At Pima Foundation, we are proud to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month and the vibrant cultures that shape not only our diverse team, but that of our community. This month, we honor the stories, traditions, and contributions of the Latino community, highlighting the richness they bring to our work, our lives, and our nation.
I am happy to share not only my story with you all, but those of my coworkers. Starting this week, I invite you to come back to hear from myself, Zulma Tapia, Saby Andino and Cassondra Forste on what Hispanic Heritage Month means to each of us.
For me, that means growing up in a home that was both beautifully Mexican and deeply Irish. My dad was born and raised in Mexico, while my mom’s side carried a rich family history from Ireland and together, they gave me a childhood filled with traditions from both worlds.
In our household, we typically embraced Hispanic culture mostly in the kitchen. The smell of masa during the holidays, as we worked together at our stations to make tamales. A beautiful moment of love, heritage and connection. Even with day-to-day meals, it was simple, rice, beans, tortillas, tacos, tostadas, huevos rancheros and more, it all carried my dad’s culture forward for my siblings and I.
Visits to Mexico when I was small were not as frequent, but they provided little windows into my dad’s story, to learn who my family is. I remember phone calls with my grandma and aunties, their voices speaking in Spanish. I’d listen closely, piecing together words with my dad’s help, who, let’s be honest, did most of the talking and translating.
Hispanic Heritage Month, for me, is about honoring those moments I had in my childhood and continue to bring forward in my adulthood and who knows, my own family one day, blending traditions of both cultures with those who I share my life with. It’s about being proud of where we come from and recognizing the ways those roots give us strength to grow.
And at Pima, I see that same spirit reflected every day. Our students, faculty, and community are living testaments to how culture shapes opportunity, resilience, and success. It’s a reminder that diversity isn’t just something we celebrate for a month, it’s something that makes us who we are all year long.
So, this Hispanic Heritage Month, I celebrate the food, the phone calls, the Spanish words I still stumble through, and the memories that shaped me and continue to shape me. I celebrate the heritage that grounds me, the community that lifts me, and the future we’re building together rich with culture, possibility, and pride.
