Hispanic Heritage Month Employee Spotlight: Justin Williams

Name: Justin Williams

Pronouns: He/Him

Position: National Advocacy Operations & Data Strategy Manager (Campaigns Team & Operations Team)

What does Hispanic Heritage Month mean to you?

Of course it is a great opportunity to broadly celebrate the achievements, incredible impacts, and beautiful culture that Hispanic and Latinx people have contributed to the United States throughout its history (and even long before it existed). It's also a very personal experience, as it provides an opportunity for self-reflection and extra connection to my roots and how they shape my life.

How would you describe your cultural identity? How do you identify yourself? Why?

In a word: complicated. Hispanic and Latinx people in the United States are not a monolith and there is no singular Hispanic or Latinx experience. It's a bit of an umbrella term that attempts to unite very diverse peoples that can have roots in one or multiple of 20-ish countries across a hemisphere.

I tend to identify myself as Mexican-American or Latino. However, I often feel like I straddle two different cultures and don't perfectly fit into either. My mother immigrated from Mexico and my father is American, and I was raised with aspects of both Mexican and American culture and without some aspects from each. This dichotomy seemed to physically manifest growing up in a California border town-I could see the deserts and mountains of both Mexico and the United States any time I walked out the front door.

Growing up with this complicated identity often led me to feeling not American enough for Americans nor Mexican enough for Mexicans. I've heard other folks with similar situations use a Spanish phrase to describe this feeling: ni de aqui, ni de alla (neither from here nor there).

Is there a Hispanic/Latine/x Advocate, Activist, and/or Conservationist that inspires you?

Instead of naming a famous activist, I'd like to acknowledge and lift up all of the Latinx folks out there right now, and those that have come before us, that will probably not be named in the history books but have been on the front lines in the fights for environmental, conservation, and climate justice in their communities. They inspire me to keep doing what I'm doing.

What is your favorite thing about your culture/heritage?

It's so hard to pick one thing, so I'll list a few:

• Food - Cooking Mexican food at home really connects me to my family and my culture. I cook recipes passed down from my grandparents who probably got the recipes from their grandparents. My favorite dishes are mole poblano, chile colorado, enchiladas, and tamales.
• Music - while there are many Latinx artists and genres that I love, I have a special place in my heart for Selena Quintanilla. She was a Mexican-American singer known as "the Queen of Tejano" and remains an icon to many younger Mexican-Americans like myself who carry complicated cultural identities.
• Holidays - Since I just set up my ofrenda, I'll say another one of my favorite things about my culture is the celebration of Dia de los Muertos. It helps me remember fond memories with my grandfather and uncle and reflect on my familial roots and heritage more broadly.