Connections Hispanic American Heritage Month September 15—October 15, 2020 U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR PMB Administrative Services AVSO BAD CADR IBC OFAS OHA Our Vision: To Deliver Outstanding Products and Customer Service While Actively Creating and Sustaining a Respectful Focus Message from the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Administrative Services Dear Administrative Services Team, I’m delighted to welcome the Department’s Office of Civil Rights (OCR) to the collaborative team contributing to our monthly issues of Connections Magazine. I especially want to welcome Erica D. White-Dunston, Esq., OCR Director and Chief Diversity Officer, andTyvonia Ward, Director of the Affirmative Employment Program Division, who will be joining me in providing executive sponsorship in our continuing efforts to champion the Special Emphasis Program throughout DOI. Thank you for your kind support, Erica and Tyvonia! I look forward to working with you to bring Connections to an ever-wider audience within the Department. This year’s National Hispanic Heritage Month theme is Hispanics: Be Proud of Your Past, Embrace the Future. What better way to exemplify this theme than to feature on our cover Ellen Ochoa, the first Hispanic woman in space. Following her career as an astronaut, Dr. Ochoa was the 11th Director of NASA’s Johnson IN THIS ISSUE: Space Center and had the honor of having six schools named after her across the country. Read more about this remarkable HISPANIC-AMERICAN individual on page five. HERITAGE MONTH To commemorate National Hispanic Heritage Month, we’re pleased to feature the OCR’s People of Interior initiative, which 2 Welcome/Table of Contents 3 About Hispanic-American Heritage shines a spotlight on our team members, co-workers and friends Month who proudly celebrate their Hispanic heritage. I know you will 4 World Facts enjoy reading the profiles included in this issue beginning on 5 Profile: Ellen Ochoa page six and I encourage you to celebrate the extraordinary 6 People of Interior 9 Profile: Abel Ramon contributions made by Hispanic Americans to our shared 10 Coming to America experience here in the United States of America. 11 Encuentra tu Parque 13 Combined Federal Campaign Please take care and stay safe, 14 Voices for Change: Dolores Huerta 15 Carlos Santana 16 About the Special Emphasis Program - Jacqueline M. Jones The National Hispanic Cultural Center, Albuquerque, New Mexico 2 22 About National Hispanic-American Heritage Month Screen capture from Google Earth From the National Park Service From the U.S. Census Bureau During National Hispanic Heritage Month, we recognize Did You Know? the contributions and the important presence of • 60.6 million Hispanic and Latin Americans. The Hispanic population of the United States as of July 1, 2019, September 15 to October 15 is celebrated nationwide as making people of Hispanic origin the nation’s largest ethnic or National Hispanic Heritage Month. It traditionally honors racial minority. Hispanics constitutedPOPULATIONS 18.5% of the nation ’s the cultures and contributions of both Hispanic and total population. Latino Americans as we celebrate heritage rooted in all • 12 Latin American countries. During this month and The number of states with a population of 1 million or more throughout the year, we, and our partners, share history, Hispanic residents in 2019 — Arizona, California, Colorado, heritage, and accomplishments of Hispanic and Latino Florida, Georgia, Illinois, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Americans of past and present. North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Texas. • Hispanic refers to a person who is from, or a • 34,358 descendant of someone who is from, a Spanish- The increase from 2018 to 2019 in the number of Hispanics in speaking country. Maricopa, Arizona, the biggest jump in this population during • Latino/a or Latinx refers to a person who is from, or this period. a descendant of someone who is from, a country in • 29.8 Latin America. The median age of the Hispanic population, up from 27.3 in 2010. 3 World View Hispanic Countries: Populations Screen capture from Google Earth Mexico 128,932,753 Colombia 50,882,891 Spain 46,754,778 Argentina 45,195,774 Peru 32,971,854 Venezuela 28,435,940 Chile 19,116,201 Guatemala 17,915,568 Ecuador 17,643,054 Bolivia 11,673,021 Cuba 11,326,616 Dominican Republic 10,847,910 Honduras 9,904,607 Nicaragua 6,624,554 El Salvador 6,486,205 POPULATIONS Clockwise from above: Western Hemisphere delineating Spanish-speaking countries; Mexico tourism poster from the 1950’s; flags of Spanish-speaking countries (and Puerto Rico, the largest Spanish-speaking territory). 4 6 First Hispanic Woman in Space On the Cover: NASA Astronaut Dr. Ellen Ochoa From NASA.GOV Dr. Ellen Ochoa, a veteran astronaut, was the 11th director of the Johnson Space Center (JSC). She was JSC's first Hispanic director, and its second female director. Her previous management roles include Deputy Center Director and Director of Flight Crew Operations. Ochoa joined NASA in 1988 as a research engineer at Ames Research Center and moved to Johnson Space Center in 1990 when she was selected as an astronaut. She became the first Hispanic woman to go to space when she served on the nine- day STS-56 mission aboard the space shuttle Discovery in 1993. She has flown in space four times, including STS-66, STS-96 and STS-110, logging nearly 1,000 hours in orbit. Born in California, Ochoa earned a bachelor's degree in physics from San Diego State University and a master's degree and doctorate in electrical engineering from Stanford University. As a research engineer at Sandia National Laboratories and NASA Ames Research Center, Ochoa investigated optical systems for performing information processing. She is a co-inventor on three patents and author of several technical papers. Ochoa has been recognized with NASA's highest award, the Distinguished Service Medal, and the Presidential Distinguished Rank Award for senior executives in the federal government. She has received many other awards and is especially honored to have six schools named for her. She is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), serves on several boards, and chairs the Nomination Evaluation Committee for the National Medal of Technology and Floating upside down and reading a checklist may not be how most of us perform the Innovation. day's work, but it was for astronaut Ellen Ochoa on Space Shuttle Discovery's STS-96 Ochoa is married to Coe Miles, an intellectual mission in May 1999. Ochoa floats along side the Volatile Removal Assembly Flight Experiment (VRAFE) located in the Spacelab during the flight. property attorney. They have two sons. 5 This Month: Celebrating Hispanic-American Heritage Matt Azhocar (pictured, right) is BLM’s Division Chief for the National Training Center in Phoenix, AZ. Matt enjoys working alongside his teammates and providing educational and growth opportunities for all employees and learning communities at Interior. Lili Valderrama (far right) is a Peruvian-American Bilingual Interpretive Seasonal Park Ranger at Olympic National Park in Washington State. Her most memorable day as a ranger was when she conducted a bilingual program for Latinx students at Forks Elementary. Lili says students are the future stewards of our national parks. Alejandro Vazquez (right) is a Ranger at Mount Rainier National Park in Washington State. As an educator in the outdoors, Alejandro helps provide a space on public lands that is inclusive to and welcoming of diverse audiences. Angel Colon-Santiago (far right) is a Biologist with FWS in Puerto Rico. He helps people understand how the Federal government protects wildlife in the Caribbean. Stephanie Romanach (right) is a USGS Research Ecologist at Everglades National Park in Florida. Stephanie is passionate about the conservation of nature, whether it is for our well-being and enjoyment, or to preserve for future generations. Maria Trevino (far right) enjoys working for NPS’s Rivers, Trails, and Conservation Assistance Program. Because of her work, she has the opportunity to learn from different communities, allowing her to expand her vision of the world. “People of Interior” is a monthly feature from the Department’s Office of Civil Rights 6 to recognize and celebrate the cultural heritage of our employees. 6 “It is humbling to be part of this vast 65,000+ network of talented professionals serving in such a diverse setting. Our collective mission is as vast as the impact we have on this planet.” - Ray Limon, Deputy Assistant Secretary Human Capital and Diversity Leo Miranda (left) is a Regional Director at FWS. He and his team of 1300 employees work conserving fish and wildlife and providing outdoor recreation on public lands from the Southern Appalachians to the Caribbean. Catherine Cilfone (right), NPS, is Chair of the Department of Interior’s National Association of Hispanic Employees (NAHE). Catherine partners with DOI senior leaders to help DOI maximize diversity efforts for all employees. Ivette Lopez (left) is a Park Ranger in Sacramento. She is fulfilled by connecting local, diverse communities to nature by getting people outdoors. Robert Casias (right), BLM: “I have devoted myself to the management of the Public Lands because I feel a responsibility to the stewardship of these lands and the resources contained on them.” Ivan Llerandi Roman (left) is Habitat Restoration Programs Caribbean Coordinator for FWS in Puerto Rico. He works with partners to restore important habitats for at-risk species. Eduardo Chaidez (right) is a Park Guide/Volunteer Coordinator at the John Muir National Historic Site in California. He creates opportunities for diverse communities to connect to our cultural and natural resources. “People of Interior” is a monthly feature from the Department’s Office of Civil Rights 7 to recognize and celebrate the cultural heritage of our employees.