Week Four: the workplace

It’s hard to believe that I have lived in Detroit for a month now. I still kind of feel like the newbie at the office, but the people at DHDC have been extremely welcoming and friendly. When I walk into the office each day, I am greeted with a smile and buenos dias by various co-workers. I really enjoy the people at my workplace, and I have learned so much from them already. From self-esteem to community organizing to being more culturally aware, my-coworkers have taught me a lot of important lessons.

The work culture at DHDC is pretty relaxed and entertaining, although everyone clearly works hard to help the community. There is a diverse mix of long-time staff and young, new staff (ages 60+ to 18). The staff is also pretty diverse in race/ethnicity, but with a (not surprisingly) Hispanic majority. Employees are allowed to bring their kids in, so there are usually a few youngins playing around the office. DHDC has strong values, and I have a lot of respect for that. The founder, Angie, is a power-women. I heard her in an NPR interview on my home from work today! She clearly has a passion for improving the Southwest community, and combatting communal issues.

At DHDC, we speak strictly spanglish. My co-workers are constantly switching between Spanish and English, which at first took some getting used to, but I think I’ve got the hang of it now! I am still trying to improve my Spanish speaking skills and to engage in Spanish conversation whenever possible. It’s a work in progress…

Working at DHDC has made me think more about what I often take for granted, such as citizenship. Every time I drive my car, the idea/fear of getting deported never crosses my mind. However, for undocumented immigrants, this fear is real and happens everyday. My co-worker was telling me the other day that before her husband got his papers straight, she used to fear that every time he called her, that it could be a deportation call. How scary is that? Or how about applying to college? Some children are brought to the U.S. at a very young age and don’t have correct documents. Although they have lived in this country for most of their lives, many cannot get in-state tuition at universities, making it unaffordable for most undocumented students. These people come her for a better life and more opportunities, but at times, it can feel entrapping.

Overall, I’m happy that I received the Detroit Hispanic Development as my summer placement, and I’m looking forward to the next 6 weeks! 🙂

Here are side-by-side pictures of a building that I see almost every day. The bottom picture was taken the first week, and the top, this week. Its amazing how different Detroit looks depending on the weather. Sunny = hopeful. Cloudy/rain = desolate.