Jose Otero is an educator - a teacher, administrator and translator - at The Howard School here in Chattanooga.
Viri Marin launched the Chattanooga Community Fridge in the Highland Park neighborhood during the pandemic to help fight food insecurity.
Xavier Cotto - who works in IT - is an engineer and drummer who started XCeed Events, which produces and promotes events to amplify the Latino arts in Chattanooga.
A few weeks ago, I spoke with them during Hispanic Heritage Month for our series of conversations with voices from the Latino community in this city, in collaboration with La Paz Chattanooga: a series of conversations we call “Raíces” - or “Roots” in Spanish.
![Jose Otero](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/5f2a712/2147483647/strip/true/crop/627x654+0+0/resize/880x918!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F9f%2F28%2F04b545284b068a4cc2b42b987f6b%2Fjoseotero.png)
![Viri Marin](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/a7f2d58/2147483647/strip/true/crop/2356x2310+0+0/resize/880x863!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Ff8%2Ffd%2Fbb22c4e0418ca70765cf4cc7cf36%2Fvirimarin.jpg)
![Xavier Cotto](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/506ff20/2147483647/strip/true/crop/539x548+0+0/resize/880x895!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F09%2F26%2F33cd64924cbf9b28efae5ec78624%2Fxaviercotto.jpeg)
Our thanks to Lily Sanchez at La Paz Chattanooga for bringing us together for these "Raíces" conversations.
We look forward to bringing you more from here on “Scenic Roots.”