Latino Heritage Month opens with speech, dinner and dance

The celebration of Latino Heritage Month commenced Friday night with a Guatemalan dinner at the Carl A. Fields Center. The event included a keynote speech by street artist James De La Vega and performances by various campus dance groups.

"This year we're trying to integrate more countries and cultures," said Patricia Fossas '03, the event's coordinator. "In past years, we had Mexican or Puerto Rican food because those are the largest Latino groups on campus."

The dinner attracted more people than in previous years, especially Latino students, said Vanessa Gomez '05, who attended the event last year.

Fossas, the president of Acción Puertorriqueña y Amigos, stressed that the event was organized by the Latino Heritage Month Committee, which is completely independent from other Latino student groups on campus.

"This event acts to bring a lot of people together — of all nationalities," she said.

The Fields Center donated the space for the dinner, and the International Center provided flags of Spanish-speaking countries as decorations.

Tatiana Cordoba '04, the secretary of Acción Puertorriqueña y Amigos, introduced keynote speaker De La Vega, recalling the first time she saw his artwork as a high school student in New York City.

De La Vega, 30, who has been a street artist for nine years, said he began creating murals to promote unity and tolerance within Spanish Harlem.

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His artwork continues to incorporate symbolic images that appeal to the Latino community, serving as social and political commentary.

"I realized that [my artwork] was a great way to both beautify a building and bring people together," he said.

De La Vega grew up in Spanish Harlem, surrounded by poverty and crime. Despite the adversity in his neighborhood, he was awarded a scholarship to attend a private prep school as a result of his outstanding academic achievement. De La Vega graduated as valedictorian of his high school and went on to Cornell University, where he studied art.

He returned to Spanish Harlem to teach at a local public school, but De La Vega said he felt he would have more impact on the community as an artist.

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Though he began creating murals inspired by such varied images as Picasso's "Guernica," Latino pop culture or religious figures, he abandoned the permanence of his neighborhood's walls and expanded to the sidewalks of New York.

On the sidewalks, De La Vega writes inspirational quotes, placed in high traffic areas to provoke thought and spread his message.

In addition, Ballet Folklorico, Princeton Capoeira, Flamenco Puro and Sympoh performed.

"It's so nice to see such an interest and so many people here," said Nicole Oncino '05, who performed "Sevillanas" with Flamenco Puro.

Latino students celebrated the kickoff to the annual heritage month with a salsa party at Quadrangle Club.

Future events include a lecture by author Hector Feliciano on the Nazi plot to steal art works, a Nuyorican poetry slam and a theatrical performance of "Mastering Sex and Tortillas."