Emma Gallagher, Earthscope Reporter
I had the privilege this week to sit down with David Escobar, Administrative Aide to Supervisor Steve Kinsey of the Marin County Board of Supervisors (District 4). Escobar is the first bi-cultural aide in Marin, which has propelled his activism in social service programs to embrace diversity and create cultural competency. Escobar with Marin County has created Literacy Programs in West Marin to educate non-English speaking adults, increased bilingual staff in Health and Human Services, and Dave has worked in the Canal neighborhood for the Summer of Peace Project. Some of his other recent work involves initiating environmental awareness within Latino, Hispanic, and Indigenous communities. He has begun to propel the “Green Movement” to encompass all aspects of the community by involving these communities.
We learned from David Escobar that there are many diverse groups of people within Marin from different ethnic and cultural backgrounds. For example, an immigrant from Mexico could be of indigenous Mayan background. This means that when they relocate to the United States, they must learn Spanish and English to live within both communities, including new immigrant neighborhoods, and established communities in Marin. With this being said, there is a wide range of socio-economic dimensions that exist within these immigrant communities within Latino, Hispanic, and Indigenous peoples. Factors like peoples’ education level, language barriers, cultural differences, and low income all affect how environmental awareness is prioritized in these communities. Escobar explained that “a lot of folks in different low-income communities are in survival mode”, and that it is difficult to put precedence on the environment over basic necessities. Things like organic foods are thought to be inaccessible and expensive, even though bargain shoppers can easily buy reasonable organics. However, low-income socio-economic groups don’t have the time or money for research and transportation to obtain these goods. There is also a major lack of education that hinders the environmental movement in these communities. Escobar explained, “a lot of the organizations that are ‘sustainable and green’ are really made for English speakers” and do not provide bilingual information on their websites or marketing campaigns. Even though the Spanish language community is one of the largest in the U.S., many aspects of the “Green Movement” do not reach out to this demographic.
Escobar recognizes the importance of educating these groups of people in order to propel the “Green Movement” as a whole: “If the environmental groups are serious about the planet, it is about getting out of their comfort zone and reaching out to low-income groups, people of color, and other bilingual communities”. He stressed that education is the key to successfully “going green”, not just for these minority groups, but for Marin as a whole. And this is education on both ends; low-income and bilingual communities need information on sustainability and the environment, while environmental groups need to understand the importance of this outreach and how to peruse it. It is Escobar’s job to “be the bridge to those organizations that do want to reach out.”
Escobar has done a lot within the Latino, Hispanic, and Indigenous communities to spread information and environmental awareness. He has established workshops in Spanish and English on indigenous perspectives, sustainability, and global warming. He has also been involved with “Promotores Verdes” (Green Promoters), a bilingual organization that spreads the message of “going green” to Spanish-speaking communities all throughout Marin. They have spoken about re-usable bags, plastic bottle use, renewable energy, and other “green” lifestyle choices. These projects are so imperative because they come from within these communities and spark local activism. Escobar’s position on the Board of Supervisors allows for initiatives and projects to be successfully funded, marketed, and completed, thus “bridging the gap.”
In low-income communities like the Canal, Escobar has also been involved with promoting healthy eating and organic produce. He proudly stated, “we worked on creating a community garden with other partners and stake-holders for about eight years, and it finally happened this summer.” Now, people in the Canal have access to organic produce right in their backyard. This hands-on involvement is key to keeping the movement in effect. Information is the basis for change, but action is what dictates it. Escobar is so passionate about initiating this change because it doesn’t just better these communities: it affects everyone. If one section of a population lacks environmental consciousness, the entire population could face consequences: “everything is completely connected.” Things like jobs, health, housing, and money all deal with the environment in some aspect. Marin as a community is responsible for its environment equally because everyone eats, drinks, and breathes from the same natural world. To spread this message, Escobar not only helps to spread information, but he also listens to the communities he’s involved with. Their feedback, especially among the youth, is what dictates his work and where he needs to focus his initiatives.
I asked Escobar what advice he would give to the average Marin youth trying to make a difference in the “Green Movement”. He couldn’t stress enough the importance of communication between the young and old generations. Escobar uses his wisdom and position with the voice of young people to create a successful movement. He explains, “Young people are so powerful. Most of the movements on this planet were started by young people.” The “Green Movement” is no exception. Escobar has seen most interest beginning in young people with his work in the environmental initiative. These positives responses are indicative of the potential progress in the movement, both in minority groups and in all of Marin. If the information becomes more accessible in bilingual population, local projects continue to engage communities, and young people stay interested, the “Going Green” initiative could be a key contribution to the environmental movement in its entirety. Escobar’s work has and will continue to better the lifestyles of Latino, Hispanic, and Indigenous communities and benefit Marin to be a more equal, clean, and sustainable society.
For more information on David Escobar and his work, visit his blog at http://davidescobarconsultancy.blogspot.com/.
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