Jonathan E. Tinoco
Jonathan from the Community
Written by: Alex Reynolds
Spoken by: Jonathan Tinoco
Photo by Mateo Toro
Jonathan first engaged in a political act four years ago, on May 1, 2015, when Latino immigrants across the city refused to go to work that day to rebuke a system that made them feel like a voiceless afterthought. Working at the time for a large local mushroom manufacturer, and feeling like many other Latinos in Reading, Jonathan, too, decided to not go to work. The goal was to prove that they are a critical mass of the workforce, and that the city didn’t work without them, yet they are made to feel invisible. For Jonathan, it succeeded. Where he worked, they didn’t get reprimanded because there were so many employees that didn’t show up that day. Feeling empowered by this outcome, Jonathan learned firsthand the capability people have when they organize and speak out. This experience sparked a passion that would evolve for years to come.
Jonathan carries himself with a confidence possessed by few, yet his eagerness to listen and to learn leave the greatest impact. Everyone I spoke to defines him the same way: energetic. Jonathan doesn’t think much of it. It’s just who he is and the way he is; positivity allows him to do what he does. He has to think for a second if you ask him what exactly it is that he does.
To make things simple upon first meeting me, Jonathan introduced himself as “Jonathan from the community,” and this turns out to be the best way to describe him. He works on a number of causes he vehemently believes in. Jonathan is the go-to guy for community engagement; everywhere he goes he’s met with people he’s organized events with.
Jonathan surrounds himself with others who care as deeply as he does about the community of Reading. He’s not a paid activist, but a passionate one. His time belongs not to a single organization or group, but to many. Jonathan spends his time engaging members of that community to become involved in both the political process and in the shattering of stigmas and stereotypes associated with this category of work.
​
Jonathan cares about a great deal of things in his life. He values his family above all else, working particularly hard to be as involved as possible in his young nieces’ lives. Jonathan is driven by the prospect of serving as a positive influence in their lives, manifesting itself in every action he takes, hoping to be a role model to them. Across all his activities, Jonathan works to cultivate an environment within Reading that promotes love, harmony, and improvement. By surrounding himself with positivity and adhering to a moral code grounded in open-mindedness and kindness, Jonathan continuously forges a path of self-improvement for himself.
Stigmas are an important topic of discussion for Jonathan as he faces them from several contrasting angles. He does what he does because simply put, the government leadership in Reading does not look like Reading. Jonathan is acutely aware that Reading is two thirds Latino, and he conveys that having white faces and outsiders dominating local government makes him and other Latinos feel left behind and underrepresented. He understands that this sentiment leads to what might be mistakenly interpreted as apathy. While some residents may feel too far removed from the process, many others either want to get involved but do not know how, and residents are involved yet are made to feel like outsiders. Jonathan grapples with such issues more than he likes.
Photo by Mateo Toro
Among the harsher, more malignant sentiments Jonathan has been met with is that of “not being Latino enough.” Due to many in the Latino community feeling marginalized and left behind, they view his active participation as selling out his own people and conforming to a white-dominated environment. Both racial tensions and machismo play a role. As Jonathan explains, it’s no secret that within much of Latin culture is the belief that men are to be manly, fend for themselves, and be viewed as strong, needing no one other than their own fortitude in times of hardship.
Jonathan serves as a beacon of hope for defeating this brand of stigma from peers. Why does his political activism have to mean he is forsaking his own community in favor of another? According to him, it doesn’t: “I’m working for a better, united, community. What can I say if a person wants to tear me down for that? I’ll still work to better that person’s situation. It’s never been about picking sides.”
Jonathan makes an effort to live an examined life, each day opening his mind to new possibilities and evolving his opinions on issues he finds important. Working with the group Planned Parenthood was an important milestone in his early activism. He became involved through his friend, Paula, yet he was hesitant for a few reasons, not the least of which being the stigma of planned parenthood being know for providing abortions. Through extensive training and education about Planned Parenthood, Jonathan realized its significance to communities. He even had the opportunity to travel to Charlotte, NC, for an educational training on the organization. This experience opened Jonathan’s eyes to the importance of education and the ways misinformation spreads. As a Cuban-Mexican American, he understands all too well the cultural and religious implications of changing minds about such a controversial topic.
These themes overlap significantly with Jonathan’s life and experiences as an activist. He faces oppositions from within the Reading community, from the mostly white suburban areas just outside of Reading, and even from those close to him. The reasons for each area of conflict in this regard are all distinct in their origin, but it is Jonathan’s mission to persevere and pay no mind to that negativity, while still aiming to change the minds he can reach.
He faces scrutiny from his own family regarding aspects of his activism. Members of his family question Jonathan’s support for democratic politics. They view his time spent working with Planned Parenthood and being an ally to the LGBT community as an affront to their faith. As Jonathan explains, this sentiment is not unique to just Jonathan’s family, but is representative of the way much of the Latino community is conflicted about progressive issues. Jonathan isn’t discouraged by the adversity, but embraces and overcomes it. “Reconciling religion, culture, and politics is an uphill battle in the city. But you just keep fighting that fight because it’s about envisioning a world where a person can love who they love, where women have power over their bodies, and residents live in harmony.”
At age twelve Jonathan was impacted firsthand by immigration policy when his father was deported. Being born in Reading he was in no personal risk of being deported, but this harrowing experience of having his family separated cemented his passion for immigration reform. Fast forward to 2016, in the wake of Donald Trump being elected as POTUS, Jonathan felt compelled to participate in the DACA marches in Washington, DC. The political climate around immigration, particularly the way the dreamers were being tokenized and used as political ammunition, disgusted Jonathan, prompting him to join in making his voice heard. What he assumed would be a Latino-dominated demonstration turned out to be more diverse. The diversity he witnessed at this event astonished him. Seeing people of all backgrounds and skin colors voicing their discontent with the seeming disregard for immigrants by the White House was an impactful experience, teaching him that being an ally does not require membership to a given group. This idea of teamwork and empathy for others manifests itself in all the work he will continue to accomplish.
​
While serving as President of the Reading Area Community College (RACC) Diversity Club in 2017, Jonathan organized a clothing and food drive for victims of hurricane Maria. While U.S aid to Puerto became a political battle—like many other issues involving Latino communities—Jonathan decided to do what he knew . . . organize. Feeling energized and empowered by an overwhelming success, Jonathan’s conviction in the importance of his work was solidified.
​
The first time Jonathan worked on a campaign was for Manny Guzman, who was making a run at the PA State Representative in the 127th district against a long-sitting incumbent. Jonathan describes Manny as an Obama-esque local hero, fighting for issues such as education and a livable minimum wage. Jonathan was captivated by the way Manny inspired local Latinos, and he’s certain that young, fresh voices like his are the ones that can create change from the inside. While Manny lost the primary race for State Representative, Jonathan still found himself enamored with Reading politics and with the idea of uniting the community through positive grassroots activism.
Photo by Mateo Toro
With the itch to delve deeper into the political scene and some experience under his belt, Jonathan earned a position on Chrissy Houlihan’s campaign for U.S Congress a few months later once Manny had lost in the state primary. This time the race was fot the midterms elections, which meant he was working for the Pennsylvania Democratic Party. The first thing he noticed was the lack of Latino faces, incongruent with the party’s message of diversity. His title was as an Organizer. He had a multitude of responsibilities in this new role, mainly in phone banking and canvassing in Reading and adjacent communities. Jonathan talks in great detail about his canvassing efforts, the good and the bad. He explains just how much appearances matter when door-knocking, and how he would code-switch and change his attire based on the blocks he was assigned on a given day. In the city he could dress casually and be his relaxed self, but in the suburbs it was a different story. He could feel the stigmas at play about people from Reading when he walked through suburbs not fifteen minutes from the city. Even when he trimmed his facial hair and bun, wore khakis and a dress shirt, he could still feel the looks of disapproval and suspicion. Recalling these experiences, he says “It’s frustrating . . . being treated differently because of how you look or because you’re from Reading. But you can’t let it get to you. You can only control how you conduct yourself and keeping every encounter positive. Don’t be the person they’re expecting you to be.”
Jonathan also recounts many of the positive encounters he had engaging in constructive conversations with passionate residents. He talks about how rewarding it is being a vehicle of change, getting people to register to vote and become a part of the process. He says, “One of the best ways to engage people is to get a bus pass for the day and ask riders if they’re registered to vote, and go from there.” Making those intimate connections and seeing it actualize into an election win after a fraught race is what makes it all worth it for Jonathan.
For the last few months Jonathan’s been laying low—at least on the state level—keeping himself busy engaging the local community, organizing events, and continuing to have meaningful conversations with those he cares about. Right now, he is focusing his efforts at the local level by raising awareness about upcoming elections, including a Reading mayoral race. Wherever this path takes him next, he is confident that he will be working to achieve social justice for those who feel voiceless and invisible. The people of Reading care deeply about their community, just as Jonathan does, so it is merely a matter of engaging them in positive, inclusive ways—in essence, giving those with the largest stake in the community the loudest voices in creating brilliant change.
​