Diana Torres Hawken on the Importance of Seeing Yourself Reflected in Community

One can say that Diana Torres Hawken has come full circle. Her connection to The Chicago Community Trust began 16 years ago when she moved to Chicago, and her first job was working as a program assistant for the Trust. When she and her family were ready to make an impact on the larger community, Diana knew she wanted to honor her Colombian roots and turned to Nuestro Futuro (“Our Futuro”), an affinity fund of the Trust that supports Chicago-area organizations and programs aimed at improving the quality of life for the Latinx community.

Diana aspires to be a role model for her children by instilling the virtues of service and altruism. Simultaneously, she is committed to positively shaping perceptions of the Latinx community within society. In April 2023, she helped co-found the Alliance of Latinos Motivating Action in the Suburbs (ALMAS). ALMAS is the first Latino-led and Latino-serving nonprofit organization in Naperville to create an authentic community for Latinos to celebrate and preserve their cultures, empowering existing and rising Latino leaders in Naperville and the surrounding suburbs. ALMAS translates to “SOULS,” highlighting our mission to amplify Latino voices and our complex stories while uniting the area’s Latinos and Latino allies to build a stronger community.

In celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15 – October 15), Diana recently sat down with Nina Alcacio, director of public relations for the Trust, to discuss the importance of lifting up and preserving the diverse cultures of the Latinx community. Some questions and answers have been condensed and edited for clarity.

Nina Alcacio: I thought we’d start with you telling me about what has influenced you to be so actively involved in the community.

Diana Torres Hawken: When my husband and I married and decided to start a family, we mutually agreed: I would focus on raising our children while he would take on the role of the primary breadwinner. However, as our kids grew older, it became evident that as a strong advocate of gender equality, it was essential to ensure that our children—especially our two daughters—recognize that limitless possibilities await them. It is a privilege to be a stay-at-home mother, and that job is, by far, the most challenging role I will ever have. But for me, I reached a point where I wanted to make a direct impact outside of our household, and above all, I needed them to see their mother be a leader in other spaces, too.

In 2020, the onset of the pandemic, coupled with escalating social injustices, served as a wake-up call. I felt I needed to take tangible steps to impact my community positively. Through involvement in local initiatives, I gained invaluable connections and joined the Board of the Naperville Education Foundation, the nonprofit arm of Naperville Community Unit School District 203. My commitment to community service further expanded as I took on leadership roles in the Naperville chapter of the AAUW, accepted a mayoral appointment to the City of Naperville Human Rights and Fair Housing Commission, and joined the Board of the Naperville Police Foundation. Each endeavor allowed me to solidify my dedication to community betterment while implementing my unique perspective.

NA: That brings us to your current endeavor – ALMAS. What inspired you to join forces with the other co-founders to start this organization?

DTH: While I have always been proud of my Colombian heritage and immigrant status, this continued to be the one piece of my identity that was not represented or available in my community. I was blessed to meet three incredible local Latinas – Dr. Lili Burciaga, Laura Navarro, and Elida Sughey Estrada. Together, we founded ALMAS. My story contributes significantly to this effort as I was born in Colombia and raised in the culturally diverse borough of Queens, New York. My family landed in Naperville, Illinois—my husband’s hometown and I feel a profound responsibility to contribute to shaping the community where my children will grow up. However, with my immediate family still residing in New York, my children lack the direct cultural immersion for what it means to be “Colombian,” which I took for granted growing up. My children do not have access to the richness of our culture—be it through family gatherings, music, traditions, celebrations, or even the Spanish language. This prompted me to see ALMAS as a vital initiative to serve as a cultural bridge, introducing not just my children and other children with similar experiences but also other families in the community to the values, traditions, and language that define our heritage. In this way, ALMAS becomes more than just a sub-community; it serves as a platform to acknowledge and celebrate our Latino and Hispanic residents and contribute to fostering a sense of pride and strength in our differences.

NA: Could you tell me about the importance of community and using your voice and philanthropic support to advocate for the Latinx community?

DTH: I take immense pride in my Latino heritage and in my parents, who made significant sacrifices to give my sister and me the opportunity to pursue the American Dream. While I am not a first-generation American, my children are, and witnessing the stark contrast between my upbringing and theirs, I realize that I am indeed living that dream. However, this isn’t a tale of self-reliance alone; numerous individuals and organizations have played crucial roles in my own journey. The support and ample opportunities provided to me have made a world of difference, and with this acknowledgment comes a deep sense of responsibility. It’s not merely about giving back to my community with monetary donations but also serving as a role model for the next generations. I aim to exemplify how community engagement and supportive networks can serve as catalysts for change and improvement, demonstrating the profound impact one person can make in the lives of many.