JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – It’s been greater than 20 years, however Yanira “Yaya” Cardona nonetheless remembers her first day as a senior at Sandalwood Excessive College prefer it was yesterday.
“I acquired detention,” she mentioned.
However she wasn’t despatched to detention as a result of she didn’t do her homework or as a result of she violated the gown code.
“I acquired detention as a result of no one walked me to my class. I used to be misplaced and the trainer despatched me to the dean, and the dean gave me detention. And I name my mother crying, and my mother got here along with her Spanish and was like, ‘How are you going to do this to her?’” Cardona recalled.
Cardona had simply moved from her house nation Puerto Rico after her dad’s Navy base closed and acquired an order to maneuver to Jacksonville.
“It was a shock to return from an island the place we rejoice all the pieces,” Cardona mentioned. “[In the United States] you bought to do all the pieces by the e book.”
However it didn’t take lengthy for the shock and worry of residing in a special nation to rework into pleasure and love for the realm and naturally, the folks within the 904.
“While you discover a neighborhood or your neighborhood, no matter what it’s, you begin to really feel extra at house,” Cardona mentioned.
Understanding the significance of neighborhood and its function in an individual’s life, Cardona took the initiative to turn out to be a welcoming and serving to hand for the Hispanic neighborhood, which is the fastest-growing inhabitants in Duval County.
“I’m not one to complain about life. If I’m complaining about one thing, I’m gonna do one thing about it. And I noticed that no one was actually right here catering to the Hispanic neighborhood,” Cardona mentioned.
From creating the primary and solely Latin competition in Jacksonville, “Viva la Fiesta,” to connecting the Hispanic neighborhood with essential sources, Cardona took it upon herself to be the much-needed hyperlink between the Hispanic neighborhood and organizations, sources and officers.
That work and dedication didn’t go unnoticed.
All these years of dedication to the Hispanic neighborhood led her to a job she by no means thought she would have: Jacksonville’s first Hispanic Outreach Coordinator.
“I nonetheless get goosebumps after I take into consideration that cellphone name as a result of, yeah, I’d have by no means thought in my entire life I’d be working in politics or in authorities. However after I consider it, like all of the work that I’ve been doing in serving to my neighborhood, it simply, it’s proper. And this was the appropriate path,” Cardona mentioned.
RELATED | Mayor appoints city of Jacksonville’s first Hispanic Outreach Coordinator
Jacksonville Mayor Donna Deegan appointed Cardona for the function in March 2024 — a job that she takes very significantly.
“It’s been a terrific expertise to have the ability to assist the neighborhood, assist totally different nonprofits with the sources that they want and join them with totally different organizations that they didn’t learn about, join them with grants that they didn’t learn about,” Cardona mentioned.
Certainly one of Cardona’s fundamental objectives is to assist Hispanic entrepreneurs open small companies — a course of she is aware of could be obscure and navigate, particularly if there’s a language barrier.
“It feels good to have the ability to assist those that don’t know English sort of maintain their hand and be like, ‘Hey, I’m right here. Let’s do that collectively. You don’t know the best way to fill out this kind? I’ll enable you,’” Cardona mentioned.
Cardona has been working carefully with the Jacksonville Small and Emerging Business Program to host free month-to-month boards in Spanish to supply sources, help and networking alternatives to the Hispanic enterprise neighborhood.
MORE | Free monthly forums to provide resources, support to Jacksonville’s Hispanic business community | Jacksonville expo to empower Hispanic entrepreneurs with networking opportunities, resources to grow their businesses
Based on Cardona, earlier than launching these boards, lower than 1% of Hispanic companies have been registered with town.
“They’re lacking out on the contracts with town. They’re lacking out on grants with town,” Cardona mentioned.
Now, Hispanic companies registered with town have exceeded that 1% mark, in line with Cardona.
However serving to small companies is only one of many initiatives Cardona has been engaged on to assist the Hispanic neighborhood thrive.
Different initiatives at the moment within the works embrace increasing neighborhood outreach for the healthcare plan Get Covered Jax, and a Hispanic information that can embrace sources and organizations accessible for the neighborhood.
“I wish to see a metropolis the place it’s united, a metropolis the place we’re all thriving. I would like to have the ability to see a Hispanic restaurant in each block, a grocery retailer in each district. I would like to have the ability to actually take pleasure in our tradition and rejoice the varied, the attractive, numerous metropolis that we’re turning into. Not simply Hispanic, however with each minority tradition that we’re having right here, Filipino, the Bosnian neighborhood, it’s simply lovely to have the ability to see us united,” Cardona mentioned.
Cardona has been breaking obstacles for the Hispanic neighborhood in Jacksonville for almost twenty years, and she or he will not be stopping any time quickly.
In reality, that is only the start.
Copyright 2025 by WJXT News4JAX – All rights reserved.
