Latest news with #LatinoCulture
Arab News
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Arab News
What We Are Reading Today: LatinoLand by Marie Arana
'LatinoLand,' by Marie Arana, explores the diverse politics and historical roots of Hispanic Americans. It is a compelling and insightful exploration into the diverse tapestry of Latino culture in the US. Arana, with her profound understanding and personal connection to the Latino experience, crafts a narrative that is both illuminative and deeply resonant, according to a review on The book is not just a mere compilation of statistics and historical facts; it's a vibrant journey through the lives, struggles, and triumphs of the Latino community. Arana draws on her own experience as the daughter of an American mother and Peruvian father who came to the US at age nine, straddling two worlds, as many Latinos do. She delves into the socio-political challenges facing Latino Americans, from immigration policies to economic disparities, without losing sight of the individual stories that illuminate these issues. Arana's work shines in its celebration of the cultural contributions of Latino Americans to the fabric of American society The book 'unabashedly celebrates Latino resilience and character and shows us why we must understand the fastest-growing minority in America.'
The Guardian
5 days ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
Small US towns cancel fairs celebrating Latino culture: ‘climate of fear is real'
Harrisonburg, Virginia, a town of 50,000 people in the Shenandoah Valley, should have been alive with the color, sound and smells of local Latino culture. Soccer tournaments, taco trucks, Salvadorian chanchona musical bands and about 4,000 visitors were last month set to attend the town's Hispanic Festival held at a sports complex outside the town. But this year, it's not happening. US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice) agents have been active in the Harrisonburg area for months, prompting organizers to cancel the festival. 'There have been instances of raids targeting immigrant families and workplaces in the past. While we had no confirmed reports that Ice planned to target the festival, the general climate of fear is very real,' says Crimson Solano, executive director of the Coalición Solidaria Pro-Inmigrantes Unidos (COSPU), which runs the festival. 'This fear undermines the purpose of the festival, which is to create a safe, celebratory space for our community.' Festivals and fairs are a mainstay of small-town American life. But now from rural Indiana to a tiny village in Washington state to cornerstone Appalachian towns such as Harrisonburg, Latino and other international festivals are being cancelled this summer due to fears of raids by Ice agents. In its first five months, the Trump administration detained about 109,000 people, the overwhelming majority of whom have no criminal records, as part of the administration's sweeping deportation effort. About 150,000 people were removed from the country by Ice between January and June. 'Our polling shows 43% of Latino voters fear they could be arrested by immigration authorities – even if they are citizens or have legal status – which has disrupted the daily lives of the Latino community,' says Rita Fernández, director of immigration policy project at UnidosUS, the country's largest Latino civil rights organization. 'We urge our community to know their rights, stand united and demand an end to profiling – because no one should live in fear to celebrate their contributions to this country.' Aside from the damage the targeting does to community relations and other social capital elements, the cancellation of festivals hits local authorities in their pockets: food trucks, vendors and other businesses pay thousands of dollars to local authorities for permits to sell their wares in front of the large audiences attending the festivals. Sponsors contribute thousands of dollars more. Solano says that most of the Harrisonburg Hispanic Festival's $40,000 budget would have gone straight back out into the community, paying the local police department, audio engineers, tent and restroom facilitators and a host of others. 'The cancellation also hurts vendors, many of whom are small immigrant-owned businesses,' he says. 'Some vendors can make the equivalent of two to three months' worth of income in just one day at the festival.' While communities in larger metropolitan areas such as Chicago and Pittsburgh have also seen cancellations, their large size means that both the local authorities and the vendors can generally take the financial hit, since they have in place populations to sustain them year-round. But for small towns such as Crookston, Minnesota, population 7,250, and Madras, Oregon, population 7,750 – where Latino festivals in summer and fall play a key economic role – the cancellations are far more damaging. In Carnation, Washington, population 2,100, organizers at Thing have cancelled its Latin Day event scheduled for 16 August in part due to uncertainty around securing visas for performers and slow ticket sales prompted by fears of raids by Ice agents. 'We're very aware that with so many Latino cultural events being cancelled out of care for community safety, this is also having a significant economic impact on the musicians, artists and vendors,' says Laura Vilches, manager of Latin and immersive programing at the Seattle Theatre Group, which oversees the festival. 'We are committed to finding opportunities for these bands and local artists at other events throughout the year and will revisit the concept of a Latino music festival when the time is right.' All this is despite the fact that the overwhelming majority of foreign-born residents in America are in the country legally. Beyond their labor, immigrants in recent years have played a major role in reviving and sustaining small towns that have struggled to hold on to their residents. According to the American Immigration Council, the number of immigrants living in rural areas increased 5.5% between 2010 and 2022, while the US-born population shrank by 3.1% in that time. Many immigrants have filled back-breaking blue-collar jobs on farms and at food production and manufacturing facilities, which in turn pay millions of dollars in taxes to local authorities. That's just how life has been playing out in Huntingburg, a town of 6,500 people in rural south-west Indiana, where nearly one-third of residents identify as Latino or Hispanic. This year, it too cancelled its Festival Latino event that had taken place every fall for a decade due to fears of being targeted by Ice, to the anger of many. In Indiana, a federal military installation 100 miles from Huntingburg is set to be converted into a deportation facility due to overcrowding at other locations used to hold detainees, contributing to the sense of fear among local immigrant communities. Emails by the Guardian sent to the chair of the Dubois county Republican party seeking comment on the cancellation of the Festival Latino event went unanswered. Dubois county incorporates Huntingburg and saw Trump win 70% of the vote in last November's presidential election. In the past, Republican party leaders in rural America were broadly supportive of local international and Latino communities, in large part due to the key economic role they played. Now, some are beginning to openly voice opposition to the Trump administration's indiscriminate deportation program, which has targeted thousands of people with no criminal records. 'I've been clearly on record: the worst, first,' Mike Braun, the Republican Indiana governor, said recently, referencing his unease at the indiscriminate nature of the deportation operation. Others, however, remain steadfastly in line with the White House. In February, the Virginia state police signed a cooperation agreement with Ice, at the behest of the Republican governor, Glen Youngkin. 'It's heartbreaking for our Hispanic festival to be canceled. It's by far our largest and most anticipated festival,' says Deanna Reed, the mayor of Harrisonburg, a town whose Hispanic population is more than double the Virginia average. 'Our Hispanic community lives in fear every day. As soon as the Trump administration took over, Ice was running rampant in Harrisonburg. So, I understand why they canceled – out of fear and safety – and I agree with them.'
The Guardian
6 days ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
Small US towns cancel fairs celebrating Latino culture: ‘climate of fear is real'
Harrisonburg, Virginia, a town of 50,000 people in the Shenandoah Valley, should have been alive with the color, sound and smells of local Latino culture. Soccer tournaments, taco trucks, Salvadorian chanchona musical bands and about 4,000 visitors were last month set to attend the town's Hispanic Festival held at a sports complex outside the town. But this year, it's not happening. US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice) agents have been active in the Harrisonburg area for months, prompting organizers to cancel the festival. 'There have been instances of raids targeting immigrant families and workplaces in the past. While we had no confirmed reports that Ice planned to target the festival, the general climate of fear is very real,' says Crimson Solano, executive director of the Coalición Solidaria Pro-Inmigrantes Unidos (COSPU), which runs the festival. 'This fear undermines the purpose of the festival, which is to create a safe, celebratory space for our community.' Festivals and fairs are a mainstay of small-town American life. But now from rural Indiana to a tiny village in Washington state to cornerstone Appalachian towns such as Harrisonburg, Latino and other international festivals are being cancelled this summer due to fears of raids by Ice agents. In its first five months, the Trump administration detained about 109,000 people, the overwhelming majority of whom have no criminal records, as part of the administration's sweeping deportation effort. About 150,000 people were removed from the country by Ice between January and June. 'Our polling shows 43% of Latino voters fear they could be arrested by immigration authorities – even if they are citizens or have legal status – which has disrupted the daily lives of the Latino community,' says Rita Fernández, director of immigration policy project at UnidosUS, the country's largest Latino civil rights organization. 'We urge our community to know their rights, stand united and demand an end to profiling – because no one should live in fear to celebrate their contributions to this country.' Aside from the damage the targeting does to community relations and other social capital elements, the cancellation of festivals hits local authorities in their pockets: food trucks, vendors and other businesses pay thousands of dollars to local authorities for permits to sell their wares in front of the large audiences attending the festivals. Sponsors contribute thousands of dollars more. Solano says that most of the Harrisonburg Hispanic Festival's $40,000 budget would have gone straight back out into the community, paying the local police department, audio engineers, tent and restroom facilitators and a host of others. 'The cancellation also hurts vendors, many of whom are small immigrant-owned businesses,' he says. 'Some vendors can make the equivalent of two to three months' worth of income in just one day at the festival.' While communities in larger metropolitan areas such as Chicago and Pittsburgh have also seen cancellations, their large size means that both the local authorities and the vendors can generally take the financial hit, since they have in place populations to sustain them year-round. But for small towns such as Crookston, Minnesota, population 7,250, and Madras, Oregon, population 7,750 – where Latino festivals in summer and fall play a key economic role – the cancellations are far more damaging. In Carnation, Washington, population 2,100, organizers at Thing have cancelled its Latin Day event scheduled for 16 August in part due to uncertainty around securing visas for performers and slow ticket sales prompted by fears of raids by Ice agents. 'We're very aware that with so many Latino cultural events being cancelled out of care for community safety, this is also having a significant economic impact on the musicians, artists and vendors,' says Laura Vilches, manager of Latin and immersive programing at the Seattle Theatre Group, which oversees the festival. 'We are committed to finding opportunities for these bands and local artists at other events throughout the year and will revisit the concept of a Latino music festival when the time is right.' All this is despite the fact that the overwhelming majority of foreign-born residents in America are in the country legally. Beyond their labor, immigrants in recent years have played a major role in reviving and sustaining small towns that have struggled to hold on to their residents. According to the American Immigration Council, the number of immigrants living in rural areas increased 5.5% between 2010 and 2022, while the US-born population shrank by 3.1% in that time. Many immigrants have filled back-breaking blue-collar jobs on farms and at food production and manufacturing facilities, which in turn pay millions of dollars in taxes to local authorities. That's just how life has been playing out in Huntingburg, a town of 6,500 people in rural south-west Indiana, where nearly one-third of residents identify as Latino or Hispanic. This year, it too cancelled its Festival Latino event that had taken place every fall for a decade due to fears of being targeted by Ice, to the anger of many. In Indiana, a federal military installation 100 miles from Huntingburg is set to be converted into a deportation facility due to overcrowding at other locations used to hold detainees, contributing to the sense of fear among local immigrant communities. Emails by the Guardian sent to the chair of the Dubois county Republican party seeking comment on the cancellation of the Festival Latino event went unanswered. Dubois county incorporates Huntingburg and saw Trump win 70% of the vote in last November's presidential election. In the past, Republican party leaders in rural America were broadly supportive of local international and Latino communities, in large part due to the key economic role they played. Now, some are beginning to openly voice opposition to the Trump administration's indiscriminate deportation program, which has targeted thousands of people with no criminal records. 'I've been clearly on record: the worst, first,' Mike Braun, the Republican Indiana governor, said recently, referencing his unease at the indiscriminate nature of the deportation operation. Others, however, remain steadfastly in line with the White House. In February, the Virginia state police signed a cooperation agreement with Ice, at the behest of the Republican governor, Glen Youngkin. 'It's heartbreaking for our Hispanic festival to be canceled. It's by far our largest and most anticipated festival,' says Deanna Reed, the mayor of Harrisonburg, a town whose Hispanic population is more than double the Virginia average. 'Our Hispanic community lives in fear every day. As soon as the Trump administration took over, Ice was running rampant in Harrisonburg. So, I understand why they canceled – out of fear and safety – and I agree with them.'
Yahoo
25-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Sparkling Rum Brand Casalú Closes Seed Round to Expand Its Latino-focused RTD Across Key Retailers in Florida
MIAMI, June 25, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Casalú, a Miami-based beverage startup that has carved a unique niche in the ready-to-drink (RTD) market by introducing the canned Sparkling Rum serving Latinos, is pleased to announce the initial close of their seed funding round. "This latest round marks a pivotal moment for Casalú. In our first chapter, we set out to prove one thing: that a modern, culturally rooted brand could resonate with Latino consumers; especially those moving away from beer," states Gabriel González, Co-CEO of Casalú. "So many new drinks I see feel cynical. Copycats that add nothing to drinking culture. What Gabriel Ricardo, and the team at Casalú have built is the opposite. It's more than a tasty RTD. Casalú is a cultural movement. A brand Latinos can point to and say, 'Yeah, that's for me. These are my people. And I'd like something other than a beer, please'" comments Tom Baker, Founder and CEO of Mr. Black (Acquired by Diageo), who joined the investment round. Casalú has availability in some of the country's key retailers including Total Wine (their first partner), The Fresh Market, Winn-Dixie, Fresco & Más, and Milam's. Priced at retail for $18.99, the brand offers two initial flavors: Traditional "Limón" - An homage to a cuba libre "Maracuyá" – An explosion of tropical notes in a can. "Simply put, go to your nearest Walmart and check out the RTD shelf. There are 50 brands. Yet, how many of those were built by a Latino team to represent their culture authentically? The answer you'll find is zero. That's where we come in", states Gonzalez. To join the movement, follow us on social: Company ContactGabriel and Communications Contact Taylor FoxmanFounder & CEOThe Industry Collective609-432-2237397175@ View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Casalú Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
19-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Celebrating Latino heritage: Pedro Veras leads mural project in Springfield
SPRINGFIELD ― Pedro Veras, a Dominican artist, will lead a mural painting event, 'Echoes of Heritage,' set to celebrate Latino culture, artistic expression and economic contributions of the Latino community. The event hosted by the 7 Arts Latino Foundation is designed as an inclusive community event and will take place June 28 at 11 a.m. at the Downtown Supermarket, 121 Spring St. The public is invited to watch the mural's installation begin. Students and families from the High School of Science and Technology will work closely with Pedro Veras to create a mural. Jorge Martinez, president and executive director of the 7 Arts Latino Foundation, said the project is more than just a mural; it aims to foster a deeper connection to Latino heritage and create a shared sense of ownership in this public art piece. 'It is a testament to the hard work, cultural richness and dreams of Latino immigrants who have shaped our community,' he said. 'It stands as a symbol of unity, artistic expression and the enduring hope for a better future that resonates with all residents.' Veras brings extensive experience, and his works are exhibited in cities across the Dominican Republic, Spain, and Italy. His vision and talent are anticipated to significantly enhance and create a lasting, inspiring impact on Springfield's cultural landscape, Martinez said. Read the original article on MassLive.
