Hispanic Heritage Month 2022

September 15 through October 15 marks Hispanic Heritage Month. Here at the City of Allen, we celebrate and shine a spotlight on a few of our City of Allen employees who positively influence and enrich our community.

Growing up, Luis Vargas would have never envisioned himself as a firefighter or paramedic, let alone a Fire Captain for the Allen Fire Department. But after witnessing his mother work tirelessly and his brother serve in the military, Luis realized he wanted to work in a service role. ?

"My mother played a significant role in me attending college and trying to do well to make her sacrifices matter," Luis said. "But I don't think I was truly inspired until I started having children. I hope they are as proud of me as I am of my mother."?

One of Luis' biggest obstacles early on was not knowing how to seek out helpful resources for himself. As a first-generation?American, Luis' first language was Spanish, and he taught himself English through television and school. Overcoming those challenges at an early age taught Luis how to have compassion for the people he serves.?

"I can relate to interactions we have with residents in our City in a lower socioeconomic group or with Spanish as their primary language," Luis said. ?

In the past few years, Luis started celebrating the Mexican holiday Dia De Los Muertos with his wife and children to demonstrate that the bond to his family and heritage transcends their physical presence. ?

"Through our heritage, we also experience an abundance of love through home-cooked meals and hospitality," Luis said. "On a recent trip to Mexico where my relatives met my children and wife for the first time, my wife was deeply moved by how our family was embraced with open arms and how my relatives fed us all day long."

Early on, Paulina Figueroa discovered she enjoyed working with people, especially as a team. So when the Senior Administrative Assistant position in Human Resources opened up, Paulina realized it would be a great fit because of her passion for helping people.? ?

However, a barrier Paulina had to overcome was feeling like she was not good enough, which often took away from her self-confidence. ?

"The way I have worked to overcome my fear and self-doubt has been to remind myself that the only thing worse than failure is not trying," Paulina said. "My experiences have been better than I could have thought possible, mainly because I just decided to try."? ?

For Hispanic Heritage Month, Paulina reflects on her Guatemalan heritage that helped shape the person she is today. Growing up, she and her family would visit Guatemala almost every summer.? ?

"My sisters and I would immerse ourselves in all the cultural traditions of my family," Paulina said. "We would spend those two months exposed to our heritage's food, language, and history." ?

And if you're looking to travel outside of the United States, there's no place Paulina recommends more than Antigua, Guatemala. ?

"The food, art, and history are just some of my top favorites," Paulina said. "Outside of spending time with family, I truly love exploring all the Mayan ruins when I visit!"?

For over seven years, Luis Amaro has served the City of Allen as a Traffic Signal Technician. From installing traffic signal equipment to maintaining school zone flashers, Luis has kept the community safe on the roads. Before that, Luis kept the country safe by serving in the U.S. Army – a decision Luis said he is most proud of making.?

"I come from the mechanical and military industry," Luis said. "I took the City of Allen job as a change of profession. I love it and take pride in what I do." ?

When it comes to his work ethic, Luis draws inspiration from a former baseball coach.?

"He told me always to do things right, even if they go wrong, and never do them wrong to see if it goes right," Luis said. "I always take that to heart in everything I do."?

As a Puerto Rican, Luis has learned to be resilient and joyful despite obstacles that come his way, like learning English. ?

"Spanish is my first language, and English is always a challenge," Luis said. "But making an effort to learn a new trade is always going to be hard."?

One thing Luis loves about being Puerto Rican is how hospitable everyone is towards each other. ?

"I treasure our adoration for our country and making people feel welcome wherever we are," Luis said. "And, of course, I love the food too!"?

Despite spending most of her childhood in the pages of a book, Crystal Macias never imagined working at a library. Instead, she began her career studying and working as a massage therapist, where she even got to work on WWE wrestlers. But life eventually led her back to university, where she studied English and pursued a master's degree.?

"I looked for ways where I could share my love of literature. This is how I eventually came to find the Allen Public Library." Crystal said. "I truly value education and the opportunities it provides me with." ?

For over a year, Crystal has served as a Youth Library Assistant, helping patrons find books, suggesting reads for kids and teens, and occasionally creating programs that the community can attend. ?

"The event I've been most happy creating is 'Daebak! It's K-Pop,’ where I get to share my love for Korean music with teens and soon adults through games and language lessons," Crystal said.?

Crystal said a beautiful part of her heritage is the community it provides her with through the Mexican culture rich in tradition, like quincea?eras, posadas, and the great food that comes with such celebrations.?

"Being Hispanic allows me to be part of two cultures and languages. This mix has created beautiful moments in my day-to-day life," Crystal said. "Through my family, I have learned what it means to live with passion and purpose and to never take anything for granted." ?