Sukie Sargent is 88 years old, and I aspire to be like her. As someone who went vegan when she was 55, Sukie gives us hope and embodies the reality that no matter what age a person is, they can make a difference.
If I remember correctly, Sukie and I met in 1992 at the Texas Conference for the Animals in Austin, though I really got to know her when I started organizing on a state and national level for various animal rights organizations. I was impressed that she had created such a wonderful team all the way out in El Paso, Texas. In November of 2010, when I was in El Paso to speak to their Vegetarian Society (which she founded), I stayed with her and got to learn more about her. I was incredibly impressed by her energy, smarts, family—everything about her. Currently she’s 88 years old, and I aspire to be like her. As someone who went vegan when she was 55, Sukie gives us hope and embodies the reality that no matter what age a person is, they can make a difference.
Where were you born?
The City of Chihuahua, in Chihuahua State, Mexico.
Where were your parents born?
Chihuahua, Mexico.
Do you have any early memories of your connection with
non-human animals?
Yes, I loved cats and dogs and I never killed anything. I didn’t let
my brothers kill even flies. I learned how to catch them with my
hand and let them free outside. To this day, I keep on doing it. I
have lots of practice. I will never forget a traumatic experience I
had when I was maybe younger than 10. I had a dog named Rex and one
day a friend of one of my brothers came to visit us. He was a close
friend and he was used to just walk in without knocking. My dog
didn’t know him and attacked him. My father was furious, and that
night he shot my dog. That experience will haunt me for the rest of
my life. Also, my father liked to take the family to the countryside
on Sundays to teach my brothers how to hunt rabbits. My mother and I
stayed in the car and all I did was close my eyes and chant, “Corre
conejo, corre veloz, van a matarte, corre, corre” (“Run rabbit, run
fast, they will kill you, run, run”). Those were not enjoyable trips
for me. When I went to the movies in Chihuahua, they had lots of
commercials in between movies, including ones for the corridas de
toros (bullfights). I had to close my eyes; I couldn’t watch.
When did you go vegetarian?
When my younger son, Alex, was a teenager, he learned about factory
farms and animal testing. When I took him shopping, he would always
tell me, “Don’t buy this product or that other product because they
test on animals.” And one day he announced that he was going to be a
vegetarian. So, I got a subscription to Vegetarian Times to learn
about vegetarian dishes. My husband, Richard, was not too happy
about it, but I had to do it. The seed was planted, and I started
learning more about vegetarianism, and then I decided to become a
vegetarian myself. I became a member of a lot of national animal
rights organizations.
What made you go vegan?
I had been a vegetarian for about a year when I read an article in a
magazine about the egg industry and how they cut hens’ beaks so they
won’t kill each other under the conditions they are raised in, and
also how they destroy the baby male chicks. Right then and there, I
knew that I couldn’t eat eggs anymore. The same with the dairy
industry and what they do to male calves. That was my conversion to
veganism. I kept on reading and learning, and after reading John
Robbins’ Diet for a New America, I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt
that I was never going to eat meat again. I realized that we not
only exploit and kill “food” animals, but we also are killing
ourselves by eating animal products and destroying the environment
in the process.
How long have you been running the Vegetarian Society of El
Paso?
This year, it will be 20 years (in 2021, it is 28 years). But, the
Vegetarian Society was not the first organization I founded. First I
founded Voice for All Animals in September of 1992 and the
Vegetarian Society in February of 1993. And, for many years, I was
doing both of them.
How did you start Voice for All Animals?
While traveling through Albuquerque, New Mexico, I found a Sangre de
Cristo Animal Protection (now Animal Protection New Mexico) flyer
and joined the group, indicating I was willing to volunteer. A few
days later, I received a call from Bob Young, the Las Cruces
Representative at that time, and he suggested I get a permit to have
an animal rights information table at one of the malls in El Paso. I
kind of panicked—I didn’t feel I had the knowledge to have a
meaningful conversation about the subject. He assured me that I
wasn’t going to be alone—he was going to be with me and help me. So,
I obtained a permit to have the table at Cielo Vista Mall.
We had more tables at the other malls, and we collected names and
information from people interested in participating. We decided to
have a shot at forming a group, and we had our first meeting at my
home on September 16, 1992. There were eleven attendees, plus two
from a group across the border in Juarez, Mexico, and a veterinarian
and animal protectionist from Chihuahua.
What did Voice for All Animals do?
We were the first-ever animal rights group in El Paso. We organized
Fur Free Friday for many, many years and World Day for Animals in
Laboratories, vigils for Homeless Animals Day. We protested the
annual rattlesnake roundup in Alamogordo, New Mexico. And many
others. We freed Sebastian, a 125-year-old lobster, and sent him to
Maine, where CNN was waiting to film his release into the sea. We
protested the rodeo, circuses, and any other animal entertainment
that came to El Paso.
Can you describe a particular animal rights campaign that
you’re especially proud of being involved in?
Yes, one in particular involved Sissy the elephant. After she
arrived at the El Paso Zoo in October 1998, Sissy was videotaped
being beaten for hours by one of the trainers during a “breaking
session.” The horrifying video of this beating was released to the
media by a disgruntled zoo employee in October 1999. The video was
shown all over the world. Voice for All Animals members and other
concerned citizens engaged in a protest against the vicious beating
of Sissy. On December 7, thanks to pressure from Voice for All
Animals members, concerned El Paso citizens and founder of The
Tennessee Elephant Sanctuary, the city council voted unanimously to
free Sissy. On January 24, 2000, Sissy left for her new home at the
Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee. When Voice for All Animals
disbanded in June 2000, we donated all the money we had in our
account to the Elephant Sanctuary where Sissy is spending the rest
of her life in a beautiful place free of cruelty.
Do you find cooking some of your favorite dishes, especially
Mexican dishes, difficult?
Shirley Wilkes-Johnson (co-founder of the Lone Star Vegetarian
Network) used to say that vegan cooks are the most creative cooks. I
make chiles rellenos with cold mashed potatoes instead of the
cheese, as well as potato tacos and flautas. In the Mexican rice,
all I have to do is replace the chicken stock with vegetarian stock.
Refried beans with oil instead of lard. There are so many vegan meat
analogs now that you can make any kind of Mexican dish. I make a
great green chile “chicken” enchilada casserole with TVP and vegan
sour cream. My husband loves bean soup for breakfast and it’s the
easiest dish to make. I cook the beans in the crock pot all night,
and all I need is tomatoes, onions, chile and cilantro, and a lot of
the bean juice. I also make bean tostadas, chopped tomatoes,
avocado, lettuce and anything you like. Also, chilaquiles with or
without vegan cheese. I make fajitas with portobello mushrooms
instead of the meat, the rest is the same: onions, bell peppers and
fajita seasoning. Lots of soups: fideo soup, potato and chile soup,
poblano cream soup with rice milk instead of the dairy milks, lentil
soup and posole. Also, for the past several years we have learned,
thanks to the lady who takes care of our cats, to make vegan tamales
with TVP instead of the chicken. TVP is readily available in Mexico.
They call it Carne de Soya, and it’s easy to find.
From your perspective, how has the animal rights movement
changed from when you started until now? What has improved, and what
needs more work?
There is a lot more awareness regarding animal rights and veganism
now than when I became one. Again, education is the only way. We can
educate by providing the forum for it, i.e., information tables,
dinners with speakers, workshops, etc. Also, we need to teach by
example—being a healthy vegan is the best example we can give. We
need to take care of ourselves. I encourage all vegan activists to
do the best they can to keep healthy.
What advice would you give to someone who wants to get
involved in the animal rights movement? What would be the first
step?
Join a group and volunteer for whatever the group is doing. Read and
learn all you can about the issue to be prepared to answer
questions. One piece of advice I give to anyone is not to answer a
question you are not sure about. It is best to tell them that you
will do some research and get back at them with the correct answer.
Another one is not to get angry at anyone who is ugly with you. That
was one of the rules I had when we protested the rodeos and the
circuses. It doesn’t matter what they yell at you or say, you just
smile and hold the sign—do not get involved in an ugly
confrontation. You are not going to change that person’s mind, but
if others see you being angry and ugly, they get turned off and you
won’t reach them. If we claim to be compassionate to animals, we
need to be compassionate to human animals. Most of them are not
aware of all the cruelty involved, and the reason you are there is
to sow the seeds.