Latinas
celebrate heritage, culture
By
Julie Guevara
On-line Forty-Niner
Latinas
were celebrated through dance, song, poetry,
art and literary pieces from different women
at the monthly Women's Expressions series
held last Thursday evening in the Women's
Resource Center.
The
theme of this month's Women's Expressions
group was"Viva La Mujer," which
means long live women, in observance of
Latina Heritage Month.
The
women chose to use the term Latina Heritage
Month because they felt that the term Latino
was gender biased and they wanted to include
both genders in their term.
"As
part of our mission statement, we felt that
it was important to create a 'safe space'
for men and women to listen to women's experiences,"
said Jackie Ruiz, who is one of the coordinators
for this year's Women's Expression. "Overall,
each month's expression is just as strong,
but this month there is more of a personal
affiliation and identification."
A
small group of women gathered to support
one another and celebrate women and Latinas
as one.
"I
am here beacause it's for Latinas,"
graduate student, Beatriz Rosales said.
"I am looking for some support since
the graduate program is hard and I am new
to Cal State Long Beach. It feels good to
be here. There is a lot of warmth."
The
performances included interpretations of
literary pieces from Cris Hernandez, a folkloric
dance from a student from Compton High,
poems by Bunche Middle School students and
songs performed by co-coordinator Natalie
Maldonado.
"I
think this is one of those things that sets
an example for people that come after us,"
said Hernandez, who has helped continue
Women's Expressions at CSULB. "We owe
it to the people of the past for letting
us continue the work that we do and to the
people of the future." Hernandez has
been a part of women's readings at the Women's
Resource Center for more than 10 years.
"I
feel a little bit special because we are
different than others," explained Bunche
Middle School student, Carolina Salvador.
Salvador
read a piece of her "I Am" poem
to the group along with her classmates Gabriella
Mendoza, Caroline Trujillo and Eyra Rivera.
"I am Latina," Salvador said.
Latino
Heritage Month is celebrated from Sept.
15 until Oct. 15. Other organizations on
campus will dedicate themselves to the rest
of the month to commemorate Latinos of the
past, present and future.
"It
signifies the month where we can demonstrate
to those in America that we are always united
and our presence in this country helps to
make it what it is today," on-air personality
for Super Estrella 107.1 FM, Kolo Barrera
said. "We are also very proud of our
heritage."
Barrera
and staff members Eddie Monterrubio, Abel
Ruvalcaba, Alex Tinoko and Joe Energy were
invited to promote the Spanish station for
the listening enjoyment of the students
on Thursday in the terrace.
Women's
Expressions will be held every month featuring
different themes that correlate to the month.
"We
tried to give Women's Expressions a global
perspective this year," Maldonado said.
"We are trying to ferment global sisterhood
and create that connection."
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