisters, and family has given her the strength to work towards supporting her community and her family. She completed her Bachelor’s in Psychology with a minor in Spanish from Western Washington University, while working for C2C a mentoring initiative. After graduating, she worked as a sexual assault therapist at Consejo Counseling for two years. This June, she graduates with her Master’s Degree in Social Work from the University of Washington. 

In Marla’s experience, ECDLR encourages self-care, compassion, accountability, initiative, activism, respect, community, and empowerment. Those are all things she believes in and strives to incorporate into her own personal and professional life. Through her life experiences, she has realized the significant effects of the systemic and internalized racism in our society. She has also seen how much damage the lack of access to information, resources, and community can have on children, individuals, and families. Marla says, “I am now committed to empowering, supporting, and advocating for children and families who have experienced trauma and connecting them to the necessary information and appropriate services to promote their healing, stability, and success.” 

 Beginning this summer, Marla will be working for DCYF as a child and family welfare social worker. After completing her contract with them, she would like to eventually have her own practice serving survivors of trauma, specifically within the Latinx community. 

Something people might be surprised to know about Marla is that she travels every chance she gets! “After studying abroad in Spain when I was 19, I haven’t stopped. I loved Italy and would love to live there for a short period at some point of my life, maybe after I learn more of the language!”

We wish you many travels and cannot wait to hear about the amazing work you will be doing for the community Marla! Thank you for your work!!

Dental Health- A Community Effort

We would like to thank everyone for their partnership with this first event of the King County Adult Dental Program (KCADP) for our most recent dental clinic!

We scheduled 12 patients– the maximum we were allowed to schedule ahead of time! We had a total of 7 walk ins, four of which we were able to accommodate, and an additional three we referred to our public health dental clinics.

Folks were also enrolled into Apple Health (Medicaid), the Breast, Cervical, Colon Health Program (BCCHP) and distributed Orca Lift cards! We are grateful to volunteers and our community partners who made this possible!

Thank you once again.

Have a magnificent day!

July 16, 2022: Summer Market at El Centro de la Raza!

Come enjoy the summer with an outdoor market, local food vendors, and entertainment for the whole family! // Ven a disfrutar del verano con un mercado al aire libre, vendedores de comida locales, y entretenimiento para toda la familia!

Event: Summer Market // Mercado de Verano

Date: Saturday, July 16, 2022

Time: 10:00 AM  4:00 PM

Location: Plaza Roberto Maestras, 1650 S Roberto Maestas Festival Street, Seattle WA 98144

July 16, 2022: Somos Seattle Pride Celebration at El Centro de la Raza!

Everyone is invited free event to celebrate our 4th Annual Seattle Latinx Pride Festival! Let’s celebrate our LGBTQ and Latino/a/x identities

Acompañanos en el cuarto festival del Orgullo LGBTQ Latino! Ven celebrar el orgullo de la comunidad Gay, Lesbiana, Bi, Trans Latina.

ENTERTAINMENT, DANCING, FOOD, COMMUNITY RESOURCES/VENDORS & MUCH MORE! // ENTRETENIMIENTO, BAILE, COMIDA, BEBIDAS, RECURSOS COMUNITARIOS Y MUCHO MAS!

Event: 4th Seattle Latinx Pride Festival

Date: Saturday, July 16, 2022

Time: 5:00 PM -10:00 PM

Location: Plaza Roberto Maestras, 1650 S Roberto Maestas Festival Street, Seattle WA 98144

August 13: Movie Night at El Centro! Noche de Pelicula!

El Centro de la Raza looks forward to our monthly market to support our local businesses and to host a movie night!

More information to follow as the date approaches in the link below!

Event: Noche de Pelicula y Mercado!

Date: Saturday, August 13, 2022

Time: 10:00 AM  8:00 PM

Location: Plaza Roberto Maestras, 1650 S Roberto Maestas Festival Street, Seattle WA 98144

October 8: Reserve your tickets for our 5oth Anniversary Gala now!

Celebrate 50 triumphant years of El Centro de la Raza with us at our annual Building the Beloved Community Gala on October 8th, 2022. It has been an honor to spend the last half-century dedicating our work towards serving our community, and we have so many people that we are grateful to. We want to dedicate this momentous anniversary year to:

• Pioneers of social change, including advocates for mutli-racial unity, shepherds of anti-war movements, local faith communities, volunteers, and activists
• The people who originally occupied the old Beacon Hill school in the name of dignity and for a better life for the Latino community
• Our generous supporters from all walks of life, who have made it possible for us to continue our work, from 1972 to this present day

It is an honor to still be here today providing critical services, life-changing opportunities, developing resiliency, and hope. We are so fortunate to not only be surviving, but thriving, with all thanks due to our incredible community of supporters, donors, residents, and staff.

REGISTER HERE

Join us on Saturday, October 8, 2022 for our 50th Anniversary Building the Beloved Community Gala and take part in an exciting live event that raises funds for vital programs and services that benefit more than 21,000 individuals and families across our region. The evening also includes the presentation of our Roberto Felipe Maestas Legacy Awards & Scholarships. Registration will become available later this year.

Please call (206) 957-4649 or email events@elcentrodelaraza.org for more information.

Sister Innovators in Education, Teacher Mari and Teacher Titi

Between both sisters, Teacher Mari Rico and Teacher Martha Diaz have almost half a century at El Centro de La Raza! Not only has their work shaped several generations in our community, they continue to shape the landscape early child development by pioneering federally-recognized programs and techniques that incorporate bilingualism, cultivate a feeling of belonging, and foster lifelong commitments to social justice in early childhood development

2022 marks Teacher Mari’s 25th year at El Centro de la Raza, where she oversees the Luis Alfonso Velasquez Afterschool Program. For Teacher Martha, she is entering her 23rd year at The Jose Marti Child Development Center!

Teacher Mari Rico

While working full-time, Mari obtained her (CDA) Child Developmental Associate’s degree at Seattle Central Community College, and her (AAAS) Associate in Applied Arts and Sciences with a specialization in Bilingual/Bicultural Education at Shoreline Community College. She then completed a Bachelor of Arts in Human Development and Education from the Praxis Institute, and a Bachelor of Arts in Education and Master’s Degree from Goddard College.

Under Mari’s supervision, the Luis Alfonso Velásquez Afterschool Program achieved accreditation from the National Afterschool Association in 2008.  In 2018, School’s Out Washington recognized Mari with its Champion Award. As a STARS state-approved trainer and Early Childhood Education coach, she also trains other teachers in the field.

When asked how she manages to teach and find time to learn, innovate, and contribute to her field, she said it makes her job easier. Teaching as a profession is constantly evolving; everything from toys to technology is continually changing, and staying ahead of the curve is important to meet students where they are.

Classrooms at El Centro de la Raza create a sense of family, which includes a feeling of responsibility and being agents of community empowerment. For this reason, kids in her program often participate in marches and encouraging civic engagement in their families.

One of the most rewarding parts of Mari’s program is seeing students return, who sometimes enrolled as early as age one! Students have come back to work and volunteer at El Centro, invite her to their graduations, and some have even proudly brought their children to meet her.

Teacher Martha Diaz

Martha Diaz is also a pioneer in the field of bilingual education at the national and international level in early childhood education.

For Martha, creativity and art are essentials for teaching–especially when it comes to teaching more complex issues around social justice and inclusivity. In the classroom, she uses poetry, music, and all mediums of visual arts, including changing the décor to reinforce lesson plans. Students are invited to bring in artifacts from their home culture to teach appreciation of other cultures.

Bilingualism is as imperative for a native English or Spanish speaker in our classrooms, and children are taught that all languages have equal value. It is a truly unique environment, especially for children of color, that strengthens their confidence and gives Martha a deep feeling of commitment to her classrooms at El Centro de la Raza.

Martha Diaz’s preschool classroom is a model for the Soy Bilingüe approach and receives visitors from across the country and globe. In her classroom, Martha implements educational strategies from the Seattle Early Education Collaborative (SEEC), Early Childhood and Assistance Program (ECEAP), and Creative Curriculum as well as maintaining standards of accreditation from the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAYEC).  As a part of her graduate studies at Goddard College, Ms. Diaz created a visualization of the 100-Point Soy Bilingüe Preschool Assessment Tool, earning her MA in Education with the Dual Language ECE Concentration. Martha is an extraordinary, creative, and conscientious educator and learner. With nearly twenty-three years of experience at El Centro de la Raza’s José Martí Child Development Center, she has achieved incredible outcomes for children in their language and literacy development, their socio-emotional development, and their anti-bias and cultural competency development.

When asked about what it was like to work with their sibling, both reported a strong sense of gratitude. They have the unparalleled honesty shared between siblings for constructive criticism, and enjoy comparing notes on the latest methodologies that help them bring the most innovative advances to their classrooms. Along with our students, we echo our appreciation for the lifechanging innovations they are bringing to the field of education and future generations to come in our community.

A Call that led to Housing, Employment, Day Care and more for one family

Once a family is enrolled in our programs, Susan Banhegyi’s work begins. As our Family Navigator, she meets one-on-one with parents and caregivers to get to know parents and caregivers and help them navigate available services in King County, and create a warm connection between our participants and other service providers that are linguistically and culturally appropriate.

In April, Susan received a call from a participant who was having trouble attaining housing. She and her baby daughter, who has down syndrome, had been living in a drafty mobile home full of leaks and their landlord had asked them to leave by the end of the month. Despite applying to several apartment complexes, she was not approved because of her lack of credit history. Additionally, she had no proof of income as she was paid in cash.

Within four days after contacting Susan connected the participant with our partners at Seamar, mother and daughter were approved for housing. At the same time, Susan worked with her to apply for Supplemental Security Income, secure childcare, and employment.

Next steps? Susan is helping the participant connect with legal services for support with immigration paperwork and counseling services.

As a single mother herself, Susan is constantly inspired by her participants’ resilience and resourcefulness. She asserts, “I am always mesmerized how single moms manage to excel even when having every hardship thrown their way.” She is able to meet her clients where they are on a personal level; as a single mom, she put herself through school while working full time too.

Through her work, she is helping our community tackle homelessness by working with one family at a time to secure safe housing.

In April, Susan made 54 referrals like this and continues to build connections with external partners to provide holistic solutions to help families not only survive, but excel.

Without emergency funds, families run the risk of becoming homeless, going hungry or becoming ill. If you can please consider donating!

Connecting our Senior Citizens with Katie Yuen

In a time when Seattle’s cost of living has sky-rocketed, seniors in our community on fixed incomes have faced even deeper isolation and tough choices during the pandemic. In response, our Community Connector, Katie Yuen, has worked with seniors to connect them with our food bank and programs and external public benefits and services to make sure our seniors don’t have to choose between paying housing, healthcare, utilities and food. In honor of her work and this month celebrating the aging community, we share Ms. Lew’s story.

Ms Lew is a retired senior and longtime resident of Beacon Hill. Since her husband passed away many years ago, Ms. Lew has lived alone and relied on social security benefits. Until the pandemic, this was enough, but as prices for everything increased, her benefits did not cover her expenses and she needed food assistance.

Despite the tough situation, she reached out to El Centro de la Raza and was immediately at ease when she met Katie, who was able to speak with her in her native Cantonese. Katie relates deeply to the experience of many immigrant seniors in her care on a personal level. She remembers when her parents newly migrated a social worker at a nonprofit changed their lives by helping them navigate the public benefit system in their own language. This experience changed her family’s life, and has inspired her work with El Centro de la Raza for five years now!

Katie helped Ms. Lew apply for Fresh Bucks program for food and introduced her to El Centro de la Raza’s staff and Food Bank. She now looks forward to coming to el Centro’s Food Bank to also connect with community in her language– our Food Bank Coordinator also speaks her language!

In the last six months, Katie has assisted more than 95 seniors with public benefit applications and has helped them feel like they have a home at El Centro de la Raza.

To support work like Katie’s, please consider donating or volunteering with us!

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March with us May Day 2022!

May 1st – May Day is a day to convene and march to support immigrants and workers! We will be joining forces with El Comite, MLK Labor, UFCW 3000 Union, Bayan Seattle, Washington State Labor Council, Puget Sound Advocates for Retirement Action.

Sunday, May 1, 2022
Judkins Park 
20th Place S & S Dearborn Street

For more updates as the event approaches, please check www.facebook.com/ElComiteWA

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Give Big- We need you!

May 3-4, 2022 – We are counting on our donors yet again to meet our fundraising goal of $50,000 for this year’s Give Big Campaign!

Programming your donation is easy and can start right now! All you need to do is check out our profile here and schedule the payment for Give Big donating!

Mil Gracias! El Centro de la Raza | Washington Gives (wagives.org)

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Cinco de Mayo Celebrations are back!

May 3-4, 2022 – We are THRILLED to invite the Beloved Community to join us to celebrate our culture with us in an amazing outdoor event at our Plaza!

Acompáñenos con su familia a celebrar nuestra cultura en nuestro gran evento! Tendremos variedades de deliciosa comida, ¡música y muchas sorpresas de entretenimiento! Los esperamos!

¡Celebra Nuestra Cultura!
Sábado, 7 de Mayo
10:30 am – 4:30 pm
Plaza Roberto Maestas
1660 S Roberto Maestas Festival St, Seattle, WA 98144

Register and invite your friends! https://www.facebook.com/events/535639144573030/

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The Entrepreneurial Spirit of the Monroys

Meet Adriana Monroy, an example of a person who infuses her entire life (and family) with an entrepreneurial spirit!

Originally from Mexico, Adriana and her five children moved to Washington after seventeen years in Michigan.  She discovered El Centro de La Raza and soon after she engaged with several of the programs, including, Bebes Hope, Alma, Unidos en Finance, and our Work Force Development Program.  Soon after empowering herself with knowledge in different areas, she wanted to share with her community and family. She soon introduced her son, Job Monroy, to El Centro de la Raza.

At the height of the pandemic in 2021, Job Monroy graduated. He decided to take a gap year and use the year to learn a trade that would allow him to pay his way through university.  He explored a pre-apprentice program info session we hosted, and learned about opportunities in the maritime, aerospace, and construction industries.

Through this session, he chose to deepen his exploration into the construction industry and connected to the Pre-Apprenticeship Training (PACT) Program with Seattle Colleges and the ANEW Program.  Since then, he was accepted to ANEW’s free 12-week pre-apprenticeship program.

Job is excited to start and learn about a new trade! We love to see families progress together on many fronts!