For Dominick Ramos, every month is Latinx/Chicanx Heritage Month. Ramos a college service officer assigned to the Educational Cultural Complex, is a second-generation American whose grandparents moved to the Coachella Valley from Monterrey, Mexico, a half century ago.
What does Latinx/Chicanx Heritage Month mean to him? “It’s about honoring the Hispanic communities and their role in building the United States and in contributing to the culture.”
A resident of San Diego who grew up in Palm Springs, Ramos, 25, moved to Pacific Beach two years ago with his wife and infant daughter, who is now 3 years old (the family has since grown to include a 1-year-old son). Shortly after moving to the city, Ramos was hired by the San Diego Community College District Police Department as a college service officer – officers who serve as an integral part of the department by assisting sworn police officers with multiple tasks ranging from parking enforcement and traffic control to providing safety escorts and taking reports.
“After we had our daughter, I started looking at the world differently,” said Ramos, 25. “I wanted to make sure my family was safe and I wanted to do what I could to keep other families safe.” That led to applying for various positions at local police agencies, including the SDCCD Police Department, and enrolling at San Diego Miramar College for an associate degree in administration of justice. His goal is to work as a sworn SDCCD officer.
“I feel like I can be a role model,” Ramos said. “A lot of people don’t like law enforcement, but I’m hoping I can change that by people seeing me, seeing who I am, seeing me treat everybody equally with respect.”
He’s making a good impression so far with an easy manner and his willingness to befriend students, faculty and professional staff. “I enjoy working here,” Ramos said of San Diego College of Continuing Education and the Educational Cultural Complex. “It’s a very diverse community with a lot of different cultures, a lot of different languages and a lot of different programs that are giving people a real opportunity.”
He is, in fact, the face of law enforcement in a region where approximately one-third of law enforcement officers are Hispanic or Latina/o/x, according to the California Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training. “I feel like I could be a role model,” Ramos said.
Latinx/Chicanx Heritage Month, also known as National Hispanic Heritage Month, recognizes and celebrates the contributions, cultures and histories of individuals with Latin American and Hispanic roots. It officially began Sept.15, coinciding with the anniversary date of independence for several Latin American countries, and concludes Oct. 15. “it’s good to be recognized for our contributions,” said Ramos.
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