KZSM — Preserving our raices/roots
KZSM.org broadcasts the many voices of our diverse, vibrant community. We are especially proud to bring you our newest show, “Raices” (Sundays 7-8 p.m.), featuring stories and histories from San Marcos’ Hispanic community. “Raices” translates as “roots,” and host Cathy Lara uses both English and Spanish to trace the roots of our changing community. “If we look back at the Hispanic people in this town fifty, sixty, or seventy years ago, there wasn’t much written history,” Lara explains. “Often they had to work in the fields and didn’t get a formal education so everything was passed down orally.” “Raices” captures and records that history before it is lost to time.
Lara asks questions in Spanish but encourages her guests to use the language that makes them most comfortable. She notes that “people worry about how they come across,” but assures her guests that “I want to see who you are in your everyday life.” She also avoids being intrusive, asking guests beforehand what they would like to discuss. “I’m not a busybody.”
“Raices” documents changes in culture over the years. For instance, the first show featured Rachel Cervantes, host of a cooking show on Facebook, talking about TexMex food. “Life is changing since Hispanic women are in the work force and don’t cook, so some of this is being lost,” Lara comments.
Many shows celebrate holidays; a Veterans Day show featured local veterans “talking about their history, where they served, and how life was for them in the military.”
Lara places special emphasis on the struggle for civil rights, inviting listeners to “remember the people that got us to where we are, and honor them.” Tonight’s Juneteenth show, organized with the help of Juneteenth Committee Chair David Peterson, highlights shared struggle. “When you look at history, Hispanics and Blacks both suffered and kind of joined hands in the Civil Rights Movement,” Lara points out. “We have our different cultures but there are also things that bring us together.”
As a native San Marcan who attended school here and worked for many years in her late father’s floor covering business, Lara knows the community well. However, “you think you know everything about community and family,” she reflects, but I’m learning a lot doing research.”
And there’s more to learn. “If there’s anybody with a story out there who wants to preserve it,” contact KZSMSanMarcos@gmail.com. “We don’t want those traditions to die!”
