Questions, comments or a tip? Let us know.
For Chicano Caucus, an Early Celebration of Heritage
PUBLISHED MAY 5, 2008
As clouds faded into sunshine Saturday afternoon, Chicano Caucus and supporters gathered on Low Plaza to celebrate an early Cinco de Mayo with mariachis, dancers, and the New York Times-approved Super Tacos truck from 96th Street.
“The taco truck,” said Chicano Caucus Community Chair Luis Rivera, CC ’11. “The taco truck is key.”
The event served as this year’s largest party for Chicano Caucus, the campus group representing Mexican and Mexican-American students, and as a showcase for everything from Mexican folk music to traditional paper flowers, a row of which festooned Alma Mater’s base.
“It’s really great to have a day when we can share this with the rest of the community,” Caucus Vice Chair Julia Gonzales, CC ’10, said. “It’s really nice to see a variety of people, and not just the usuals.”
“It really gets people involved,” Rivera said of the event’s large scale. “It’s a lot of fun for people from the community and on campus.”
Dihara Jourdain, a 10-year-old who lives on 190th Street, agreed.
“We saw the party,” said Jourdain, who left the piñata-breaking with fists full of candy, “so we came.”
Organizers provided one candy-filled piñata for children to hit, and another—which included money—for older attendees.
“It’s taking me back to my childhood,” said Bianca Isaias, BC ’11, who grew up in Honduras.
Teachers College student Gregory Hallman, a cousin of a Chicano Caucus undergraduate, gave the audience an explanation of the holiday—which is not, as many believe, the Mexican Independence Day. Rather, it marks the unlikely 1862 victory of 4,000 Mexican soldiers against twice as many French. Cinco de Mayo is now more widely celebrated in the United States than in Mexico, and is associated with Mexican pride and heritage.
“We’re proud of those soldiers in the same way we’re proud of the American soldiers who have given their lives through the years,” Hallman said.
Dancer Elvira Colorado said she appreciated that the event focused on the historical significance of the day.
“Many times, people forget what we’re actually celebrating,” she said. “It’s not about going to a bar and getting drunk, or having sales.”
Colorado is a member of the Aztec dance group Cetiliztli Nauhcampa Quetzalcoatl In Ixachitlan, or the Group of the Four Directions East of the Continent.
“All of our dances are prayers,” she said.
Other performers ranged from campus dance groups like Sabor, Onyx, and Orisha to such city troupes as the ballet Estampas Folkloricas Mexicanas and the Mariachis Citlalli.
“This is not an event where only Mexican students are doing Mexican things,” Hallman said. “While we have a different culture from them, we have a lot of things in common.”
But it was also an opportunity to educate others about things uniquely Mexican.
“Mexicans, Latinos, we contribute a lot to this country,” said Karina Garcia, CC ’08 and chair of Lucha, mentioning the featured music and food. “Immigrants built this country. This [celebration] is just one part of our contribution.”
Article Tools:
View Comments ( 1)
Post a Comment
We are a group of friends that know and worked with a young woman named Joy Loftin while she was employed at the Vanderbilt YMCA here in New York City. During the length of her employment, several extremely disturbing incidents occurred that cause us to be concerned and call into question the motives and the integrity of Shan Colorado Finnerty, Hortensia Colorado, and Elvira Colorado.
On several occasions, Joy came to work with visible bruises on her neck and arms. She eventually explained to us that Shan had punched, beaten, and choked her and she asked us for help. As wardens for the community, we tried to place Joy in women’s shelters around the city in an effort to mitigate the abuse. However, at the urging of Shan’s mother and aunt, Hortensia and Elvira, she returned to their apartment and refused to press criminal charges against Shan Colorado Finnerty. The abuse continued and one day, she came to work very early, visibly distressed and crying, with more bruises and abrasions. She said that Shan had verbally abused and beaten her once again; that she wanted to return to California, and that she was going to quit her job and reunite with her family. She tendered her resignation later that week. Out of concern for her safety and in an effort to find out what happened to her, we requested an officer from the domestic violence unit of the 5th Precinct conduct a welfare check at their home on Kenmare Street. However the officer was unable to find anyone at the apartment, and therefore could not verify that Joy was safe. We realize that she is suffering from battered women’s syndrome and may be unable to help herself due to the isolationist environment that the Colorados have formed around her. Abusive men are often enabled by their family, while the victim is persuaded to believe the abuse is her fault, and the pattern of emotional and physical trauma continues. Taking into consideration what has happened to Joy Loftin, it is especially deceitful that their display "Altar: El Llanto De La Resistancia" at the American Indian Community House was in part dedicated to victims of domestic violence.
In light of these events, we are dismayed, disappointed, and outraged to know that members of the American Indian Community would commit, condone, and perpetuate domestic abuse and violence, while simultaneously conducting workshops, writing and performing plays, and displaying works and art that would have the public and those who support them believe otherwise. It is a vulgar and offensive misrepresentation of American Indian Culture, and further support of Coatlicue Theater, Hortensia Colorado, Elvira Colorado, Shan Colorado Finnerty and their work is tantamount to supporting domestic abuse and violence. Considering their duplicitous behavior, having them represent American Indian Culture is an insult to the dignity of American Indians and an affront to human beings.
We therefore will not attend nor support any Coatlicue Theater productions or events where they will be featured. We will not attend or support any bands or groups where Shan Finnerty or his works are featured. We will be encouraging others that might consider attending, participating, or funding them to do the same. Our actions are warranted, and to be associated with the aforementioned individuals and Coatlicue Theater would be equivalent to enabling and contributing to such offensive behaviour. We are urging everyone to reevaluate their support of Coatlicue Theatre and the Colorados, and question the individuals concerned. Until the responsible individuals are held accountable and measures are taken to verify that the abuse is no longer occurring, we will continue with our boycott of Coatlicue Theatre and Shan Finnerty's work and we will strongly urge others to do the same.
Post new comment