San Jose: Lowriders, dancers kick off Hispanic heritage month
Editor’s Note: This article was written for Mosaic Vision, an independent journalism training program for high school students who report and photograph stories under the guidance of professional journalists.
A DJ blasted vibrant Latin music. Children, laughing and shouting, skittered about fountains of water sprouting from the sidewalk, and the delicious aroma of churros wafted through downtown San Jose’s Plaza de César Chávez.
For some of the hundreds who came to the joyous festival — Cultura in the Park — celebrating Latin American heritage on Saturday, it was a trip down memory lane.
“Events like these bring back a lot of nostalgia for me,” said Cecilia Garcia, a Latina resident of San Jose who once lived in Mexico.
“I love engaging with the Hispanic community and seeing all these young people getting in touch with their roots. … It’s nice that people who are not Hispanic also come to these events to get to know a little more about our culture,” she said.
Members of the Calpulli Tonalehqueh, aztec dance group perform at the Heritage Festival in the Plaza de Cesar Chavez Park in San Jose, Calif.. on Saturday, Sep 16, 2023. (Rashel Naranjo Arellano/Mosaic Vision Staff)
The free festival’s focus was wide, highlighting the historical, traditional and contemporary aspects of Latino culture and art.
Booths lined the park offering porcelain tableware glistening in bright colors or emblazoned with Day of the Dead skulls, woven baskets, and the flags of South American and Central American nations.
A series of dances were performed by Calpulli Tonalehqueh, an Aztec dance group whose name means “warriors who accompany the sun.”
Folkloric dancers perform at the Heritage Festival in the Plaza de Cesar Chavez Park in San Jose, Calif.. on Saturday, Sep 16, 2023. (Rashel Naranjo Arellano/Mosaic Vision Staff)
The dancers wore brightly colored decorative attire and face paint, and their sprawling feather headdresses gave them a striking presence on stage as they spun and stepped in synchronization to a steady beat reverberating from a wooden drum. Energizing the dance were occasional yips from the dancers and the rattling of ayoyote seeds fastened on their ankles. Some of the dancers burned copal, or tree resin, in ceremonial cups and wafted its sweet-smelling smoke in front of the audience.
“I found the dancers absolutely beautiful,” said Kennya Simms, an Atlanta resident who was visiting the Bay Area and stumbled upon the festival. “As someone who works in the film industry, I have a deep appreciation for …
Source:: East Bay – Entertainment
