# DLA Troop Support celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month 

/ Published Sept. 21, 2023
PHILADELPHIA, 
Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support employees celebrated the history, heritage and accomplishments of the Hispanic and Latino community during a National Hispanic American Heritage Month event Sept. 19.

The theme for this year, “Todos Somos, Somos Uno: We Are All, We Are One,” reinforces the diversity integral within the Latino population, as well as the power that comes from being a united community.

Keynote speaker, Eduardo Villavicencio, conservation curator, interactive facilitator and “MotiveActional” speaker, highlighted the theme by discussing what he described as “inherited conversations” that get passed down to you as a child.

“Growing up you inherit certain sets of beliefs, rules, expectations,” he said. “And maybe they go unnoticed, but those inherited conversations mold your life.”

Villavicencio said inherited conversations are passed down from generations, families, religions, societies, ect., and are what give us our autonomy, as well as what often tie communities together. He said they can have positive and negative affects on our lives, which is why they are worth discussing.

He gave the example of an inherited conversation he had growing up about his name Eduardo. In elementary school he went by Eddie. In high school he asked people to call him Ed. Once in college he went by Edward.

“I’ve been using those names as a mask for most of my life,” he said. “I’ve been living under the influence of an inherited conversation that has been rattling around my brain that said, ‘having a Latino name will limit your choices and life and success.’”

No one ever specifically told Villavicencio to change, or Americanize, his name, but he said as a kid, that’s what he heard through subtle messages from family, neighbors and society.

“My subconscious was pretty much sure that was true,” he said. “That put a strain on my self-expression, limited my decision making and practically defined who I was. I didn’t realize that until I was in my 30s.”

Villavicencio said everybody has these conversations in their head from growing up hearing stories, jokes, expressions, phrases and messaging from parents, grand parents, teachers, religious and community leaders and the media. People live their whole live listening to messages that either reinforce or contradict their beliefs.

“My goal for today, is to bring some awareness to this and to have you think about the inherited conversations that have been rattling around in your brain for the past few years,” he said. “And potentially do some exploration and say, ‘how can I take some of these inherited conversations and maybe shift them.’”

Shifting conversations is a five-step process for Villavicencio, that begins with acceptance or simply listening to the conversations. Then comes awareness, by exploring the meaning behind the message. Analyze them by asking, where you heard it, from who, and why. Adaptation is the reframing of certain conversations to serve you better. Then you take action by choosing the conversations that work for you and discarding the others.

“These conversations are just raw material. You get to determine how they apply to your life,” he said. “When you choose what to do and take action, all of that becomes your legacy. I chose to honor my Latino heritage and honor the name that my parents gave me. My question to you is what is your legacy going to be? What inherited conversations do you want to leave behind?”

The event was organized jointly by the DLA Troop Support and Naval Supply Systems Command Weapons System Support offices of Equal Employment Opportunity and Diversity.