The sights, sounds and smells of Hispanic culture wafted across the courtyard of BakerRipley on the evening of Sept. 17 as families from the East Aldine area gathered at the Town Center for a fiesta celebrating the start of Hispanic Heritage Month.
They were reminders that Hispanic culture means much more than one kind of food, clothing or way of speaking Spanish in this dynamic part of the Houston area.
Sticky fingers from Elmer’s glue challenged the children who participated in craft-making activities from several Latin American countries. The piñata booth was very popular, as kids and parents struggled to wrap trimmed yellow paper around and around taco-shaped shells to be filled later with candy.
A brightly colored balloon archway
The clothing and jewelry worn to the festival also reflected the different cultures and styles of different regions of Mexico and other Latin American countries. Turquoise necklaces and earrings were popular, as women displayed traditional embroidered tops and skirts, or woven designs. Many men wore the cool Mexican guayaberas, although t-shirts also were a popular option.
Children carefully colored decorations for Dia de Los Muertos (Day of The Dead) at tables next to the Art Bus, which owner Ronni Cabrera Moreno had carefully decorated with papeles picadas, Mexico’s colorful cut papers.
East Aldine civic activists expressed delight that the children in the community were being exposed in such fun and challenging ways to learn about other Hispanic cultures.
“I believe that all children should know about their roots. Whether you are from Mexico or Honduras or Guatemala, you need to know your roots,’’ said Connie Esparza, secretary of the Aldine Independent School District Board of Trustees.
“I believe that we are relying too much on technology to keep us informed,” she added, “It’s in coming to these events, it’s in talking to the people, different people, that’s how you really learn.
“It’s a misunderstanding that because we all speak the Spanish language, we are all alike. We share the same language, but really the language can be very different. We share similar customs, but we have many different customs.”
The Harris County Sheriff’s Office hosted a booth, next to a book giveaway sponsored by the Harris County Public Library. Children even put away their cell phones (!) to browse bookshelves lined with Spanish-language Young Adult fiction. A variety of children’s favorites in Spanish. La Luna Buenos Noches (Goodnight Moon) and La Oruga Muy Hambrienta (The Very Hungry Caterpillar) were extremely popular.
Another popular craft table involved making bright paper flowers, a Mexican craft. Little fingers struggled to wrap pipe cleaners around sheet after sheet of delicate tissue papers.
Emmanuel Guerrero, 25, is a first-generation Texan from a family that has its roots in Mexico. He attended Aldine public schools, recently graduated from the University of Houston Bauer College of Business and is running for a seat on the Aldine school board.
At the University of Houston, “the most culturally diverse university in this country,” Guerrero said he learned that Houston really is “a melting pot of different cultures.”
Guerrero said that many older politicians and community leaders tend to lump all Hispanics into one category because of their shared language.
“People laugh when I say it, but because of the subculture in Hispanic communities, I say ‘Nobody really speaks Spanish, unless they’re from Spain.’ We speak different dialects of Spanish,” Guerrero said.
Esparza said that Houston’s Hispanic culture has changed over the years, as the city has grown.
“The nice thing for us, as Hispanics, we respect each other and appreciate each other’s ethnicities, customs and music,” Esparza said. “And we want to know more about them.”
Guerrero said that the community is welcoming to all cultures.
“Houston is such a melting pot that we can live together and understand each other’s differences,” he said.
— by Anne Marie Kilday
