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Editor's Letter

The Importance of Understanding the Outsider

"If credit unions don’t serve [immigrants] right now, the community will never begin that process of building trust with them.”

Colombian soccer match Despite knowing a loss was imminent, the home team’s band and fans played music, sang and chanted continuously during a soccer game in Medellin, Colombia last month.

During a one-week trip to Medellin, Colombia last month, my travel buddy and I chose activities that would offer a glimpse into what life is like for a “paisa” (or, local), one of them being a professional soccer match. Several things stood out to me during this futbol game experience, such as the crowd’s indifference to pouring rain in an uncovered stadium and the tight security (which included a rather invasive, full-body pat-down at the stadium’s entrance), but what stood out most had to do with attitude.

While it was clear the home team was about to lose, the energy in the stadium remained positive and upbeat, with the band playing music and the crowd singing and cheering throughout the duration of the game. It was a sharp contrast to some American football games I’ve attended, where an impending loss led to impatient, angry fans booing, cussing and walking out of the stadium early.

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Natasha Chilingerian

Natasha Chilingerian

Natasha Chilingerian has been immersed in the credit union industry for over a decade. She first joined CU Times in 2011 as a freelance writer, and following a two-year hiatus from 2013-2015, during which time she served as a communications specialist for Xceed Financial Credit Union (now Kinecta Federal Credit Union), she re-joined the CU Times team full-time as managing editor. She was promoted to executive editor in 2019. In the earlier days of her career, Chilingerian focused on news and lifestyle journalism, serving as a writer and editor for numerous regional publications in Oregon, Louisiana, South Carolina and the San Francisco Bay Area. In addition, she holds experience in marketing copywriting for companies in the finance and technology space. At CU Times, she covers People and Community news, cybersecurity, fintech partnerships, marketing, workplace culture, leadership, DEI, branch strategies, digital banking and more. She currently works remotely and splits her time between Southern California and Portland, Ore.

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