It’s hard to fit into a mold when you can’t identify it.
Growing up Mexican-American in San Diego presented me with an interesting set of struggles. I often felt like I was never American enough here, but I was never Mexican enough when I went there. I was conscious of having an accent in both languages, without really knowing if English or Spanish was my primary language. I couldn’t roll my R’s in Spanish and had difficulty differentiating between the “sh” and “ch” sounds well into my teens, and I had cousins who referred to me as the “white boy” because I spoke primarily English. Even in sports, he enjoyed watching the English Premier League rather than the Mexican League, but he was a fierce supporter of the Mexican soccer team.
Growing up three exits from the US-Mexico border was like standing on the edge of the coast as a wave receded into the ocean. Your body feels as if your legs are pushing you back into infinity. That’s how I feel about being Mexican-American. My feet are firmly planted on this earth, but my heart beats for La Bamba.
Today I write as a proud Mexican-American co-founder of Soluna Wellness. We are an outpatient mental health center that challenges all stereotypes and traditional methods of mental health. Soluna Wellness is for the people of the sun and the Zoot Suit riots, and for the immigrants and children of immigrants who celebrate the 4th of July as our own tradition. We challenge society’s approach to mental health, we question how we heal, we challenge machismo and we challenge the status quo.
Sometimes our approach seems different because we find community through creativity. We have found healing through low-rider communities, imported cars, tattoos and graffiti. We have found growth in learning about our cultures and diversity. Whether you’re just picking up a paintbrush, a returning artist, a Diego Rivera or Frida Kahlo, we can all create community through art. It’s about being vulnerable and being of service to others. We have discovered that this happens organically in our classes, and each one has its own culture. Our creative writing class is for storytellers and we select songs that help us identify who we are and how we relate to certain emotions.
Soluna Wellness is a challenge for me, for our clients, and for how we view the healing journey as a whole. But we will continue to reach higher branches, even if we don’t fully understand our roots. Mexican Americans have a unique experience and together, as a community, we can work together to promote better mental health.
This Hispanic Heritage Month, I am reminded of the importance of culture, community, connection and creativity, our core values at Soluna Wellness. I remember the ways our communities have taken care of ourselves and each other, long before systems of oppression gave us pre-made treatment plans that tied each person’s worth to numbers written on paper and behavioral plans that they complied or not. with. At Soluna Wellness, we break the mold of care to remind ourselves that our healing is deeply linked to others, to ourselves, and to those who came before us.
If you need support for your mental health and typical treatment centers don’t seem like a good fit, remember that it’s okay to explore your options. Be curious about what is available and what the treatment might be like for you. Know that while therapy and medications are helpful for many people, there are alternatives and complementary methods of healing that can support your journey in any way you need.
If you are a provider in this field, I ask that you too be curious. Take the time to learn about various forms of healing that may not be as well known. Consider the unique needs of the populations you serve. Be creative, be curious to know what else there is that could help with healing. Consider whether customers feel represented by the staff they work with or the content that is shared. Consider whether your entire being is supported or whether you have to shut down different parts to meet the doctor’s expectations of care.
Remember, the healing possibilities are endless. We just have to give ourselves permission to explore those options, and those of us who are providers have to be willing to take risks to break the mold.
For the Spanish speaking community, search MHA resources here.
Antonio Hernández is the general director of Soluna Wellness.
The views and opinions expressed in this blog are solely those of the author and external content does not necessarily reflect the views of Mental Health America.
