Abby Palacios can feel the political tension in the air just by walking in a room.
But she said the fear she carries won’t stop her from celebrating her culture this month.
“I’m proudly Brown,” said Palacios, of Spokane.
While multiple Washington organizations have canceled or adjusted their Hispanic Heritage Month events amid ongoing immigration crackdowns under the Trump administration, Palacios and other Latinos are heading into the month feeling empowered. They hope people will look into the importance Latinos hold to the country’s history.
Hispanic Heritage Month, which began Monday and goes until Oct. 15, first started in 1968 as Hispanic Heritage Week under former President Lyndon Johnson. It expanded to a full month under former President Ronald Reagan in 1988. The monthlong celebration is intended to celebrate the history and culture of Latinos.
During President Donald Trump’s first term, he praised the contribution of millions of Latinos in the United States, considering them part of the reason why the United States is “strong and prosperous.”
“They contribute to our Nation beyond description. Hispanic Americans embody the best of our American values, including commitment to faith, family, and country. They serve in our military and protect us as members of law enforcement. In fact, Hispanic Americans make up half of our Border Patrol agents. The Hispanic-American community has left an indelible mark on our government, culture, and economy,” Trump stated in a proclamation in 2020.
Adjusting to the current political climate
Palacios, who is the business owner and master esthetician for Chicana Esthetics, a skin care clinic, said she first heard about Hispanic Heritage Month when she was in middle school during her English as a second language class.
Since then, she dedicates this month to educating herself on her culture and the local Latino community.
She said with constant attacks to the Latino community, she hopes others do the same.
“I’m definitely feeling the love and support, but I’m also feeling the heaviness and weight we all have felt during this month, given what has continued to happen within our community and the families who’ve been separated from their loved ones,” Palacios said. “I’m hoping people use this month to truly educate and spread awareness about the history, our culture, our language. We have to be the voice for those who don’t have one at the moment.”
Palacios said about 90% of her clients are Latinos, many who have expressed concern over Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrests.
She said she started putting “Know Your Rights” cards and other information on Latino-led organizations in the waiting area in case her clients found themselves in a troubling situation.
“I’ve had some clients say, ‘I’m not going to be able to make it to your event because I’m too afraid of this,’ or, ‘I am not going to be able to come in as often because of this.’ That makes me so uncomfortable to know that we have to be in fear about going places,” Palacios said.
In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, she said she’s offering a discount to clients who bring in coats or warm clothing. The items will be donated to Nuestras Raices Community Center, she said.
Nuestras Raices canceled its Tacos y Tequila Festival, an annual two-day celebration of Latino culture, which typically draws about 7,000 attendees each day.
“I’m just kind of finding ways to continuously support the community,” Palacios said. “I think that it’s huge to walk into those spaces and try to find ways to help and support, whether it’s to donate, whether it’s to share resources, volunteer, protest, whatever you’re able to do, do that because it’s doing something.”
Jennifer Vigil, Nuestras Raices’ president of the board of directors, said the Tacos y Tequila Festival cancellation hasn’t let that ruin the organization’s goal to honor Latinos in Spokane through smaller events.
“We’ve had to be a little more cautious and a lot more strategic in our planning, but something that has been entirely wonderful is the way that our community has stepped up to support us and stand in solidarity with us,” Vigil said.
She said they had a fundraiser at No-Li Brewhouse last month, which has extended support through the whole month of October and will have a special celebration on Oct. 25.
Vigil also said Flatstick Pub reached out to help fundraise through their games and are working to finalize the dates.
“We are a culture that embraces those around us. There’s always food, family and music and everything that we do, and you will see those things present in any event that we have,” Vigil said.
Latinos en Spokane is also holding some of its larger events through El Mercadito, a Latino farmers market they host on the last Saturday of each month in Liberty Lake.
Denise Hernandez, the organization’s communication and marketing manager, said they will hold Mexican and Central America Independence Day celebrations on Sept. 27, with food and music honoring Latinos, including from Guatemala, El Salvador and Nicaragua.
“They’re going to be more community led, and just a more welcoming environment where people can feel safer,” Hernandez said.
While the events are on a smaller scale, she emphasized this doesn’t take away from the importance of the Latino culture.
“Just keep fighting; put your heads up,” Hernandez said. “Spokane is full of a lot of organizations that are trying to keep our community uplifted, so the only thing that we can say right now is, just be careful and know your rights.”
