Part of the Parade, part 2

Being a part of cute, community parade can be so many different experiences. 

It can mean that you are as much being seen as seeing those who are watching you,

having fun and expressing multiple roles while taking part in an intimate celebration,

appearing a bit intimidated while walking at the head of a group,

looking just as smart at the end of the parade as you did while you were marching,

 embracing the past and the future in a single image, 

 

receiving kudos

for the quiet support you have given over years that made this all possible - 

2013 Doña Eulalia Award 

recipients - 

Alex Schultz & Diane Walker

Images courtesy Brian Biery - link below.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/brianbiery/

Part of the Parade, part 1

Top images courtesy Brian Biery - link below.

Longfellow Elementary School

Mother's Club Family Learning Center

Pasadena Unified School District, All-district Marching Band

Cleveland Elementary School

Pasadena City College, drumline

Charros Unidos, Tombarazo band

Pasadena High School

Puente Program and Unidos Club, Marshall High School

Lumina Academy

http://www.flickr.com/photos/brianbiery/

LA Pintoresca Teen Education Center and Ambassadors welcoming the Parade marchers and 

Parade watchers to La Pintoresca Library and Park.
Photo by Rachel Young of Pasadena Now.
http://www.pasadenanow.com/main/latino-heritage-parade-and-jamaica-fills-streets-of-northwest-pasadena

Button images with deep, deep meanings,

Thanks to Annette Armas of CJ's Angels who has donated use of these images for the Latino Heritage Parade & jamaica volunteers.  There are beautiful round buttons we'll be wearing on our tees.

We  are lucky to be able to wear them so that all of the 1,000 Parade participants and then the many people who come to the jamaica will be able to find Committee member who can help answer questions.

So looking forward to seeing all the ninas and ninos in the Parade tomorrow.

Please come out and cheer them on.

15th Annual Latino Heritage 

Parade 11:00 a.m.

Los Robles at Howard to Washington and then La Pintoresca Park.

The jamaica runs from noon to 4:00 p.m.

La Pintoresca Library and Park

Through a "mostly Mexicans lived here" filter

Listening to the stories shared by the elders who grew up here and whose families are a part of the history of this area usually leads us to all sorts of other questions.  Once of the questions most often asked is, "Where did the Mexicanos and Mexican Americans live?"

Here is the answer I was given by Dave Ruiz.  His relatives owned and ironworks at the turn of the 20th Century, an uncle was in the U.S. Army in WWI, and he made mention of this certain chamaco who wore a zoot suit in Pasadena.

Gracias to Dave and to all our Elders who lived through so much and who share their stories with us that we might share with others.

Map stitched together by James Grimes.

Info from Old School Pasadenan Dave Ruiz.

Guest Columnist Michael Sedano

Busy week.  Parade is Saturday.

Thank goodness for guest columnist, Michael Sedano.

I believe he's the editor for La Bloga.

How to describe La Bloga?

Arts/Humanities and more

Its facebook about page: Company Overview

Chicana, Chicano, Latina, Latino and more.  Literature, Children's Literature, News Views & Reviews. 

Link below.

Pasadena's 15th annual Latino Heritage March and Jamaica will be the area's largest celebration, after the annual Rose Parade and a football game. Not even the silly "Doo-Dah" parade comes close. But read the newspapers or watch teevee news, people would think the doo-doo and the desfile de las rosas were the city's only major parades.

For a decade and a half, La Pintoresca Park and branch library in the city's northwest has filled with the excitement of drill teams, marching bands, gritos and games. For the 15th year now, the event returns, free and open to everyone who loves a parade. And a jamaica.

And this year, a literary event.

Kicking off at 12:30 is Rick Najera, who signs his new book until 1:25. Thereafter, two panels of raza writers entertain and inform inside the charming La Pintoresca Library.


1:30-2:10, PANEL 1, TELLING OUR STORIES IN POETRY & PROSE
Michael Sedano (moderator and panelist) introduces panelists Andrea Mauk, Randy Ertll, Ricardo Acuña.

2:15-3:00, PANEL 2, OUR INSPIRATIONS & PURPOSES
Thelma T. Reyna (moderator and panelist) introduces panelists Alex Moreno Areyan, Luis Torres, Gerda Govine Ituarte.

3:00-3:30, BOOK SIGNINGS & "MEET & GREET" MIXER WITH AUTHORS AND AUDIENCE.

Thanks to Thelma T. Reyna and Michael Sedano for their generous donation of labor and love 

for this literary event. 

LOCATION OF SITE:

On the 210 Freeway that passes through Pasadena, take the Fair Oaks exit, North.North, or toward the mountains, drive up 1.5 miles to Washington Blvd.You'll see the park and La Pintoresca Library on the northeast corner.Street parking provides the only challenge to attenders.

To read more La Bloga, follow this link:
http://labloga.blogspot.com/2013_10_01_archive.html

2013 - ¡Celebrando los 15!

You never know who will be in our Parade or what our Parade will look like.

Come, check it out.

Saturday, October 19th.  

Parade - 11:00 a.m.

jamaica at La Pintoresca - noon to 4:00 p.m.

Authors in La Pintoresca Llibrary - 12:30- 3:30 p.m.

Rick Najera at the jamaica in Pasadena

Rick Najera is an actor, director, and producer with credits in film, television, theater and Broadway.  

He made his Broadway debut in 2005 in "LATINOLOGUES", a sketch comedy show that he wrote.  A list of those who have acted in this long running show would include: Eugenio Derbez, Edward James Olmos, Jaime Camil, Cythia Klitbo, Eric Estrada, Geraldo Rivera, Maria Conchita Alonso, Jacob Vargas, Tony Plana, Cristian De La Fuente, Fernadn Carrillo, Rene Lavan, and Yarelli Arizmendi.

In addition to his works that relate directly to the theater, Rick has written four books.  Latins Anonymous, Pain of the Macho, Latinologues; From Broadway and Beyond, his recently released - Almost White: Forced Confession of a Latino in Hollywood.  

In 2012 he developed pneumonia and as result passed out in his bathroom.  He was severely injured in his fall and spent days in a coma.  In his words he shares: "When I cam out of the coma, I was in an incubator  I looked like a broken man, with no future.  It was like a brake on my life.  so I thought about the past a lot.  For the first time I really reassessed my life.  When yo come so close to death you tend to start examining things on a metaphysical level.  And when I did that, I realized what a wonderful people and culture I belong to.  And with Travis Smiley urging me, that's when I knew I had to write this book".

 Rick will be having a booksigning at La Pintoresca Library from 12:30-1:15 as part of our jamaica, next Saturday, October 19th.  

They can't stay to play, but...

Lookie who our Grand Marshal is.

La Santa Cecilia.

http://lasantacecilia.com/

Thanks youth at La Pintoresca Teen Education Center!

Proud to present the special logo for this year's Latino Heritage Parade and jamaica.

One-of-a-kind for volunteers on the day of the event.

How cool is this? 

Copyright LPTEC and Latino Heritage

A tasteful fundraiser

This year there will be 1,000 people in our Latino Heritage Parade.  Being this large there is a need to raise funds for our volunteer run event.  The City of Pasadena is helping us more and more, but there are still lots of permits and rentals to be paid.  

We ask friends and acquaintances to help us by sending us money.  Feels good for all when the money comes in - we know bills will be paid.

This year we will also be having a couple of fundraisers.  The first will be this coming Wednesday October 9th and another on Sunday, October 16th.  

I assure you it will be a tasteful meal.  Tasteful as in asauce that you really must lick and lick and lick and meat that falls off the bone.  If you want something other than ribs there are lots of choices.  My favorite is "Ann-Marie's Chicken Addiction" - crunchy cashews, fresh sprouts, hand made chicken salad on whole grain bread.  Then there are the desserts.  Or the onion rings - you get the idea.

Back to the commercial.

Please come to Robin's, enjoy a great meal, and know that 25% of the cost of your meal will be donated to Latino Heritage.  You can breakfast, lunch, or dinner at the restaurant.

25%!

Vannia de la Cuba

You get to eat, we get your support and we will all sleep better at night.  

Remember to inform your server that you are supporting Latino Heritage Parade & jamaica.

This just in - Robin just added another day, Wednesday, October 16th.

http://www.robinsbbq.com/

Hours Of Operation

Tuesday- Sunday 11:00 am-10:pm
Closed On Monday

Robin's Address

395 North Rosemead Blvd.
Pasadena CA, 91107

We need more nopales

A couple of days ago I wrote about the Family Nopal that was instituted by the Mejia family.  I didn't want to inundate the blog with nopal pictures, but I felt I needed to share a couple more images.

Thanks to the work of District 5 Field Rep, Vannia de la Cuba and the great staff at Villa Parke, a Census Fiesta (is you will) took place encouraging all folks in the area to register in the 2010 Census.  

Latino Heritage was there with our Family Nopal activity.  For little ones it was a chance to talk about their family members and maybe even get a little practice writing names.

There were two young women, cousins I think, who started to color in the nopal.  Before too long they were challenging each other to come up with as many family members' names as they possibly could.   Each name mentioned was accompanied by a short story or mentioning a familial point of connection.  

I don't know about you, but I was impressed.  And I think it was great for them to have written record, albeit pretty informal, to take home.  Bet you there was a conversation with someone else about all these names - which is sort of the point.

Dan Guerrero, Honorary Grand Marshal

Typically I share a picture or two about a given subject.  There is usually the formal picture that was taken on a special occasion.  Can't do that in this case.  

Our 2013 Honorary Grand Marshal is Dan Guerrero, who is also the son of our first Grand Marshal, Lalo Guerrero.   Some might have found themselves lost in their father's shadow, but not Dan - well, not for very long.

Over the span of his 73 years Dan has been a student at the Pasadena Playhouse

a young dancer

who became an actor and a mover in New York

and eventually moved on to become a producer, director, writer, and booster of Chicano and Latino talent on his return to California.  He has produced: PBS Kennedy Center Concert of the Americas, Vikki Carr: Memories/Memorias,  Navidad en las Americas, as well as Al Dia con Maria Conchita and El Show de Paul Rodriguez, the latter being perhaps the very first talk/variety program hosted by a Chicano.   

He was the producer of the first, large Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival in 1997.  He co-poroduced and co-worte Lalo Guerrero: The Original Chicano.   

He has been recognized as "one of the 25 most powerful Latinos in Hollywood".   The Dan Guerrero Collection on Latino Entertainment and the Arts has been established in the California Ethnic and Multicultural Archives at the University of California, Santa Barbara.

In his 60s he wrote about his life journey.  

¡Gaytino! is his one man play that is "touching, hilarious, and absolutely one-of-a-kind";  as is Dan.

We are thrilled that he is our Honorary Grand Marshal.

images via Dan Guerrero  and ¡Gaytino! websites.

http://www.danguerrero.com/

http://www.gaytino.com/index.html

http://www.library.ucsb.edu/special-collections/cema/danguerrero

Instead of the family tree

Nowadays there is a lot of talk of ancestry and genealogy on the net and on TV.  Having a website like Ancestry.com, USGenWeb Project, Jewishgen, and Find A Grave to use as a reference helps to spur on this interest.  "Who Do You Think You Are?"  Is both a television show and a phrase that most of us have thought - where do I come from, who were the people who were my parents, my grandparents, my great-grandprents; the curiosity seems to get stronger as the years add on.  The answers often become more and more vague.  

The Mejia family came to Pasadena at the turn of the 20th Century.  They have flourished in business and are active in community service.  They have a very large family.   They use a family nopal - a family cactus - instead of a family tree.  This is one way they keep track of who was here before and who was related to whom.  

Pasadena, CA

The explanation I was given for this choice was that "the nopal symbolizes the strength that our families have to flourish where 'planted'".   If it is strong and well tended, it will flourish even in harsh conditions.  A tree that's transplanted may have weakened roots and may not survive in its new spot. 

Sutter County, CA

There is another aspect to the transplanted nopal that's worth noting.  Despite it being transplanted, it has something of the original cactus that informs future generations.  At some level there is an essence of the original nopal about it.

Bill Hathom, Llano County, TX

Years ago Liz Espinoza, an artist who lives in Altadena, designed an image that was transferred to papel picado work that she did.  We have used this image so that students, big and small, might add the names of those in their family circle.  We hope that his activity helps them learn a bit more about their family and will help them flourish wherever they are planted.

We will have this available for children and their family circle at the jamaica on October 19th.  

http://www.genealogyintime.com/articles/top%20100%20genealogy%20websites%202013%20page1.html

Girls at Garfield School...

Courtesy - Archives of the Pasadena Museum of History

half hidden by the archival sleeve that protects the image

The text on the back is written in three distinct handwriting styles and reads:

No one to talk to I am all by myself

Garfield School

Pasadena 1920

Written in pencil is number 27. 

Many children from Garfield School were sent to Junipero Serra - one of two Mexican Schools in Pasadena.

A couple of reflections on Garfield School can be found at:
http://pasadenalatina.blogspot.com/2013/09/i-am-all-by-myself.html
http://hometown-pasadena.com/history/james-a-garfield-mystery-history/51050

October 19th is just a month away!

Thanks to Vannia de la Cuba, Field Rep for Council member Victor Gordo, who designed this year's poster.  She has many talents, not the least of which being her ability in graphic design.

The poster captures on one sheet so much of what the event is about.

Yes, it is our 15th!

Latino Heritage Parade & jamaica forms.

October 19, 2013

Parade 9:00 a.m.                         jamaica 12 noon to 4 p.m.

Celebrando los 15/Celebrating 15

Both the Entry and Exhibitor forms are online. 

http://latinoheritagesgv.org/wordpress/

General Planning meeting

If it's Wednesday, it must be a Parade & jamaica planning meeting. 

Drop on by and join us - 805 N. Madison, Pasadena, CA 91104

5:30-6:30 p.m.

There'll be talk about a quinceanera waltz, Latino authors and educational activities.

Carmel Meza Collection, Courtesy of Archives, Pasadena Museum of History

Labor Day 2013

In Pasadena we have phenomenal buildings.  They are architectural wonders. 

On Labor Day it's good to remember that the vision and the architects' skills are part of what allows us to experience these beauties.  

The other part is the blood, sweat, and tears that come from the workers who helped build these wonders.

Carmel Meza Collection, Courtesy of Archives, Pasadena Museum of History

The back of this photo reads: 

1932 Civic Audit.

Pasa.

Eso - Fighter & Joe.

Thanks, guys.