In this most difficult time it may be hard to understand a celebration like the Fiestas Patrias, so let me offer my perspective.
Latino Heritage Month is in part defined by the month in which 18 Latin American countries gained their independence.
It is part homage to homeland and to customs that are part of a childhood or a lifetime spent in another country. It is also a way for adults to share with children and youth what it was like to grow up in another country, perhaps in an era filled with turbulence and war. Or a place that was beautifully bucolic.
It is also a time to include history that has all too often been excluded in the classes and lesson plans that are a part of most student's lives.
The meaning of Fiestas Patrias will vary from community to community, from family to family, and from person to person. For most it is not about a desire to go back to where they came from so much as a desire to hold on to the traditions or memories that are precious, to use the Scottish phrase, to kith and kin. You know, your friends and family.
A celebration of the Fiestas Patrias will take place @ Villa Parke on Saturday, September 10, from 11 a.m. until 5 p.m.
Drop by, share some dance, share some music and dance, share some cultura,
share some time with your neighbors.
For details on the event -
http://cityofpasadena.net/EkContent.aspx?theme=Navy&id=6442460396&bid=2970&style=news
No comments:
Post a Comment