My first week at The Clemente, I see myself fitting in well with my coworkers and the community. I found that it helped that I got to meet some of my coworkers in person in April for the first meeting, along with a separate zoom meeting with Andrea (Development Director) and Jacqui (Operations Consultant) about policies and procedures. During my first visit at The Clemente, I attended an exhibit called Regla: Soul of a Community that portrayed the broader image of Regla’s Black community from daily life to artistic expression. I thoroughly enjoyed how Blackness was elaborated as a complex identity. I felt so seen and heard as an Afrodescendant that studies the richness of the Black identity. That exhibit exemplified how The Clemente prioritizes diversity and inclusion. I feel like my presence is appreciated and welcomed. These feelings are validated whenever I enter a meeting and Andrea introduces me to different teams within The Clemente.
I am not too sure how I am perceived by others but I am trying to be careful about the way that I talk about being affiliated with NYU. NYU as an institution has not taken the best of actions in terms of affecting the prosperity of neighboring communities in Manhattan. As I recognize that, I also recognize the substantial privilege and availability of resources as an NYU student. Hopefully, I am seen as more than just the school I represent but also the marginalized community and disadvantaged background that also composes who I am today. On the flip side, I think my coworkers are awesome. There is an abundance of people working diligently to make sure that everything from the poles outside of the building to the artists in residence are taken care of. There is a multitude of events going on at The Clemente and that raises many operational questions (i.e. what happens to an event when it rains/ how is traffic flow monitored between exhibitions), my concern is that these questions would not be answered because there is a multitude of events happening. I found moments to ask Andrea or Chris (Building Manager) for more clarification about those elements. As of now, I do not foresee this as an issue but it does guide me in how I structure the interviews for my research.
I think that some people at The Clemente may be surprised that puedo hablar en español y entiendo an advanced level of Spanish. I do get nervous speaking it sometimes so that’s something that I am working on with the Building Manager (shout out to Chris!). I have this strong urge to speak Spanish so I am still gauging when it’s appropriate. I made a mental note to ask Andrea if we can have a Spanglish communication, stay tuned for more information regarding that!
Great to hear The Clemente seems like a good fit so far! I also am pleased to hear you’re wisely keeping in mind the various aspects of your identity as you begin to develop relationships this summer. Definitely push yourself to practice your Spanish! Seems like a great opportunity.