<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=3rtccm_0vl6r8E600" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=3rtccm_0vl6r8E600" width="619" height="307" ></figure>Jacqueline Duty, a first-generation Chilean American born and raised in Alton, Illinois tells a family story of leaving behind all of one’s tangible possessions to possess freedom.When learning someone’s story, Duty emphasizes, “It's important to know their worldview. It's important to know the history of how they grew up and why. My journey begins with my grandmother.”What’s different about Duty’s story is it took her nearly 40 years to discover her family's history. She is still learning all the details of her family's journey to America.Duty's family was wealthy and successful in Chile, with excellent careers, businesses and multiple properties. Her grandmother was working at the ambassador's office in Chile in the 1970s. When Pinochet overthrew the government, violence erupted. On an especially violent day, Jacqueline’s grandmother disappeared. By nightfall, the family received a phone call sharing that she was getting on a plane headed to America. None of the family members heard from her for several years.Her grandmother ended up working her way through the system as a refugee and found herself living in a mansion in Beverly Hills working as a maid. Her grandmother met Jerry, also an employee on the property. Jerry and her grandmother decided to move to Alton, Illinois, where they got married. Jerry also promised to rescue her kids still living in Chile.Jerry kept his promise and years later, all of the children finally made it safely to the United States. Duty’s mom was one of the last to arrive. She had already made plans to return to Chile, get married and receive the family inheritance. Everything changed after her mother met a handsome man at a bowling alley in East Alton. He convinced her to stay, and they were soon married. She left behind all of her inheritance and possessions to begin a new life in the United States. They started a family in Alton.It was very difficult to be one of the few Latinas living in the metro east area in the 1980s. Eventually, her grandmother found a community of Hispanic people in Fairmont and moved to the Collinsville region. Duty’s family stayed in Alton and continued to be one of the few Hispanic families in that area. In an effort to protect the children from the prejudices and racism their mother had already faced, their parents decided the children would not be allowed to speak Spanish. The parents shielded the children extensively. Her parents didn't want their children to experience that, so they made it a priority for the children to learn how to speak without an accent. They thought it would be best if the children were not allowed to be bilingual; they wanted them to be able to speak very fluently.Duty is very proud to be an American and appreciates the benefits that many people take for granted. Her mother is also a very proud American. She remembers her mother earning her citizenship when she was in the 5th grade.“I feel like this is so important to say that my mother came to this country and worked really hard to get her citizenship. She knew the Constitution better than most Americans. In fifth grade, when she got her citizenship, I remember she sat there with her hand over her heart saying the Pledge of Allegiance with tears streaming down her face.”Duty was a hard worker by nature. She entered the workforce at the age of 12 delivering newspapers. At 15, she worked at a local gym, and by 19 she felt like she was on top of the world making $8 per hour at a newspaper in the ad department. Duty’s work ethic strengthened while she received numerous promotions and was actively recruited by multiple companies. She got into management and opened her own digital marketing agency. Duty left the media (she thought) to immerse herself into coaching and mentoring kids at an international education company.Growing up, Duty didn’t know she was considered Hispanic. She was surprised when she was working at the Post Dispatch when a fellow employee said there was only one Hispanic woman working in the office. Puzzled, she asked who the Hispanic employee was. Then she discovered it was her. She had never identified as being Latina.Duty’s first experience with the discrimination her mother dealt with was when she was 19 years old. She was experiencing a difficult pregnancy with her first child and was unable to work. After her son was born, she was at the grocery store getting ready to use WIC public assistance vouchers for the first time and her hands were shaking. The man behind her belittled her, saying “I wish you Mexicans would go back home and quit taking all our money”. Duty ran out of the store without the diapers and formula, crying and upset, more ashamed that he thought she was Mexican than the fact that she was using public aid. There was nothing wrong with being Mexican, but she was Chilean. She couldn’t understand the hate that was coming from a person she had never met.Duty has established a tradition of doing significant things on and around her birthday. Each year, she tries to do something memorable. On September 27, 2022, she decided to get on a plane and fly to Chile. After flying through Hurricane Ian, Duty landed the next day on her birthday.<figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=3SULaM_0vl6r8E600" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=3SULaM_0vl6r8E600" width="960" height="660" ></figure>She took a one-month trip and packed it into 10 adventure-filled days soaking up the Chilean culture and meeting with long-lost family members. She walked the streets that her mother and grandmother had walked, merely decades ago, connected with her relatives, and tried to experience everything she could in Chile. She could finally connect with her culture.Duty is quick to explain that the biggest challenge for Hispanic populations is language access. Duty continues to attend local Hispanic community events and Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, always eager to learn and ready to help.Duty built the Collinsville Daily News because she wanted her voice to be heard. “I literally started the Collinsville Daily News because I wanted my voice to be heard. I wanted to be able to write an article and not have somebody tell me no, it couldn't run.” It was this leap of faith back into the world of journalism that won her the Adelante Award for member of the year in 2022.Duty is still learning how to speak Spanish. She admits her son is better at speaking Spanish than she is at this point. To be able to connect and realize the beautiful differences between countries. Her goal is to banish the stereotypes associated with specific Hispanic communities and value all people. She knows everyone has a story and she encourages everyone to share their story, even if they are still researching all the details.Today, Jackie is a co-owner of the Grafton Art Gallery and works as the Commissioner of Communication for the National Memorial of Military Ascent. She serves on the school board for Mississippi Valley Christian School and on the Board of Directors for the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Metro St. Louis.Jackie’s newest ebook, Callditas Rising: Reclaiming Your Power, Strength, and Voice launched today. She served as the writing coach and editor for this anthology. She will have a book signing at the Grafton Art Gallery in the future. She is releasing a children’s book this December around Christmas.If you would like to contact Jacqueline, you may email her artbyjackieduty@gmail.com or call her at (618)541-9823 or visit her at the Grafton Art Gallery.To order her book and read the stories of more than 30 Latina women from around the world, click the link below.USA: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DHR2LRJ5Jackie’s art can be purchased at: https://www.jackieduty.com/</div></body>

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Hispanic Heritage Month Profile: Jackie Duty, Chile

Jacqueline Duty, a first-generation Chilean American born and raised in Alton, Illinois tells a family story of leaving behind all of one’s tangible possessions to possess freedom. When learning someone’s story, Duty emphasizes, “It's important to know their worldview. It's important to know the history of how they grew...