Celebrating Our Roots. Honoring Our Heritage.

Latinx Heritage Month at the YMCA of Greater Seattle

Karen Rodriguez La Paz, Chief Development Officer

Every year from September 15 to October 15, Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month gives us an opportunity to celebrate the cultures, histories, traditions, contributions, and stories of communities that have shaped our region and our country for generations.

At the YMCA of Greater Seattle, celebration starts with people. It is in the food shared around a table, the music that brings people together, the traditions passed from one generation to the next, the stories we carry with us, and the many ways our cultures shape how we care for one another and build community.

As we celebrate 150 years of the YMCA of Greater Seattle, we are reflecting on the generations of people who have helped shape both our Y and the communities we serve. A community where all people can reach their fullest potential is not something any organization inherits fully built. It is something we continue building together, year after year.

Why This Month, and Why These Words

The observance began in 1968 as Hispanic Heritage Week and was expanded to a full 30 days in 1988. Its September 15 start is intentional, coinciding with the independence anniversaries of Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua, followed closely by Mexico on September 16 and Chile on September 18.

You may have heard this month referred to as Hispanic Heritage Month, Latino/a Heritage Month, or Latinx Heritage Month. At the YMCA of Greater Seattle, we use Latinx as part of our effort to recognize the breadth of identities represented across these communities, including people whose experiences may not center the Spanish language and people across gender identities.

No single word captures every person, culture, country, or experience represented within such a broad and diverse community. Language evolves, and we want to create room for people to name themselves and share their own stories.

Closer to Home

Here in our region, Hispanic and Latinx communities are part of our history; together we build, lead, serve, advocate for, and strengthen our communities every day. 

Some of our region's most enduring community institutions grew from people seeing a need and organizing together to meet it. In 1972, Chicano activists led by Roberto Maestas occupied the shuttered Beacon Hill School after an adult education program lost its home. From those beginnings grew El Centro de la Raza, which has become a cornerstone of Beacon Hill and continues serving thousands of people through education, housing, economic opportunity, advocacy, cultural programs, and more.

That same spirit of community can be seen through organizations like Sea Mar Community Health Centers. Its work extends well beyond health care to preserve culture, create opportunities for connection, and bring people together. Fiestas Patrias, which grew from celebrations in South Park and later expanded to Seattle Center, has become one of our region's signature celebrations of Latin American culture and community.

These organizations, and so many others across the Puget Sound region, remind us that strong communities do not happen by accident. People build them. They organize, advocate, create, teach, celebrate, and make space for the next generation.

For us at the Y, recognizing Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month is also an opportunity to celebrate the partners, families, staff, volunteers, and community leaders doing that work alongside us every day.

Our Stories

That brings us back to our own Y community.

There is meaning and strength in having a diverse range of perspectives represented throughout our organization, and leadership is no exception. We want people to have space to tell their own stories, share the traditions and experiences that have shaped them, and reflect on how those experiences influence the ways they show up for members, colleagues, and community. 

This month, three colleagues generously shared a little of theirs. Their stories are different, as they should be, but threads of family, resilience, curiosity, belonging, and service run through each of them.

Staff Voices

The heart of this month is our people. Three colleagues shared what their heritage means to them, and what it looks like in the work they do here.

Marisela Navarro

Director of Administration, Office of the President

Marisela Navarro has spent 20 years in the Y movement, 16 of them with the YMCA of Greater Seattle. Ask her what her heritage means and she goes straight to the source.

"Being Hispanic and Latina is a big part of who I am. It's rooted in family, resilience, and always finding a way forward no matter what challenges come your way."

Her grandfather shaped that outlook more than anyone. "To this day, I think about what my grandfather would do or say when I find myself in certain situations."

Growing up surrounded by that kind of love taught her the importance of showing up for people, and she has carried it into her work.

"I try to create a welcoming environment, help where I can, and build genuine connections with people, because I believe relationships are at the heart of everything we do."

What she wants colleagues to understand is that there is no single Hispanic or Latino experience.

"Our community is incredibly diverse, with different cultures, traditions, and stories. What many of us do share is a deep sense of family, hard work, perseverance, and pride in where we come from."

Samantha Morales

Administrative Manager, Y Social Impact Center

Sam Morales has been with the YMCA of Greater Seattle for 22 years, and some of what she knows about her own heritage she learned here. She is Puerto Rican, Russian, and Italian, and was not raised with her Puerto Rican side. Through the Y's Hispanic and Latin American Employee Resource Group, that changed.

"I learned so much about myself, Puerto Rico, Día de Muertos, and more."

One tradition in particular stayed with her. Through the ERG she learned to build an ofrenda, the altar of photographs and offerings at the center of Día de Muertos, and she now makes it a yearly practice.

"Every year at our office I make an ofrenda and invite everyone to put up pictures and names of their loved ones who have passed, including pets."

Her advice for the month is to stay curious.

"There is a lot to learn about Hispanic culture. It's not all the same, but there are many similarities, and it's fun to learn about."

Her favorites, in her own words: a chuletas fritas dinner and Bad Bunny.

Marta Delgadillo

Membership Director, University Family YMCA

Marta Delgadillo has been with the YMCA of Greater Seattle for two years, and her heritage travels with her everywhere.

"It shapes my values, my perspective, and who I am as a person, both at work and in my personal life."

It started with two words. Every morning before school, her mom sent her off with the same instruction: "Échale ganas." Give it your all.

"I've carried that with me every day since, in school, in work, and in life."

At the University Family Y, that shows up as a commitment to the people in front of her.

"I'm always trying to do my best, to work hard, to maintain that passion for excellence. I show up ready to help members, staff, and community members in any way that I can."

What she hopes people take from Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month is a sense of how much there is to explore.

"Latin culture is very rich, beautiful, and multi-dimensional, with many regions, cuisines, and traditions."

Her suggestion: be adventurous and try a new dish. Her own pick is pan dulce, Mexican sweet bread.

These are three stories among many across our Y. We are proud to share them, and we invite others in our community to share their own stories with us too, if they are open to it. There is no single Hispanic or Latinx experience, and that is precisely why hearing from one another matters.

My Story

My Dominican heritage is foundational to who I am. It is family, resilience, ambition, joy, and a deep sense of responsibility to leave something meaningful for the people who come after us.

I think often about my hardworking, entrepreneurial grandfathers and about my great-great-great-grandfather, Gregorio Luperón, an Afro-Dominican leader and central figure in the Dominican Restoration War. Their stories remind me that we inherit more than history. We inherit a responsibility to decide what we will contribute.

That shows up directly in my work at the Y. Fundraising, to me, is really about community. It is inviting people to pour back into the places and people that shaped us through their time, talent, and treasure. We all have something to contribute.

Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month is one moment to focus our attention, but our history, contributions, challenges, and joy exist all year long. It is an invitation to learn more about both our history and our present, and to remember that the personal is political. What happens to one another matters, and we have a responsibility to care for each other.

And if I could recommend one place to start, it would be music. Explore the history and breadth of Dominican music. Merengue, bachata, dembow, and so much more have traveled from a tiny Caribbean island to influence people around the world. I find that incredibly inspiring.

Keep the Celebration Going

These stories are only a few of the many that make up our Y and our community. Keep learning, listening, celebrating, supporting community organizations, and finding your own way to give back.

Belonging is not something we simply talk about. It is something we create for one another.

Where to Celebrate

The Puget Sound region has more going on this month than any one list can hold. Here are a few worth your calendar. Most are free.

Fiesta del Maíz

Saturday, October 3, noon to 5 p.m. Free.

A celebration of maíz and Mesoamerican Indigenous cultures, centered on food, art, and education.

¡Vamos al Acuario!

Select dates through October 15, Seattle Aquarium. Included with admission.

Activities and talks presented in Spanish and English, including a digital scavenger hunt and special Toddler Time programming.

Mexam NW Festival

Select dates through October 31, across the region. Most events free.

Curated by the Consulate of Mexico in Seattle, this multi-event festival spans concerts, parades, and volunteer opportunities.

ParentMap maintains a broader regional roundup with library story times, art workshops, family events, and celebrations from Everett to Olympia.