CONTINUED COVERAGE
Each Saturday look for a feature story from our media partners at Mundo Hispanico that highlights an aspect of the Hispanic community. For a closer look at its content, go to www.mundohispanico.com or contact editors and reporters directly at 404-881-0441.
Latino youth in Atlanta celebrated “Children’s Day” recently through an array of cultural events and an educational fair, thanks to the combined efforts of the Georgia Liaison Office for the Government of Guanajuato, Casa Guanajuato-Georgia and the Mexican Consulate General in Atlanta.
“The celebration of Children’s Day in Mexico is very important, and that’s why I believe it is important for us, despite being far from home, not to lose culture or traditions,” said Verónica Toscano, representative for the Georgia Liaison Office for the Government of Guanajuato.
For Maria de los Ángeles Pérez Mendoza, a mother and native of Mexico, the holiday represents the love and attention that every child needs but which many unfortunately do not receive, due to the increasing number of families being separated by deportations.
“These moves are keeping children from experiencing that wonderful stage that defines many things in life,” said Pérez Mendoza, who encouraged parents to keep fighting for their children.
One of the cultural celebrations took place at the Latin American Association in Atlanta where children watched the theater production “Alas de mariposa” (butterfly wings).
The dramatic piece was a remembrance of the pain caused by the separation of families, who are forced to leave their native lands in search of a better life and future.
The only actor in the production was Eugenia Cano, who, accompanied by a musician, played the lead role of a monarch butterfly and gave life to more than five characters on stage.
“We chose the monarch butterfly because this creature makes the same journey that immigrants do. It goes all the way to Canada, but it faces the same dangers and adversities that many immigrants do,” explained Cano.
More than 60 Latino children attended the play, which tells the story of a butterfly who travels from Mexico to the United States in search of its mother, just as is the experience of many immigrant children who set out on the long journey toward ‘the American dream.’
“Alas de Mariposa” was performed by Kalipatos, a theater group from Guanajuato, Mexico. According to Toscano, the group was chosen because its play touches on a very sensitive topic for the Latino community.
“We feel as though Children’s Day should not just be celebrated with sweets and toys, but also with dances, with music, with our culture, and we believe that Kalipatos does that, and they also address the topic of immigration, which is very important to our community,” asaid Toscano.
About the Author
