Monteverde Friends School celebrates the life and influence of this ground-breaking Costa Rican educator, who taught two of our current staff.  Eugenio Vargas shares this writing “In celebration of a life dedicated to sowing seeds for universal values.”

“I acquired a commitment to work for respect to all kinds of people and tolerance for the different cultural values and religious creeds: this in order to contribute to peace in the world.”

Hilda Chen Apuy Espinoza rested in peace last week. She was born in the city of Puntarenas in 1923, the daughter of José Chen, a Chinese immigrant and Rafaela Espinoza, Costa Rican. In its history, Costa Rica has received immigrants arriving from many places in the world; Puntarenas was the entry port for travelers arriving by ships before there was an international airport in the country.

In a time when young girls had very little opportunities to study away from home, her parents did all they could do so that Hilda and her sister would continue other studies beyond primary school. So her family moved to Heredia and in 1942 Hilda graduated from Universidad de Costa Rica (UCR) as Primary School teacher. However, the State Education Ministry did not designate her as a teacher “because there were not vacant positions” although all the men who graduated in her group were appointed[1]. This made Hilda search for a scholarship to follow up with international studies in arts. In 1943 Mount Holyoke College in Massachusetts granted her this opportunity, thus becoming the first Latin-American woman admitted by Mount Holyoke.

Fate put me on the road to other opportunities, when in Costa Rica I was denied the job of primary school teacher”It was my first trip abroad, at a time when very few female Costa Rican students dared to travel abroad for further studies.[2]

A few years later, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) granted her other scholarships to continue her specialization in Asian Studies for the mutual understanding between East and West. This new opportunity brought her to universities in Mexico, The Netherlands, and Banaras Hindu University in India during a period of 5 years.[3]

Hilda Chen’s life was truly a bridge between people from a wide diversity of cultures and the enrichment of each other with the reciprocal knowledge of arts and values. After completing her program as scholarship grantee she came back to Costa Rica and worked for many years teaching at the University of Costa Rica (UCR). Carlos Acuña, current professor of Spanish and Social Studies at MFS, remembers Hilda and her sweet voice as professor on some of the history courses he attended at UCR.

In 2006 Mount Holyoke College conferred Hilda with the degree of doctor of humane letters honoris causa. In her address Hilda said:

“Every educational institution in which I studied, beginning with the University of Costa Rica, added something very valuable in my preparation, not only in academic training, but also in personal enrichment, thus, contributing to my philosophy of life and to place values for being useful during the following years. Hence, I acquired a compromise to work for respect to all kinds of people and tolerance for the different cultural values and religious creeds: this in order to contribute to peace in the world.”[4]

 

“Discrimination is fear of the unknown. I am a pacifist since I was young. At ninght grade in High School I wrote an essay asking parents not to buy toy firearms for their children because they would teach them to kill. I am worried for peace, the more so when I see again other wars based upon the ignorance about the other cultures.”[5]

Her book “De la vida, el amor y la Amistad, un Puente entre culturas” (On Life, Love and Friendship: a bridge between cultures), is a compilation of her reflections and articles sharing her hopes, views, experiences and hopes for all humankind. A few words from the final article in this book:

Like the farmer, we throw the seed in the hope that it will germinate, grow and bear fruit; but unlike the farmer who patiently waits to pick up the harvest, the teacher knows that the fruits of his action do not belong to him. Just as children must learn to fly with their own wings, the disciple will have to follow his own path…

 

Someday, when we reach the end of the path, we will say with joy: the hands are not empty; the task has been fulfilled; the seeds have been sown and the fruits are for everyone: we are at peace.[6]

[1]De la vida, del amor y de la Amistad: Un puente entre culturas”, Editorial UCR, 2008

[2]  https://www.mtholyoke.edu/media/2006-commencement-3. Honorary Degree Address by Hilda Chen Apuy ’44. May 28, 2006

[3] “De la vida, del amor y la amistad: un puente entre culturas”, Editorial UCR, 2008.

[4] https://www.mtholyoke.edu/media/2006-commencement-3. Honorary Degree Address by Hilda Chen Apuy ’44. May 28, 2006

[5] La Nacion 11/12/2017 : http://www.nacion.com/viva/cultura/fallecio-hilda-chen-apuy-ganadora-del-premio/VLYRN24P7BC4FLNGEHXOM5W57Y/story/

[6] De la vida, del amor y de la Amistad: Un puente entre culturas”, Editorial UCR, 2008