Several Hispanic groups gathered at churches and community centers in Peoria for Fiestas Patrias last weekend. The celebrations link together several Latin American countries, including Mexico, Chile and Guatemala, that celebrate their independence in September.
Peoria Public Radio’s Cass Herrington visited one of the parties gathering at the East Bluff Community Center, where much of the focus was on the next generation:
Four boys, all around the age of ten, march onstage. They’re dressed in starched white shirts with navy blue pants, berets and shiny belts. One of them carries a Mexican flag that’s bigger than he is.
The boys are stoic and solemn as they look down over the crowd gathered in the gymnasium. But afterward, they’re regular kids having a good time. I asked them, how it felt standing up there, on stage:
“I feel good, happy, proud...because they came to see us and hear about our culture and stuff.”
Javier Centeno, chair of Conexiones Latinas in McClean County says, it’s a moment these kids will remember, maybe forever.
“Most of them are first generation Mexican-Americans or Latino Americans. Holding that flag of where their parents are from is an important event for them," Centeno said.
Centeno says particularly when Hispanic kids have to confront negative stereotypes, this is a chance for them to feel good about themselves and their culture.
“Especially right now with what’s going on in the media, and what they’re saying about us, as a community, as Latinos, we're trying to challenge that and teach them otherwise.”
Parents and grandparents at the event shared the sentiment. Alex Vargas brought his three kids to help them remain connected to their roots:
“To know where you come from and don’t get confused, and don’t think you’re someone that you’re not. Because people see you as you really are,” Vargas said.
It's events like this that he hopes will help his children maintain a sense knowledge of and pride in their family origin, thousands of miles away from La Patria.
Bianca Abalos is one of the participants in Sunday's event who's working to keep history and heritage alive in Central Illinois. She teaches traditional Jaliscan folk dance to students and adults. Abalos says the camaraderie at the community gathering is almost therapeutic, particularly given this year’s divisive political season:
“We can come together in one place and just forget about those things, and be proud of where we come from," Abalos said. "It’s nice to know there are people out there who have gone through the same things.”
More than 100 people turned out for the Fiestas Patrias celebration at the East Bluff Community Center. The event included traditional food and music, as well as human service organizations that aim to increase outreach to Hispanics in the Peoria area.