We are Neighbors and the Spanish Teacher

by Paco Díaz

I have always viewed a teacher as being engaged, following their calling with preparation and professionalism, since they have a great responsibility. They also have the great opportunity to build bridges between the people they interact with and to share many stories with the community.

I worked at a non-profit organization that operates a day labor center in Seattle. I started working as a driver. The center was in a vacant lot on Western Avenue and Battery Street.

Every morning, many people came to the center looking for work. Unfortunately, they were confused with people on the corner of Western Avenue and Bell Street doing illegal things which gave the Workers’ Center a bad reputation.

Fortunately, in 2008 the organization purchased a building at a new location in the Central District at 17th Avenue and Jackson Street. Everything seemed good within the Workers’ Center, but there was one problem. The neighbors who lived in the area did not want the organization there because they thought it would bring in people who did things outside the law.

So, the organization made an effort to explain the situation and guarantee that there would be no problems. Since the people who will come to the organization were workers and students of English, it was necessary to create a link with that community, and someone had the idea of offering Spanish classes.

One of the solutions was to create a program where English classes were offered for workers in the afternoon while Spanish classes were available for the neighbors who wanted to learn and practice another language. This also provided an opportunity for the residents to coexist among all the workers. Students of both languages ended the class with fun activities. The name of this program is SOMOS VECINOS (WE ARE NEIGHBORS).

I started around that time as a volunteer Spanish teacher, fulfilling a dream for me. It was also a way for me to learn and practice English, with the opportunity to meet my community, since I lived in the Central District.

Now, in 2022, after 14 years the program continues, and I continue as a Spanish Teacher, committed and enjoying building bridges because, in the end, we are all NEIGHBORS.

Paco Díaz was born in Mexico City and emigrated to the United States nearly two decades ago. He is passionate about communications and his community. Through his involvement with the Latinx community, he has become a well-known and trusted communicator in the Puget Sound Area. His experience includes speaking on radio programs, television, social networks, and advertising campaigns, as well as writing articles for the press and hosting events. Paco is Co-Founder and Executive Director of PLATAFORMA LATINA NETWORKS, a media company that creates and broadcasts information in Spanish made by and for Latinxs in the Great Seattle area and is a member of the board of directors of Encanto Arts, an organization that promotes art and supports young students. The mission of his work in communications and activities is that we become more interested in the common good and get involved in activities that help us live better, with all the positive consequences, both individual and collective, that this entails.

Learn more about the City of Seattle’s Historic Preservation program and how you can get involved at seattle.gov/neighborhoods/historic-preservation.

This piece was commissioned by the Seattle Department of Neighborhoods. The opinions expressed and information contained herein do not necessarily reflect the policies, plans, beliefs, conclusions, or ideas of the City of Seattle.