Celebrating #LatinosMarinos: Lorraine Yglesias
In this edition of Celebrating #LatinosMarinos, we spoke with Lorraine Yglesias, the Director of Multicultural & Inclusive Marketing at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. After two decades managing Latine engagement for the Monterey Bay Aquarium, she will be “rewiring” at the end of August 2024 to support local community-based organizations with missions to transform systems.
Can you tell us a little bit about yourself? What kind of work do you do, and what led you to this work?
I consider myself an expert in connecting the dots at the deepest and nuanced levels. Currently, I am the Director of Multicultural & Inclusive Marketing at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, but soon will be “rewiring” (vs. retiring). I’ll be focusing my efforts and talents on supporting local small- to medium-sized community-based organizations with missions to transform systems. That is a complex idea, but basically, how do we even out the playing field so all have an equitable chance at the starting line (as we know, “equity” is not the same as “equality”) in life’s big areas such as education, earning power, civic engagement.
You have worked for decades in this field – what advancements have you seen, and what else do we need to do?
For the past 20 years, I’ve managed Latine engagement for the Monterey Bay Aquarium through the lens of marketing to increase visitation and awareness (grow the Aquarium’s share of wallet). The advancement I’ve witnessed is the recognition that the Latine audience is more than just an economic force and that they can be strong allies in the ocean conservation movement. I have also witnessed “let’s take a step back to create space for gente with more wisdom in this space.” This new mindset from organizations like the Aquarium is new and most welcomed.
Does the field feel different now than when you started?
I wouldn’t label myself a pioneer, but I am seeing a new wave of leaders and organizations like Azul, Green Latinos, Latino Outdoors, and Hispanic Access Foundation’s Latino Conservation Week.
Can you tell us about one of the victories you’re most proud of during your time with the Monterey Bay Aquarium?
I had the privilege of partnering with Letise LaFeir (current Chief of Conservation & Stewardship at National Aquarium) when she was the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s California Ocean Policy Manager to support the passage of Proposition 67 in 2016 (single-use plastic ban in California). Overall, organizers created the campaign #MyBag, but folks forgot about the power of our Spanish-speaking California gente. I proposed #MiBolsa, and it was adopted. I leveraged #MiBolsa and framed the issue using a cultural lens.
Our gente had always used reusable bags. Remember the bags made of mecate? We basically acknowledged that Latine people were already conservation champions (without having been recognized with the label of environmentalist). I created the Fiesta del Mar event to recognize and amplify voices in conservation. Knowing the power of role models, we identified high-profile Latine people in entertainment, sports, news, and music. We featured Mexican group Mana’s work with their Selva Negra Foundation (which focuses on saving ocean turtles). We gave these folks the Heroe del Medio Ambiente award.
The 2024 National Azul Poll found overwhelming support from Latinos across the U.S. for policies to protect our ocean and candidates who support these policies, including a willingness to pay more in energy and food costs in order to advance ocean justice priorities. What do these findings mean for your work?
These findings validated all the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s work in positioning our mission as culturally relevant with Latine people in California.
What would you say to someone who doesn’t think they have the power to be an ocean advocate?
Stop listening to the inner critic in your head. Si se puede and I mean that. Small steps, and then it becomes a habit. Also, look at what you might already be doing that makes you an ocean advocate. Some of these terms, like “advocate,” can intimidate people.
What is your first or best memory of the ocean or the beach?
The Pacific Ocean in Costa Rica provided the backdrop to my early childhood experiences. This ecosystem was both alluring and terrifying. It was terrifying when I wandered ankle-deep and saw something unfamiliar circle me(!). It could have been a baby leopard shark if memory serves me. I quickly scampered out. Another experience was when a wave completely tumbled me, and I remember literally eating sand and feeling that crunchy texture for the rest of the day. I learned to respect the ocean. It was a fear-based respect, but with years and knowledge, that respect has grown to cariño. My happy place is a hammock tied between two palmeras while I enjoy the sounds of crashing waves.