For Hispanic Heritage Month, my school was having an Umoja Brunch. I’ll be honest — up until then, I hadn’t really heard the word Umoja. I found out that Umoja means “unity” in Kiswahili. My friend asked me, “What does Umoja mean to you?” I immediately knew the answer in one word: everything. It means everything to me.
I appreciate and love the community so much. In unity and community, there is strength, growth, and security. Having community and providing community helps people be themselves unapologetically. It allows them to make the mistakes they need to make without feeling shame or rejection. It’s an overwhelming sense of love and a feeling of “I got you.” It’s one of the best feelings that life has to offer.
Unity and community help me be myself freely. They help me feel loved and supported through the growing pains of life. The unity felt in my culture, Latine/Hispanic culture, is one of the things I am proudest of. Whenever I meet someone who is a part of my culture, there is an immediate sense of comfort and safety. I don’t know what it is, but maybe knowing that we share ancestors, a birthplace, history, or even the same language always provides an instant feeling of connection—of Umoja.
As they say, “Hoy por ti y mañana por mĂ,” which I think expresses what Umoja is. Â
What does Umoja mean to you?