Betty Aragon-Mitotes spent much of her childhood in the Buckingham neighborhood of Fort Collins, where anti-Hispanic racism was prevalent.

Many businesses displayed signs designating “white-only” or “no Mexicans” spaces, and housing and employment discrimination was rampant. Aragon-Mitotes is one of many Hispanic Fort Collins residents alive today with stories of facing these struggles.

“I was very aware of my surroundings … being maybe one of the few Hispanic kids in (my) class,” Aragon-Mitotes said. “It was an awakening for me to understand we were different, and different wasn’t always good.”

When Aragon-Mitotes came back to Fort Collins as an adult after her father got sick and needed care, she said she could barely recognize her neighborhood. After she saw the increased level of crime that had taken over the area, she said she connected with her neighbors, recognizing the fear they had of retaliation.

Even with the fear around speaking out, Aragon-Mitotes said she chose to stand up to the violence and gangs using her voice and a petition; it was one of the first moments she stood up against the world’s injustices.

“I was not only taking the lead, but I was also the target,” Aragon-Mitotes said. “I was willing to put myself in harm’s way for the right of the people. I wanted people to be free of feeling boxed in. That’s where a lot of my activism started coming.”

Now Aragon-Mitotes is the co-founder of El Museo de las Tres Colonias, and she said her experiences with discrimination, labor and alienation in the classroom at the time fuel her desire to speak out.

She is not the only one with a story of perseverance.

“We grew up with a lot of challenges,” said Jerry Gavaldon, the museum’s board president, “Hispanics like us either lived in these neighborhoods, or we lived over by Holy Family, but … in other parts of town, you couldn’t be there because you had neighborhoods that had covenants and restrictions.”

Gavaldon said he knew he didn’t like to stand down at an early age. As a Boy Scout, he went to places Mexicans weren’t allowed and sold poppies for disabled war veterans.

“My mother’s upbringing allowed her to instill into us to give back, … preserve our history and stand up for what’s important,” Gavaldon said.

Another perspective can be found in “The End of the Row” by Carmel Solano. In the autobiography, Solano explains how by the age of seven he was working in the sugar beet factories of Northern Colorado. Later in the book, Solano details his struggles while attending a barber school but said after he heard someone say “Mexicans never finish what they start,” his determination was fueled to earn his barber’s license.

“You (have to) have the guidance,” Solano said. “If you have the (desire to do it), anything’s possible. You can do it.” 

Solano also said he has seen the Hispanic community help Fort Collins flourish. He emphasized how Chicano groups especially would speak out against city and state officials and encourage that Hispanic culture and history be a part of classrooms.

Aragon-Mitotes also seeks to emphasize historical preservation of the Latinx community in Fort Collins; she founded the nonprofit Mujeres de Colores, which created the public statue in Sugar Beet Park in recognition of people like Solano who worked in the fields called “The Hand That Feeds.”

“(I have to share) how we lived,” Solano said. “What we ate, medicines that we used (and) housing that was provided for us, which was pretty poor at times.”

Aragon-Mitotes also helped create “From Sugar to Diamonds,” a film that portrays the experiences of Hispanic communities, like the sugar beet workers, and baseball players, who formed their own leagues. She said she hopes these help those in the Latinx community who have been overlooked share their story in an impactful way.

“I hope they’ll remember that I fought for what was right and for those that felt that they didn’t have a voice,” Aragon-Mitotes said. “That I fought for the injustice that I would see happening and wouldn’t turn my head.” 

She said it warms her heart to see how people have enjoyed getting to see their family members in the films, honoring and preserving their history.

“It’s important that … families teach their children the history, and they carry on the legacy,” Aragon-Mitotes said. “It cannot die with our elders. We have to continue that legacy. That story shall never die, and our history will never be erased.”

Gavaldon has been connected to Colorado State University and the cultural resource center El Centro, through boards and committees; he said he values sharing Latine history and emphasized how their identity as a community should be recognized through the Museo and various programs in Fort Collins.

“We continue to promote,” Gavaldon said. “We don’t back down, and we will stand up. The day you back down and not stand up, you (have) surrendered. I don’t surrender, and please don’t either. Whatever you do, you stand up and you’re proud and you promote with dignity, ethics, good wisdom and passion.”

Reach Sananda Chandy at life@collegian.com or on social media @RMCollegian.