Arte Américas - Week 2

This week, I staffed the continuation of Arte's Yard Sale, as well as the Hecho en Fresno night of  Arte's yearly summer concert series. I am also excited to share that I began a project for the director, and sent my first email through the Arte Américas official address.

Image of the Yard Sale set-up, which continued into this weekend

This week, my understanding and appreciation of Arte and centers like it grew as I saw the power of a shared culture to unify and validate our community. Being from densely-populated areas, my family and I joked the week prior that Fresno was empty, but as I saw more and more people enter the Plaza - older couples, young families, and young adults - I was reminded of how many call Fresno call home, and how many look like me. As simple as it may seem, it was a powerful reminder to me that without spaces like Arte, minority communities and communities of color often feel invalidated, sidelined, sometimes even willfully ignored. The ability to attend a concert where the artists were not only from your hometown, but performed music from your childhood, is an important step to feeling invested and involved in the formal institutions local to home. This investment is a vital step to countering the apathy often found in our communities as Latinxs, an ethnic minority, living in a world where Anglo-Europeans are often considered the "American default."

This sense of unity and power that follows reminded me of my overall experience with Washington Week. Although our cohort had yet to remember each other's names by the end of our first day, we found the ways that our culture overlapped- a strong sense of family, determination, and perseverance ubiquitous to all of us as Latinxs, whether we were Beautiful Borinqueñas from Miami, or Mexicans from LA. Through these similarities, we were able to truly come to know one another and create lasting memories and friendships.

Arte Américas' newly renamed Plaza Paz, where Hecho en Fresno 
and the rest of the summer concert series will take place.

Me pausing from staffing the Tiendita's merchandise table to pose for a picture. Naré & Contreras are playing in the background. 

In addition to the many positives of our existing community spaces, I also witnessed ways these spaces can improve and adapt. Many youth groups visited Arte this weekend, including a group of 70+ members of the local youth empowerment program. As I staffed these events, I was excited to see that this many people had access to such powerful and carefully organized information about their home. Over time, I also saw the language and presentation that deterred these young eyes after a few minutes of light skimming. While the information had a great impact on my life, their unique experiences, even if only due to our slim age difference, altered the way they saw the exhibit and, ultimately, the center I have already come to love. While I know it can be scary to have to keep changing, how else can we continue to make a positive difference in our communities?

Frida, a 4 month old shitzu, and one of many young visitors this week.

Reflectively, and simultaneously brimming with optimism,

Maya Castillo