Celebrating National Hispanic Heritage Month

Monday, October 18, 2021

September 15th through October 15th is National Hispanic Heritage month here in the United States, a time to honor the accomplishments, culture, and history of folks whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America. Here at Paizo, we’re proud of our Hispanic coworkers, contributors, and community members! We’re taking an extra day to celebrate them and all the amazing work they do. Here’s a few of our awesome contributors.

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Luis Loza (he/him), Paizo Developer

I’m of Mexican heritage, but always felt like I wasn’t Mexican enough growing up. I’d get weird looks for being into games or for being loud and goofy. I wasn’t always a quiet child that was into the same things as my parents, relatives, or peers. For a long time, I felt like I wasn’t being Mexican the right way, even though that’s a silly notion. A lot of my best friends growing up were white because it seemed like white people could kind of do whatever they wanted to and at best be written off as weird, rather than “not white enough.” Over the years, I learned part of it was because of boundaries as to where Mexican ended and everything else began. Mexicans did A, B, and C, but not X, Y, and Z. I saw it with a lot of people, not just Mexicans. It could be a heritage thing, a religion thing, a sexuality thing, a gender thing. These invisible boundaries were there, and I was tired of them. I like the things I like and that doesn’t make me less Mexican. Part of the reason I enjoy RPGs is because anyone can do anything they want or be whomever they want. I hope that I can extend a hand to other people to climb past these boundaries with our games. Maybe the next person we help can begin tearing these boundaries down so everyone can be who they want without feeling like they’re not doing it correctly.
Thanks,
Luis Loza


Diego Valdez (he/him), Paizo contributor and former Customer Service Representative

My name is Diego. I’ve been around the TTRPG industry in a few ways. You may know me from my time as a customer service representative for Paizo. But I have also done a lot of freelance writing for both Pathfinder and Starfinder! For org play I have written two Starfinder Society scenarios and a quest, and I also have three ACG adventures under my belt. I have a little bit of backmatter in an AP for each Pathfinder and Starfinder. You can also find me as a contributor on Alien Archive 3, Near Space, Starship Operations Manual, Tech Revolution, Gods & Magic, and the soon to be released Absalom, City of Lost Omens.

I come from northern New Mexico, and I am very proud of my Chicano background and heritage. Since I was young learning about it, embracing it, and living it has always been an important part of who and what I am, even now, here in Washington so far from home. Being able to bring more of that into the worlds I write for is something I have really wanted to do. From a Curandera class, to an adventure revolving around novelas, to setting locations with a Nuevo Mejicano style, I hope to bring it all!


Joseph Blomquist (he/him), Paizo Contributor

Hola, my friends. I’m Joseph Blomquist, a Nuyorican writer with a decade or so of freelance work around the game industry. I’ve contributed to MWP’s Smallville RPG and Marvel Heroic Roleplaying lines, to Starfinder Society with 2-21: Illegal Shipment, 3-18: Secrets in Stillness, to Pathfinder Society with the upcoming 4-04: The Devil-Wrought Disappearance, among many other projects. With the exception to some PF2 conversions for Legendary’s fantastic Boricubos: The Lost Isles, my Latino culture hasn’t come up as often in my freelance career as I would have liked—but it has influenced my outlook on business and the perception of Hispanic and Latino cultures in all industries, not just ours.

Twenty-five years ago, I changed my name. To honor my stepfather, I took his name, forsaking the family name I’d borne for twenty years, Rodriguez. Living in New York, where Rodriguez was a more common surname than even Smith, nothing changed. But moving back to Ohio, where I had spent much of my ill-omened teenage years, I saw a marked difference in how I was perceived. It made me reconsider the importance that a simple name could hold over someone’s life. I’ve made it my mission to help grow voices that may have been ignored or passed over in the past because of their name, sex, skin color, or any other element that makes them outside of the “normal.” I haven’t always been successful, but I’ve tried to include every dark-haired, dark-eyed, swarthy individual I could see in my mind’s eye so that others might see themselves. And to live up to the responsibilities of my name, my family, and nuestra historia.


We appreciate all our Hispanic community members, and we invite those who didn’t share their voices as part of this blog to say hi in the comments and share something you’re proud of! We look forward to celebrating you.

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Contributor

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Luis, Diego, and Joseph, thank you so much for sharing your stories here, and for sharing your words with all of us through your work. Golarion and the Pact Worlds are so much richer for your influence.

(And thanks to Diego, much more cow-filled.)


4 people marked this as a favorite.

I love seeing this - and the cool stuff y’all make! I’m a white girl, but I’ve lived almost my entire life in SoCal, surrounded by awesome Mexican folks; I’m so happy here.


2 people marked this as a favorite.

Thank you for sharing your stories. It's wonderful to learn more about you.


Too bad it did not come out during Hispanic Heritage month...

Wayfinders Contributor

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Thank you for sharing your stories. It is a delight to hear them!

Hmm

Dark Archive

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Terevalis Unctio of House Mysti wrote:
Too bad it did not come out during Hispanic Heritage month...

Better late than never. Conncertering what's been going on at Paizo for the last month and still going on, I'm not surprised if everything is off schedule.


1 person marked this as a favorite.

They never seem to forget other National Heritage months.

But go ahead and patronize Hispanics AFTER the month is over.

Grand Archive

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Pathfinder Pathfinder Accessories Subscriber; Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber

Q_Q
*Hug everyone*


Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber
Terevalis Unctio of House Mysti wrote:

They never seem to forget other National Heritage months.

But go ahead and patronize Hispanics AFTER the month is over.

They also haven't had to deal with everything they've been dealing with the past month like Ashbourne said. Honestly feels like your looking for something to complain over.

As a Hispanic myself, my first thought when seeing this was excitement and not "you're late". Not telling you how you should feel, especially without knowing who you are and what you've been through. But considering everything that went on last month, I'm surprised a post like this even came out.


As a Hispanic myself this acknowledgement after the fact is insulting.


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Ashbourne wrote:
Terevalis Unctio of House Mysti wrote:
Too bad it did not come out during Hispanic Heritage month...
Better late than never. Conncertering what's been going on at Paizo for the last month and still going on, I'm not surprised if everything is off schedule.

If you aren't Hispanic I don't think you have a dog in this fight.


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Terevalis Unctio of House Mysti wrote:
Ashbourne wrote:
Terevalis Unctio of House Mysti wrote:
Too bad it did not come out during Hispanic Heritage month...
Better late than never. Conncertering what's been going on at Paizo for the last month and still going on, I'm not surprised if everything is off schedule.
If you aren't Hispanic I don't think you have a dog in this fight.

There's really no 'fight' unless you're going to manufacture one.


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no_di wrote:
Terevalis Unctio of House Mysti wrote:
Ashbourne wrote:
Terevalis Unctio of House Mysti wrote:
Too bad it did not come out during Hispanic Heritage month...
Better late than never. Conncertering what's been going on at Paizo for the last month and still going on, I'm not surprised if everything is off schedule.
If you aren't Hispanic I don't think you have a dog in this fight.
There's really no 'fight' unless you're going to manufacture one.

It is a figure of speech right?


1 person marked this as a favorite.
Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber
Terevalis Unctio of House Mysti wrote:
As a Hispanic myself this acknowledgement after the fact is insulting.

You are in your right to. But understand (Or at least be willing to try) that nothing in this post is even attempting to be insulting.

I haven't seen anyone on the forums saying "Where is the Hispanic Heritage post". If there were and I missed that, than I stand corrected. But I look at you and myself, as two Hispanics. If neither us complained about an absence of a National Hispanic post, I'm not sure it's fair of us to complain that one showed up a bit late. (Especially with everything that happened in the last month).

You are free to not be pleased, you don't have to be. And I'm sorry that something I assumed was meant for celebration and acknowledgement came off as insulting.


IIRC this is the first time Paizo has done this for Hispanic Heritage month. To do it after the month. They sure seem to get other heritage months on time, regardless of staffing.


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Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber

Note sure. I'm more of a "look forward" than "look back" kinda guy. I'm not nearly invested enough to check the dates of all their previous blogs lol.

One thing I am sure about though, is that nothing good comes from applying negativity to something positive. You could focus on the fact that there is a national hispanic heritage month post, or you could focus on the fact that it's late.

Personally, I think there has been enough negativity this past month and will focus on the positive. Also, Luis, Diego, and Joseph are awesome and this post should be more about them and less about this post being late.

Until next time my friend!


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Telling someone to not be offended is a pretty poor look, IMO. Terevalis is allowed to feel snubbed.

Liberty's Edge

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Pathfinder Pathfinder Accessories, Starfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber; Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber

Edited since Diego posted below. Thanks for the work and insight, Deigo! It is good to see you making content! You helped me out a lot over the years! Hate to see you go from CSR but if that means you become a fulltime writer, win-win!

And Luis, reading Secrets of the Temple City right now!

Haven't played any of your stuff yet, Joseph but 4-04: The Devil-Wrought Disappearance sounds promising.

Contributor

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For what it is worth; I was pretty disappointed that the person handling these blogs wasn’t going to have one at all initially. Shortly after I left the company a new person took over the responsibility and that person was determined to get one out. At that point Hispanic Heritage Month had already started though, and there was no groundwork for a blog even begun. That means the turn around time was considerably shorter than other blogs had been. A blog still goes through a lot of the same processes as a book, so it has to be fit into the editors schedule and all that.

In the first half of 2020 I put a lot of effort and energy into getting these kinds of blogs to happen, and it was really disappointing to me that the one that reflects me and my people was missed 2 years in a row (I am also disappointed that the one that celebrates Native American peoples has been missed 2 years in a row). I am grateful to the person who took over for making sure this one got out, even if it was late.

Luis and Joseph are wonderful, and deserve so much recognition! Thank you both for everything you bring to the game and all you do to insert what you’re able into the products. I was so happy when I saw Luis’ volume in the Tyrants Grasp AP! I might have got a little teary eyed! I can’t wait to see what else both of you bring to future products!

Marketing & Media Manager

15 people marked this as a favorite.

We regret the untimeliness of the post and will endeavor to schedule posts at the start of future heritage months. We are grateful to those that contributed. Thank you for your feedback.


keftiu wrote:
Telling someone to not be offended is a pretty poor look, IMO. Terevalis is allowed to feel snubbed.

Thank you!


Diego Valdez wrote:

For what it is worth; I was pretty disappointed that the person handling these blogs wasn’t going to have one at all initially. Shortly after I left the company a new person took over the responsibility and that person was determined to get one out. At that point Hispanic Heritage Month had already started though, and there was no groundwork for a blog even begun. That means the turn around time was considerably shorter than other blogs had been. A blog still goes through a lot of the same processes as a book, so it has to be fit into the editors schedule and all that.

In the first half of 2020 I put a lot of effort and energy into getting these kinds of blogs to happen, and it was really disappointing to me that the one that reflects me and my people was missed 2 years in a row (I am also disappointed that the one that celebrates Native American peoples has been missed 2 years in a row). I am grateful to the person who took over for making sure this one got out, even if it was late.

Luis and Joseph are wonderful, and deserve so much recognition! Thank you both for everything you bring to the game and all you do to insert what you’re able into the products. I was so happy when I saw Luis’ volume in the Tyrants Grasp AP! I might have got a little teary eyed! I can’t wait to see what else both of you bring to future products!

Did he write the chapter with the Dia de Los Muertos theme?


2 people marked this as a favorite.
Aaron Shanks wrote:
We regret the untimeliness of the post and will endeavor to schedule posts at the start of future heritage months. We are grateful to those that contributed. Thank you for your feedback.

We will have to wait and see on that.


2 people marked this as a favorite.
Terevalis Unctio of House Mysti wrote:
Diego Valdez wrote:
snip
Did he write the chapter with the Dia de Los Muertos theme?

I don’t know that I’d say it was Dia de Los Muertos-themed (there wasn’t really a funerary element at all), but if you’re talking about Jolizpan and Xopatl, then yes, that was him. Luis is one of several writers - alongside Adam Daigle and Michael Sayre, primarily - pushing to get Arcadia “on-screen.”

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