Cultura
The Latino Center of the Midlands is a place where being Latino, Latina, or Latinx is celebrated. We’re a community center where culture thrives; a place where the door is open to everyone. Our community comes from many different countries and we created this page to celebrate that diversity.
Cultural Spotlight
I was born and raised in San Jose, California, in a family with Hispanic and German roots. On my Hispanic side, my heritage comes from Indigenous Californians and Basque Spanish ancestors, shaping how I see culture, family, and community. Family traditions mean everything to me. One of my favorite memories is making tamales together for Christmas—a tradition I still carry on with my family in Omaha. What I’m most proud of is our hospitality. Our culture is warm, open, and meant to be shared. There’s always room at the table—and if you want to dance, there’s always space on the dance floor, literally and figuratively.
Gabbie Kott
LCM Board Member, Koley Jessen
Sayings and Slang
Bregar – Confront (Puerto Rico)
Means to handle, navigate, or work through a challenge.
No lo paso – I don’t like them (Colombia)
Means that you dislike something or someone very much or cannot stand them.
A burro negro no le busques pelo blanco – Don’t look for white hair on a black donkey (Dominican Republic)
This saying advises people not to waste time looking for the positive in a negative situation.
Brutal – Spectacular (Spanglish)
Most of our staff are bilingual, and at our office, you’ll hear a variety of Spanglish words. The correct word in Spanish is espectacular.
- Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime show was spectacular!
- ¡El concierto de Bad Bunny durante el medio tiempo del Super Tazón fue espectacular!
Trailblazer
Ben Garza | Civic Leader
Ben Garza Sr. was a pioneering Mexican-American civic leader and successful businessman who believed deeply in the power of unity, education, and civic engagement. Witnessing the discrimination and inequality facing Mexican Americans in Texas, he recognized that meaningful change required a unified voice. In 1929, he helped bring together several Mexican American civil rights groups to form the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) and was unanimously elected as its first President General. His leadership established the groundwork for what is now the nation’s largest and oldest Latino civil rights organization, which continues to uplift and empower Latino communities throughout the United States.
