Colorado Public Radio recently did an incredible series on Center, Colorado. The series highlighted this small town located in the heart of the San Luis Valley and the long time conflicts between the Hispanic community and the Anglos. The town is in the center of the potatoe industry and has a long history of agricultural production. It is an incredible story of social action, a fight for rights, and the complexity of the ongoing struggle between the farm owners and the workers and the clash of cultures.
I was fortunate enough to work recently on the childcare center; my clients were many of the community activists features in the podcast. The center called La Frontera had been an important place for the Hispanic community
Click here for Part 1 of the Podcast
Click here for Part 2 of the Podcast
Several years ago the original building burned down and we had the opportunity to help the center reimagine how it worked. An important discovery was that the kitchen was at the center of everything since for many of the young children this was their best meal of the day. Given the central role of food and cooking in Hispanic culture this was a special part of the culture of La Frontera. We were also able to put the main room for the community center right on Main St and provide a better flow for dropping off students and connecting to the playground.
It was inspiring working with this incredible group of educators and activists who made such a difference in their community.