BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION

Sonia Mayo Hohnadel is a Mexican-American woman who was born and raised in Lockhart, Texas. She is the oldest of eight children of a migrant farm-working family. She graduated from high school in Lockhart, Texas and spent two years at St. Edwards University in Austin, Texas. Mrs. Hohnadel settled permanently in the Red River Valley in 1982. Her volunteer involvement with her teen daughters and her passion for helping youth to succeed led to her employment with a youth-focused agency. She is the mother of two daughters, both of whom have graduated from the Moorhead School District. Today, Sonia is the first person of color to be elected to the Moorhead School Board. She hopes to use her position to help every student receive an equal education.

This interview with Sonia Mayo Hohnadel details her life from childhood as a migrant laborer to her current involvement with programs that aim to empower children and affirm their value as people. She also shares examples and analysis of her personal experiences with discrimination and stereotyping in the Fargo-Moorhead area, as well as her views on the current state of ethnic relations in this community.

Sonia Mayo Hohnadel was interviewed on May 5, 2003 by Jim Hehr, Katherine Lundy, Nathan Olafson and Rhonda Olson.

 

SAMPLES FROM THE INTERVIEW

ON HER ROLE AS A MEMBER OF THE MOORHEAD SCHOOL:

"The other thing that I wanted to make sure of is that school be intentional about being more inclusive when it comes to multicultural studies and curriculum. The only way that I would’ve been able to even [think] about aspiring to be a cheerleader was [if I had] seen a cheerleader who was like me. The only way I would have aspired to want to be an astronaut or to be somebody else, if I had seen people like that in my curriculum, in my learning. I didn’t. The only people who ever got anywhere, who ever did anything, who ever got written in the books, were white people. So, if that’s all you see, how can you expect to achieve when you don’t see anybody else achieving?"

ON THE CHANGING DIVERSITY IN FARGO-MOORHEAD:

"The mosaic of diversity has changed in the community in that you see more. That has happened. But also, with more, with more not only comes assets, but also with more comes the need for more education. And, it’s—I do know that prejudices and all the “-isms” is a fear of the unknown. And it’s when people don’t get to know a person that— know them as a person, and not as a color or as—you know even intergenerational. You know, young kids who don’t want to go to nursing homes ‘cause their scared of geriatric patient or, residents. It’s ‘cause you don’t know, you’ve never been exposed to them. You’ve never been around them. And it’s that exposure that helps you to learn about people and gives you an understanding. And so, with more—with more diversity there’s got to be more understanding."

INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPT

LISTEN TO INTERVIEW