Tiff Gonzales is a fourth-generation Mexican American, native to Texas, who identifies as queer both in gender identity and sexual orientation.
Tiff moved to Louisville five and a half years ago for work. She says when we talk about race in Louisville, we’re generally only talking about black and white. Latino issues re rarely part of the conversation, and when they are, it often only includes immigrants. “There’s so much that draws me to this city,” she says, “but that invisibility is something that I, on a regular basis, would struggle with to determine whether or not I can continue to live here.”
Tiff says there’s a certain loneliness in the lack of a community of folks who share similar identities. “I could name maybe just a couple of other people who I feel like would hold the identities of being a queer Latino here in this city.” But, she says, “I’m hopeful that there will be some change in that in the city that I really do love.”
When Tiff Gonzales spoke with WFPL’s Phillip M. Bailey and Laura Ellis, the conversation at one point turned to tokenism and whether the trouble with seeking diversity on panels and projects like this is that one person is asked to represent the experiences of an entire group—whether it’s race, class, LGBTQ status, etc. “I really struggled with accepting this invitation. I thought, I’m going to be put into this position where I need to answer a question as one person, for—truly, when we’re talking about Latinos in the United States—millions upon millions of people.”
“I am one person, who has been shaped by many other people, and many other experiences. I can only tell you what it’s like to be me.”
Racial bias seems to be present in all professions and all walks of life. But what if you encounter racial bias at the one place you need the most? Every day children and families seek social services for help with their lives. They put their trust in individuals and organizations that are supposed to provide assistance based on need, not race. But humans are in charge, and with humans comes bias, both conscious and unconscious. And individual bias can lead to institutional bias with minorities disproportionately represented, or treated differently from white people. Join us on Monday when we talk about racial bias in services to children and families and learn how to combat this problem. 
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