Latinx Heritage Month: Birria de chivo and communal strength

Berkeley Public Health: What is your role here at Berkeley Public Health and how long have you worked here?

Betssy Valencia: I am the Student Funding and Admissions Manager, and I have been working at Berkeley Public Health for almost three years.

What does Latinx Heritage Month mean to you?

Latinx Heritage Month brings about thoughts of communal strength and resilience. Whenever I share stories about my childhood or family history, I always talk about the importance of community and the collectivist mindset that carried us forward.

Like other Latinx families, my immediate family and I lived in a multigenerational home with our extended family. In this space we shared resources, responsibilities, customs, and supported one another. Some of my fondest memories are of the adults coming home from work with bags of groceries and cooking dinner together for the whole family. All the while, my cousins and I would hide underneath the kitchen table in hopes of sneaking sugar cubes without being caught.

A typical evening would consist of children playing in the common areas while our parents and elders drank coffee in the kitchen and exchanged stories about their day. We were always surrounded by family and depended on each other a lot. The adults would take turns cooking, cleaning, ridesharing, and taking the kids out on the weekends. It was always a perfectly orchestrated commotion. There was so much traffic in our home, that I don’t have a single memory of us locking the front door during the day.

Our home also served as a transitional space for family members and friends who had recently relocated to the U.S. They would stay with us for days, weeks, or even months until they were settled enough to find their own space. My mother always expressed the importance of providing a welcoming space and sharing resources with others.

Ultimately, this environment is where I learned a lot about the importance of community and how central it is for survival. It is a big part of our family history and is so essential to our cultural background.

How do you celebrate your heritage?

Some of my favorite ways to celebrate my heritage are by preparing traditional foods specific to the region of Jalisco, Mexico, and its areas of influence. These dishes include birria de chivo, tortas ahogadas, pozole, and carne en su jugo. I also participated in traditional baile folklórico growing up and expanded my knowledge of regional cultures outside of the state of Jalisco. I also observe holidays that are central to my family’s traditions such as Mexican Independence Day, Día de los Muertos, and Día de Los Reyes.

Lastly, my favorite way to celebrate my heritage is by sharing it with others. I love taking my friends to cultural events, sharing cultural practices, cooking for others, and sharing my favorite Mexican films and media.

How can the UC Berkeley School of Public Health amplify and uplift the Latinx experience in healthcare and public health?

There are a lot of disparities in the healthcare system that negatively impact Latinx communities and we can begin some of that preventative work here. Berkeley Public Health can amplify and uplift the Latinx experience in healthcare by hiring more Latinx faculty members. Students would benefit from connecting with faculty that have the personal and cultural experiences to prepare them to serve their respective communities. Additionally, Latinx faculty members can provide practical knowledge that will benefit students of all backgrounds in public health as Latinos make up almost 40% of the population in California but only a small percentage of healthcare professionals.

Moreover, I believe that Berkeley Public health should also focus on preparing more Latinx students for doctoral programs. This would create an abundance of knowledge that can be used in the field or remain in academia to teach future generations. It is imperative that we come together and reflect on the needs of the populations that we are serving as representatives of the University of California.