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’m from New England, with mostly British and Irish roots—about 80% according to a DNA test, which I like to joke explains why I burn at the beach. While I may be more British than Irish by ancestry, I feel a much stronger connection to my Irish side. I admire Irish culture for its resilience, humor, and ability to find levity in hard times. With a last name like Story, it feels fitting to come from a culture with such a rich tradition of storytelling and conversation. Music has always been a powerful part of that culture, too—meant to be shared, not just performed. I’m especially proud that my daughter was a competitive Irish dancer for over 12 years, and the music that accompanied her journey made it even more special.
Mark Story
LCM Board, Director of Communications and Marketing at the Bladder Cancer Advocacy Network.
Sayings and Slang
Mucho ruido y pocas nueces – Much ado about nothing (Ecuador)
This phrase applies to someone who talks a lot but does little.
Buen cilantro pero no tanto – Good cilantro but not too much (Venezuela)
You may use this phrase to advocate for moderation.
Enchilado – Piqued
Means that someone is irritated.
Chores – Shorts (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 bermudas or pantalones cortos.
- I don’t like wearing shorts outside. I always get an awkward tan line!
- No me gusta usar pantalones cortos afuera. ¡Siempre me queda una marca de bronceado rara!
Trailblazer
Lorena Borjas | Transgender Activist
Lorena Borjas was a Mexican-born activist whose life was defined by courage, care, and unwavering advocacy for transgender communities. In 1981, she immigrated to the United States in search of the freedom to live authentically as a woman. In Queens, New York, she became a steady source of support for transgender women, many of them immigrants and sex workers facing poverty, violence, and exclusion. Drawing from her own experience, she transformed her home into a place of safety and spent years supporting women on the margins—connecting them to food, protection, and essential health services like HIV testing and hormone therapy. As her work expanded, so did her impact. She founded the Lorena Borjas Community Fund to provide bail support for LGBTQ+ individuals and later served as vice president and executive director of Colectivo Intercultural TRANSgrediendo. Even in her final years, she remained committed to a larger vision: La Casa Trans Queens, a long-term sanctuary for transgender people, migrants, and those living with HIV. Lorena passed away at the age of 59 from COVID-19, but her legacy lives on through the communities she held close and the lives she helped reshape.
