Rakotra boky mivaky hoe “Mahery amin'ny tolona: boky torolàlana fiavota-tena ho an'ny ho an'ireo Latinas lohalaharana amin'ny fanovana”. Nandikana malalaka ny «Thriving in the Fight: a survival manual for Latinas on the front lines of change».
Denise Padín Collazo, mpikatroka sady mpanoratra, avy any Porto Rikô, Namoaka ny bokiny « Thriving in the fight: a survival manual for Latinas on the front lines of change » (Adika tsotra hoe: Mahery amin'ny tolona: boky torolalana fiavota-tena ho an'ireo Latinas lohalaharana ho amin'ny fanovana). Rehefa 25 taona nikatrohana ho amin'ny fanovana ny politika ara-toekarena tany Etazonia tamin'ny “tolona ho an'ny rariny ara-poko, ara-politika sy ara-toekarena” teo anivon'ny fikambanana Faith in Action [1], manohana ny fitarihan'ny vehivavy mainty hoditra amin'ny alàlan'ny fampianarana sy fanoratana i Madam Padín Collazo, indrindra rehefa, araka ny filazany azy maro no miala amin'ny fikatrohana noho ny fahaketrahana.
Nitafatafa tao amin'ny Zoom izahay mba hiresaka bebe kokoa momba ny bokiny. Natao marihitra amin'ny halavany sy ny fahazavany ny antsafa.
Melissa Vida (MV): You say that “we need to do the things that we need to do in order to thrive, not just survive.” What do you mean by this?
Melissa Vida (MV): Hoy ianao hoe “mila manao ireo zavatra tokony hataontsika isika haherezana, fa tsy hiavota-tena fotsiny.” Inona no tianao holazaina amin'izany?
Denise Padín Collazo (DPC): My experience over the years as a social justice leader is that there have been many times where I really just put my head down and get the work done. You would “stay in the fight” for racial, economic, and political justice or you might be winning a victory, but you're just exhausted. After surviving, you are surrendering, which is the step right before leaving. And surrendering is that place where you've lost the joy, the energy, the creativity. You're doing the work, you're bearing a heavy burden, but you're not showing up as the most brilliant, most effective, most badass version of you that you could.
Denise Padín Collazo (DPC): Ny zavatra niainako nandritra ny taona maro naha-mpitarika ny rariny ara-tsosialy ahy dia efa imbetsaka aho no nifantoka tokoa ary nahavita ny asa. “Hijoro ao amin'ny miady” ho an'ny rariny ara-poko, ara-toekarena ary ara-politika ianao na mety hahazo fandresena, saingy reraka ihany ianao. Rehefa niangana ianao, dia milavo lefona, izay dingana mety alohan'ny handaozanao. Ary ny filavoana lefona dia ny fotoana rehefa very fifaliana, angovo, sy fahaiza-mamorona ianao. Manao ny asa ianao, mitondra enta-mavesatra ianao, saingy tsy miseho ho amin'ny endrika mamirapiratra indrindra , mahomby indrindra, endrika bekiry indrindra izay azonao atao ianao.
MV: What is the secret sauce for thriving, then?
MV: Inona ary no tsiambaratelo hampahery, araka izany ?
DPC: There are three keys. I think we need to lead into our vision when we see something in our minds that does not exist yet. Sometimes we find ourselves implementing someone else's vision and that's not where we're at our best. Then, it is to live into your fullest self and not shrinking down in the corner of the room and waiting for answers and permission to come from others. My inspiration for this is how, as Latinas, or people from Latin American countries or Caribbean culture, there's just a way of being when we're all together, we're just “more.” We're bigger, we're louder, we're happier. And the third key is to remind ourselves of the love for our people, love for the work of change, love for our own self, which is enough to help propel us past all the negatives like the messages we've been taught as young girls as to the way women are supposed to be in the world.
DPC: Misy singa telo lehibe. Mieritreritra aho fa mila mitondra ny vinantsika isika rehefa mahita zavatra ao an-tsaintsika izay mbola tsy misy. Indraindray isika mampihatra ny vinan'olon-kafa kanefa tsy amin'izany no tena mahatsara antsika indrindra. Avy eo momba ny miaina feno fa tsy miondrika eo an-joron'ny efitrano miandry valiny sy fahazoan-dàlana avy amin'ny hafa. Ny tena manentana ahy, amin'ny maha-Latinas ahy, na olona avy amin'ny firenena amerikanina latina na kolontsaina Karaiba, manana fomba fanao isika rehefa tafaraka, “mihoatra” noho izao isika. Lehibe kokoa, maresaka kokoa ary sambatra kokoa isika. Ary ny singa fahatelo farany dia ny mampatsiahy antsika ny fitiavana ny vahoakantsika, ny fitiavana ny asa ho an'ny fanovana, ny fitiavana ny tenantsika, izay ampy hanampy antsika handresy ireo lafy ratsy rehetra, toy ireo hafatra azontsika fony mbola zazavavy momba ny hoe tokony ahoana ny vehivavy eo amin'izao tontolo izao.
Photo fournie par Denise Padín Collazo
MV: What does the opposite of shrinking look like?
MV: Tahaka ny ahoana ny mifanohitra amin'ny fifintinana [fiforetana]?
DPC: As a Latina, I was brought up to serve humbly from behind the scenes and never have any expectation of recognition—no rewards, none of that. I've had to get up my courage and get courage from my sisters to help me lead from the front. That's not the place I feel the most comfortable leading from, but since there are so few of us Latinas in leadership, we don't have a choice. You don't have to do it in the egotistical way that was modeled for us before, we can lead as a collective. Our people whom we are working with need for us to be at the front. And that doesn't mean we have to work more. Sometimes it means we have to work less so we have time to breathe, rest, get sunshine, refresh our own bodies because we spend so much time pouring out.
DPC: Amin'ny maha Latina ahy, dia nobeazina hanompo am-panetren-tena ao ambadiky ny sehatra aho ary tsy nanantena fankasitrahana mihitsy – tsy misy valisoa, tsy misy an'izany. Nila nanana herim-po sy nahazo fanentanana avy amin'ireo rahavavaviko aho mba hanampy ahy hitarika eo amin'ny laharana voalohany. Tsy toerana ahatsapako fahazoana aina indrindra rehefa mitarika, saingy satria vitsy isika Latina eo amin'ny fitarihana, dia tsy manan-tsafidy hafa isika. Tsy voatery manao izany amin'ny fomba feno fitiavan-tena izay namolavolana antsika taloha isika, afaka mitarika amin'ny mahavondrona isika. Ireo olona miara-miasa amintsika dia mila antsika ho lohalaharana. Ary tsy midika izany fa mila miasa mafy kokoa isika. Indraindray midika izany fa mila miasa kely kokoa isika, hananana fotoana hiainana, miala sasatra, maka masoandro, mamonto ny vatatsika satria mandany fotoana betsaka amin'ny fanomezana ny zava-drehetra isika.
MV: This leads to my next question: what is “the culture of emergency?”
MV: Mitarika ahy amin'ny fanontaniako manaraka izany: inona ny “kolotsaina hamehana?”
DPC: In the book, I lay out a number of symptoms of white supremacy that exist in organizations. One of those is the culture of emergency. In many of the places I work with, there's just this grind that never stops. We work for racial, political, and economic transformation, and that is not easy work, and it really never stops. It's very hard as an advocate to take a breath and stop. So some things are urgent, like earthquakes, hurricanes, shootings. But some things aren't. I want us to notice it and push against it. For example, time is measured differently across the world. And here in the U.S., you might do a 30-minute phone call with someone and that's just it. But we cannot be our full selves in half an hour. So I've learned to not think that way and to leave myself open for the magic that happens when you take more time to do something, or to be with people and listen to them.
DPC: Ao amin'ny boky, dia mampiseho soritra maromaro momba ny fahambonian'ny fotsy misy ao amin'ny fikambanana aho. Iray amin'izany ny kolontsain'ny hamehana. Amin'ny toerana maro iasako, dia tsy mijanona mihitsy izany. Miasa ho amin'ny fanovana ara-pirazanana, ara-politika sy ara-toekarena izahay, ary tsy asa mora izany, ary tsy mijanona mandrakizay mihitsy izany. Sarotra tokoa amin'ny maha mpisolovava ny miato kely indray sy mijanona. Araka izany, misy ny zavatra sasany maika, toy ny horohoron-tany, ny rivodoza, ny fitifirana. Saingy tsy tahaka izany kosa ny zavatra sasany. Tiako ho tsikaritsika sy hatositsika izany. Ohatra, refesina amin'ny fomba hafa manerana an'izao tontolo izao ny fotoana. Ary eto Etazonia, afaka manao antso an-tariby mandritra ny 30 minitra amin'ny olona iray ianao ary izay ihany. Saingy tsy afaka ny ho feno tanteraka isika ao anatin'ny antsasakadiny. Ka nianatra ny tsy hieritreritra toy izany aho ary hisokatra amin'ny mazia izay mitranga rehefa maka fotoana bebe kokoa hanaovana zavatra ianao, na miaraka amin'ny olona sy mihaino azy ireo
MV: You dedicated a whole chapter to denouncing anti-Blackness. Why?
MV: Nanokana toko iray manontolo ianao hanamelohana ny fanoherana ny Mainty. Fa maninona ?
DPC: 2020 was a year where we were all challenged by the young, brilliant, amazing leaders of the Black Lives Matter movement, who have been creating a moment all over the world which is making us have to ask ourselves: how is our silence being complicit to the system as it is? I've watched as conversations happen, at least in the U.S., and it ends up being a black or white construct, and Latinos lean back in spaces where race is discussed. If you talk to a [non-black] Latino person and you ask them if they have ever noticed anti-blackness in their own community, some would say, “Yes, but it's all in good fun ….” It's not good. It's about the saying in Latin America mejorar la raza (“improving the race”) that is about making the race more white. It's about your tía (aunt) saying, “Don't marry this person because he's darker than you.”
As Latinas, we have this opportunity to build really good relationships with our Afro-Latina sisters and our sisters who identify as Black or from African descent. What would it look like if we have real conversations among the Latino community about anti-Blackness and start to really challenge it? It's everywhere in our culture. It's not enough for me to be a fighter for racial justice, I gotta work on our people—go talk to your tíos (uncles) and cousins.
DPC: Taona iray ny taona 2020 nihaikan'ireo mpitarika tanora, manampahaizana sy mahatalanjona antsika tamin'ny hetsika Black Lives Matter, izay namorona hetsika manery antsika hanontany tena hoe: tahaka ny ahoana no iraisantsika tsikombakomba amin'ny rafitra napetraka amin'ny fahanginantsika? Nahita fifampiresahana aho, farafaharatsiny tany Etazonia, ary niafara tamin'ny fananganana mainty na fotsy izy io, ary tafalatsaka anelanelany ny Latinos. Raha miresaka amin'ny olona Latino [tsy mainty] ianao ary manontany azy raha nahatsikaritra fanavakavaham-bolon-koditra manohitra ny mainty ao amin'ny vondrom-piarahamoniny manokana, dia hiteny ny sasany hoe: “Eny, saingy anaty hanihany tanteraka izany…”. Tsy mahazatra izany. Mikasika ny fomba fiteny any Amerika Latina hoe mejorar la raza (“hatsaraina ny firazanana”) izay natao hahatonga ny firazanana ho fotsy kokoa. Momba ny tía (nenitoa) miteny hoe: “Aza manambady an'ity olona ity satria mainty noho ianao izy.”
Amin'ny maha Latina anay dia manana ity hirika ity hananganana fifandraisana tena tsara amin'ireo rahavavintsika afro-latinina sy ireo rahavavintsika izay milaza fa mainty hoditra na fiaviana afrikanina izahay. Hanao ahoana izany raha tena miresaka marina eo anivon'ny vondrom-piarahamonina Amerikana latina momba ny fanavakavahana ny mainty hoditra ary manomboka mametra-panontaniana momba izany isika? Manerana ny kolontsaintsika io. Tsy ampy ho ahy ny mpiady ho amin'ny rariny ara-poko, mila manova toe-tsaina eo anivon'ny vondrom-piarahamonintsika aho – miresaka amin'ny tíos (dadatoanao) sy zanak'olo-mpiray tam-po aminao.
MV: We have been talking about “Latinos,” but aren't Latinos all different? What is the common link?
MV: Niresaka momba ny “Latino” isika, saingy tsy samy hafa daholo ve ny Latino? Inona no rohy iombonana?
DPC: In the U.S., anyone who comes as being of Latin American descent is put into one category. But the fact is, we don't all speak the same language, we don't eat the same food, we don't all look the same. There is so much diversity. But the one thing that links us all together is a shared history of oppression, colonization and extraction of natural resources that is continuing to happen today. We have been taught by the church and violent systems like slavery, and sometimes extermination, to believe that whiteness is the right thing. Some Latinos who are in the middle, between white and black, sometimes get confused. The goal is to really understand that we are all being oppressed. Our liberation, including white folks, is achieved through Black liberation. If we can't really understand that, we are only going to see part of the picture.
DPC: Any Etazonia, na iza na iza milaza fa avy any Amerika Latina dia tafiditra ao anaty sokajy iray. Saingy ny zava-misy dia, tsy mitovy ny fitenintsika rehetra, tsy mitovy ny zavatra hohanintsika, tsy mitovy fisehoana isika. Betsaka tokoa ny fimaroana. Fa ny zavatra iray mampifamatotra antsika rehetra dia ny tantara iombonana famoretana, fanjanahantany ary fitrandrahana harena ambanin'ny tany izay mitohy ankehitriny. Ny fiangonana sy ny rafitra mahery setra toy ny fanandevozana, ary indraindray ny famongorana no mampianatra antsika fa ny fotsy hoditra no safidy tsara indrindra. Sahiran-tsaina indraindray ny metisy latinô sasany, eo anelanelan'ny fotsy sy ny mainty. Ny tanjona dia ny mahatakatra marina fa voatsindrihazolena isika rehetra. Ny fanafahana antsika, ao anatin'izany ny fotsy hoditra, dia mandalo amin'ny fanafahana ny mainty hoditra. Raha tsy tena takatsika izany, dia ny ampahany amin'ny olana ihany no hitantsika.
MV: How do you envision the future of social activism?
MV: Ahoana ny fahitanao ny hoavin'ny fikatrohana ara-tsosialy?
DPC: I'd love to see a future in which women's leadership is centered, that the idea of leading “with” and not “over” becomes the norm and not the exception. We have enough in this world. We have enough money, water, fresh air. There is enough. We just have to center the attitude of love and leadership that is about everyone and not some people. And I'm not saying that women are perfect, but I have a tremendous amount of confidence in our leadership. If there's that dream that you have in your head and you haven't seen it yet? Go get it. It's yours to get.
DPC: Te hahita ny hoavy ametrahana afovoany ny fahaiza-mitariky ny vehivavy aho, ka ny hevitra fitarihana “miaraka” fa tsy “ambony” no ho lasa fenitra fa tsy fiavahana. Efa ampy ny ananantsika eto amin'ity tontolo ity. Ampy vola, rano, rivotra madio isika. Ampy izay. Mila mametraka ho afovoany ny toetram-pitiavana sy fahaiza-mitarika izay mahakasika ny olona rehetra isika fa tsy ny olona sasany. Ary tsy milaza aho fa lavorary ny vehivavy, fa manana fahatokisana lehibe amin'ny fitarihanay aho. Raha misy izany nofy izany ao an-dohanao fa mbola tsy hitanao? Fantaro izany. Anao izany.