SALEM — Amplify Latinx Executive Director Rosario Ubiera-Minaya moved to Salem from Santo Domingo in 1992 when she was 15 years old and settled with her family in the Point neighborhood, where she encountered certain challenges.
“I had to learn and adapt to many different things,” said Ubiera-Minaya, who did not speak English at the time.
In Salem, it was difficult at that time to find role models in the schools or city government who understood her experience.
“That experience really opened up my eyes about the need to have representation from communities of color,” said Ubiera-Minaya. “We are the backbone of our communities. But we come with a perspective that is not fully represented.”
She now works to tackle that lack of representation in her position with Amplify Latinx, a non-partisan, collaborative movement that describes its mission as building Latinx economic and political power by increasing Latinx civic engagement and representation in leadership positions.
She leads a coalition of more than 3,000 active members and more than 140 business and community partners, hosting an annual conference of 800 people, and supporting Latinx businesses throughout the state with grants and technical assistance.
Her role is the culmination of more than 25 years of experience working and advocating for systemic change, social justice, and equity, on behalf of the Latinx community, particularly in Salem, Ubiera-Minaya said.
From an early age, she partnered with several community groups to get involved in advocacy for education, affordable housing and the arts, she said.
Ubiera-Minaya has received numerous awards and recognitions for her work, including the 2019 Hispanic Heritage Leader award given by the New England Patriots Foundation and the Kraft Family Foundation, the “Inspirational Woman of 2019” honor from the Latina Center MARIA, and the “Unsung Heroine” recognition given by the Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women.
“I’m not only a woman — I’m Black and Latina, which creates a lot of challenges that make it tough to get to where I am today,” she said. “To break those barriers and show up as my authentic self has been difficult.”
Ubiera-Minaya lives in Salem and still feels a deep connection with the Point neighborhood, where she spearheaded the Punto Urban Art Museum.
In 1997, while Ubiera-Minaya was attending college at Salem State University, she was awarded a small grant to paint murals. Her team worked with kids in the city to translate their experiences into street art. As a result, two iconic Salem murals on Congress Street and Dow Street, along with an additional mural that was done on a canvas and used to do community outreach, were completed.
She got involved in the project again in 2016, when she joined forces with her brother, who also grew up in the Point, and created a collection of new murals in the neighborhood.
While she is no longer involved in the project, she still considers it to be “(her) baby.”
“The art was just the first step,” said Ubiera-Minaya. “The real goal was to empower the community to take ownership and leadership on what they wanted to see in the project. The voices of the community were meant to be involved from the beginning.”
She said the city has come a long way in terms of representation over the decades, but believes there is still more to do.
“I think that a lot of individuals have worked very hard for that, but a lot of work still needs to be done,” said Ubiera-Minaya.
