The Beauty of Diversity

By Juan Romagoza, Founder of La Clínica del Pueblo

Walter Tejada, thank you for that beautiful introduction. I am humbled
to be speaking behind a man who has contributed so much to the
Hispanic community in the metropolitan area [1]. I am also grateful to
have such kind words said about me.

I am delighted to be here once again in Washington, D.C. It is also
nice to say hello to old friends, old acquaintances, and new friends
among the audience. It is particularly heartwarming to be opening the
First Annual Hispanic Heritage Exhibition for the Latino Cultural
Center [2]. I am aware of the Latinos in this room: we must embrace
our role in the future of the U.S.

Thank you for the privilege you have granted me to speak during
Hispanic Heritage Month [3]. I hope what I speak about today continues
to promote the legacy of men and women whose commitment and dedication
inspire us to endure their deeds. Men and women like César Chávez and
Dolores Huerta, who defended and promoted equality and social justice
for our community, as well as tried to improve the lives of the farm
workers [4]. But now the invitation is for us to use our skills to
help our community.

I intend tonight to touch upon the themes that this exhibition will be
presenting during this month and to talk about my Latino identity,
where it came from, and the influence I perceive it has on my life and
yours.

Who am I? I am a Salvadoran who came to the United States escaping
from the civil war in my country. I was working as a doctor for the
rural poor in El Salvador when, in 1980, I was detained for 22 days at
the National Guard headquarters [5]. I was suspected to be a guerrilla
leader and tortured so severely that I lost my ability to perform
surgery.

Like many other Salvadoran immigrants during the 1980s, I came looking
to find security in this country. For me, the worst thing that
happened in my life was having to leave my hometown. I believed I was
going to go back as a doctor and do what I had always dreamed. Later
on, I understood my people were also here. They are everywhere. I
discovered I was part of a bigger whole. It’s true, I am a Salvadoran,
but I am also a Latino. Being a Latino goes beyond nationality,
language, and race. It’s a shared culture that acts as a lens through
which we evaluate what we consider to be “good,” “proper,” and
“normal.” Diversity thrives among us!

The United States is a nation that takes pride in its ethnic
diversity, recognizing its importance in shaping our society and
adding richness to its existence. Many of us struggle with this
tension and attempt to maintain and promote our cultural and ethnic
identities in a society that is often ambivalent about how to deal
with its differences. In this time of great debate, we must remember
that it is not political struggles that create a Latino identity. We
are Latinos by the way we live our lives, by our commitments to our
families, our faith, and our service to our community.

This exhibition illustrates the meaning of cultural diversity, as a
system of various beliefs and behaviors that not only recognize the
presence of different groups in a society but also respect those
groups.

The focus of my speech tonight, however, is not about the struggle to
get us where we are and where we need to go. Instead, it is to discuss
the importance of valuing the Hispanic people in our country, their
contributions to the United States [6], and to inspire you to continue
working for this nation so that we may become empowered.

I also hope that by raising the question today of what difference
Latinos can make in this country, we will start our own evaluation.
We, all of us in this assembly, must continue individually and in
united voices to think about these questions and to figure out how we
go about creating new opportunities.

We have to encourage our new generations to celebrate the differences
among us every day because it’s the best way to transmit our culture
and heritage.

I am delighted to have been here tonight and extend once again my
deepest gratitude to all of you for listening and letting me share my
reflections on being a Latino voice in this country. Thank you.