The Latinx Student Association’s Latin Expressions showcase was a call to remind all of us, Latino or not, that we stand stronger together.
Titled Solidaridad, or solidarity, the showcase consisted of skits, dance routines and music both sung and performed live. The walls of Washington Hall resounded with the violins of the Notre Dame Mariachi, the heels of the Ballet Folklorico dancers and the cheers of proud friends and family in the audience. All gathered in one place, the commitment from the cast, crew and audience served as a testament to be together, as one, for a chance to celebrate some of the most lively parts of Latin culture.
Following protagonist Pepita, the plotline of her story highlighted how some within the Latino community have internalized one’s self-identity, building barriers between ourselves, our community and those on the outside. This separation between “us”, “them” and “me” has fractured the ability to attempt to learn, understand and sympathize with our neighbors.
In the wake of ICE raids, detention centers and birthright controversy, the Latino community has found itself at the center of an identity crisis that begs us to ask the questions of “Who is America really for?” Is it for the college-educated lawyer who sits in a courtroom with a briefcase? Is it for the stay-at-home mom who packs the lunches and folds the laundry every day? Maybe it is for those that dreamed of a better life that promised to be found in the land of the free and the home of the brave. For many of the Latino community of America, born on this side of the border or not, this question only opens to the spiral of a split identity that stories, poems and confessions repeat time and time again. This sense of “being” and “non-being” oftentimes forgets the detail of the between, better known as the “becoming.” As we internalize what we are and are not, the potential to change disappears as the two parts of heritage seemingly only hold the path of divergence. We completely eliminate the chance to become or move forward with both identities merged.
Latin Expressions Solidaridad asked us to learn from each other, stand together and remind the world that there are spaces and institutions that celebrate our identity and culture in a time where those opportunities have become limited. The performance served as a reminder that in order to truly understand the culture you must feel the culture. Through rhythm, dance and music the lives of many Latino Americans have been scored by the soundtrack of cumbias, mariachi and reggaeton. From early Sunday mornings cleaning the house to late nights falling asleep at cousins’ birthday parties, the celebration never really stops. And why should it when we have such a rich culture to be proud of?
As the Mariachi belted their gritos, and the Ballet Folklorico dancers tapped across the stage, I could not help but be reminded that we, as Latinos, are still here. Still on the land that our parents and grandparents fought so hard to step foot on. Today we step through doors and perform on stages that they were never welcomed to. Washington Hall became a place of conversation; celebration; and, most importantly, solidarity. No matter the borders or the pieces of paper, we are reminded of roots that those before us laid down so that we could be here at this fine institution. We must learn from each other and stand together against the misconceptions and limitations that have stood between us for too long.
