 Dear qvReaders
Welcome to qv11-The Pride Issue! It seems
like 1999 will go down in history as one in which record numbers
of Latinos made their presence felt at QV pride festivals across
the country. One of the most gratifying moments for Latinos
came on August 1, 1999, in Los Angeles, where several thousand
gente showed up for the "1st Annual LAtin Pride Festival."
It was amazing to see so many Latinos and non-Latinos alike come
out to celebrate our beautiful culture.
Because pride is so much at the top of
our minds right now, we have dedicated this entire issue to this
subject. When we think of pride, we think of so many things-ranging
from accepting ourselves as Latino, as QV-as appreciating our
culture, or just having a sense of belonging. We feel proud of
ourselves when we reach a goal, complete a task, or do something
for someone else. On a community level, we feel pride when we
know that we belong to a group-be it our family, our QV community,
our Latino community, or any other community.
True and honest pride is important because
it allows us to grow and develop. It's the seed that allows us
to gain the self-acceptance and the confidence in ourselves so
that we can accomplish anything we set our minds to. When we
don't have pride in ourselves, something negatively happens to
us and affects us mentally, spiritually, or physically. We become
ashamed of who we are. We develop a low self-esteem and find
ourselves in sadness, depression, jealousy, obsessive competitiveness,
and even vanity.
The goal of having pride-the type of pride
we encourage is the type of pride where you accept yourself so
that you can develop healthily, overcome negativity, and live
your life happily. When it comes down to it, it so much easier
to achieve a productive life when you feel good about yourself,
than when you feel bad about yourself.
Incidentally, pride is something we should
celebrate on a daily basis-not just once a year at a festival.
Every morning when we wake up and every night before we go to
bed, we should say to ourselves, "I'm proud of who I am-inside
and out." When we do this, we validate ourselves and give
ourselves hope for our future and the future of the people who
surround us.
In this issue of qvMagazine, you will read
various stories relating to pride: from Armando Molina's riveting
testimonial on the "Power of Pride" to the views of
Danny de la Paz in "What's Pride Got to do With It?"
It's an issue that will open your eyes
and make you feel proud to be who you are. With this in mind,
enjoy qv11- the Pride Issue!
The qvStaff
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