Metro Transit employees come from many cultures and backgrounds. To celebrate this diversity, employees who are proud to share their heritage and identity will be regularly featured on the Riders' Almanac blog. Read more stories here.
Please share a little bit about your background.
I'm an associate communications specialist in the Transit Control Center (TCC), where I answer Text for Safety messages and issue Rider Alerts. In my free time, I'm studying to be a mathematician.
My family is from Puerto Rico, and my parents are from New York City. I was born in Germany and grew up all over the place but identify as Puerto Rican based on how strong the culture was part of my upbringing. The most important thing to me is that family is everything, we always share and help each other. Mi casa es su casa (my house is your house) isn't just a saying in our house – we live it.
How do you celebrate your culture today?
I celebrate my culture by giving back to the community. After Hurricane Maria, I sponsored a displaced Puerto Rican family living in Minnesota. Currently, I donate to and fundraise for Lathisms, an organization that supports and celebrates Hispanics in the mathematical sciences. My family is very welcoming, especially with food. No one leaves our home hungry and everyone is welcome to the table. We celebrate Puerto Rican Day by having a family barbeque with all the cousins the same weekend the Puerto Rican parade is held in New York.
What is a cultural tradition that's important to you?
Being with family and sharing a meal with traditional Puerto Rican food. Probably my favorite food to share with friends are tostones, which are double fried plantains. In addition, you can't have dinner without arroz con gandules. I love giving away spices like Adobo and Sazon to my friends, family, and the faculty at my college. If you'd like to learn more about Puerto Rican cuisine, I recommend looking up Sabor with Love on YouTube or Instagram. His recipes are amazing and very authentic.