The Office for Diversity and Inclusion is proud to celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month. From Sept. 15-Oct. 15, the anniversaries of several Latin American nations who declared independence are honored, including Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Chile, Mexico, and Belize.
For the first installment of our three-part series, we sat down with Angelica Jaimes Rice, a staff member who works in Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics as a speech-language pathologist, to tell us about her work and her heritage.
Language: a powerful tool for connection
Angelica Jaimes Rice
Rice is a first-generation immigrant born in Santiago Tianguistenco de Galeana in Mexico. She is proud of her heritage and has incorporated several aspects of her identity into her work.
"Essentially, being Latina is such an integral part of who I am," Rice says, "so I celebrate my heritage by just being myself." This affirmation is evident in Rice’s career path, which has centered around language—the repository of history, human connection, and cultural identity.
A 2016 UAB alumna, Rice first worked as a Spanish interpreter at UAB Guest Services during her undergraduate career. Then, she joined the U.S. Peace Corps and lived in Ecuador for over two years. Her path took her to graduate school at UT Dallas, but she returned to UAB to complete a clinical fellowship in Speech-Language Pathology at UAB Civitan-Sparks Clinics. "Afterwards, I became an official employee at UAB Civitan-Sparks Clinics in August 2022," she says.
Now, in her current role at UAB, she works on an interdisciplinary team of audiologists, psychologists, speech therapists, pediatricians, and social workers.
"Most families we see have a child with a question of autism spectrum disorder. Alabama's University Center for Excellence on Developmental Disabilities (UCEDD) and Leadership and Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities (LEND) training program is also housed in our clinic."
"Currently, I am also the interim director for UAB's Regional Autism Network (RAN). We are one of five networks in the state, and our main objective is to connect people with autism, their families, educators, and service providers to the information and/or services that best meet their needs."
Jaimes serves as her clinic's programs' diversity, equity, and inclusion coordinator. She leans into her cultural experiences and identity to help their team highlight cultural and linguistic responsiveness in the training curriculum.
A career aligned with cultural values
For Jaimes, living life aligned with her values of identity is critical. And National Hispanic Heritage Month is a time to hone in on what makes her grateful for her heritage.
She says it is a time to "celebrate and validate the large and small contributions made by Latinos in areas like politics, music, art, agriculture, and cuisine."
During this month, Jaimes says she reflects on her culture. "I feel extra grateful to my parents for pushing us to be proud of our language, physical features, food, and traditions despite them not being the cultural norm. Our vibrant culture reflects our ancestors' accomplishments, and that is something to be proud of."
"I am more of a celebrate-my-heritage-all-year-long type of girl. I celebrate being Latina by asking my mom to make me my favorite meal—enchiladas verdes de pollo—for my birthday, turning up my favorite Café Tacuba songs, introducing my friends to nopales, drinking oregano tea to fix a belly ache, decorating my home for Dia de los Muertos, rooting for any Latin American country in all sporting events, and so on."
Jaimes says learning and supporting local organizations that work to promote social justice and empower our Latino communities is a great way to pay homage to National Hispanic Heritage Month.
She says folks can support or learn about National Hispanic Heritage Month by "recognizing and celebrating the contributions, cultural diversity, and histories of the Latino community."
Gather together
In addition to highlighting a few Heersink School of Medicine faculty, staff, and trainees in an article series, the Office for Diversity and Inclusion is hosting a celebration on the evening of Oct. 6 at University Tacos (formerly Miami Fusion) with a live DJ, food, and camaraderie. Join us! All are welcome.
Stay tuned for a Q&A with a faculty member for National Hispanic Heritage Month and other unique ways to celebrate.