Latinos Bring Gifts of Spirituality, Traditions, Focus on Family

States. After living in Los Angeles for a few years, the family moved to Minnesota seven years ago. “We think God Latinos bring gifts has something for us here,” said Enrique, who is a special- education teacher in the St. Paul public schools system. “We didn’t like California. We didn’t want our kids to grow up of spirituality, there” with all the social and economic challenges, added Marielena, who smiles while looking at the couple’s three children: Darlene, 12; Kevin, 8; and Giselle, 4. traditions, focus on Marielena is a part-time Spanish teacher at St. Francis-St. James United School, the school that is part of their parish, St. James in St. Paul. There are challenges to living in the Twin Cities, family Enrique said, but many of them are the product of an ever- evolving society. For the Centenos, “It’s raising our kids They come from Mexico, Ecuador, El Salvador, in the Catholic faith . . . and maintaining our family, making sure Colombia, Peru, Chile, Uruguay, Cuba and other Latin American we raise them as good Christians,” Enrique said. Also, being able countries. They’re looking for a new way of life. “to maintain our own culture.” To maintain that heritage, the They bring gifts of deep spirituality, hospitalityand a focus on children are enrolled in Spanish dance classes. St. James is also a celebrating family and friends. They are our Latino and Hispanic brothers and sisters who have moved to Minnesota in droves in “very multi-cultural” parish where many Latin American the last several decades, especially in the past 10 years. (See countries are represented, Marielena said. Parish get-togethers related sidebar.)And like so many immigrants who came to also have become a wonderful opportunity for the Latino and America before them, they also bring their cultures and traditions Anglo communities at St. James to get to know one another, she to our Catholic family of faith. Three Latino families sat down added. “They want to integrate into our cultures,” Marielena with editor Mike Krokos to share their stories. said. They ask, “When is the next party? We love your customs, your food, your celebrations.’” Some of the customs the Centenos A war leads a family abroad bring from Mexico include celebrating All Souls Day and the Porfirio and Transito Martinez knew it was time to leave El feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Another, Las Posadas — nine Salvador when the country’s civil war escalated in the early consecutive days of consecutive days of candlelight processions 1980s. They and their children moved to Mexico, where the and lively parties — starts Dec. 16 and leads up to Christmas. family lived for nine years. After a short stay in California, the family headed to Minnesota in 1991. “We were looking for An Andean beat in Minneapolis security for our kids,” said Porfirio about the move here, You can see Klever Palacios’ face light up when he talks about and also “looking for a better economy” in which to raise their music. But even more important, he beams when discussing his family. In Minnesota, the family first landed in the rural town of wife, Ivett, and their 10-month-old son, Christian. A native of Madelia (south of Mankato), where they lived for three Ecuador, Klever came to Minnesota three years and brought his years. There, the Martinez children initially struggled in school love of “Andean folk music, dancing and customs” with him because there was no program in place to help non- English A cleaning service supervisor by day, Klever is also the music speaking students. The family later moved to St. Paul, director for Spanish Masses at Ss. Cyril and Methodius in where Porfirio worked in a hotel and at United Hospital before northeast Minneapolis. At the parish, about 90 percent of becoming the director of religious education for Holy the Latino community is from Ecuador, so Klever and Ivett — Rosary parish’s Latino community in Minneapolis four years ago. who teaches computer classes — feel very much at home. (The family continues to be active members of Our Lady of “It is a characteristic to show the faith of the people” through Guadalupe in St. Paul.) The Martinezes said there have been music, Klever said. Lively Masses with contagious rhythms are a challenges adjusting to life here. “I try and understand a little,” staple at Ss. Cyril and Methodius. Like immigrants who move to said Transito, a housewife, of her attempts to learn English and a foreign country, the Palacioses face other challenges, too. They, become bilingual. “The most important thing is to be able like the Martinez and Centeno families, say maintaining their to communicate” with others, she said. For his part, Transito has cultural identity and passing it on tried to “adapt to living” in Minnesota, and “inculturating myself” to future generations is a priority. in a new place, he said. Family plays a huge part in how the “It is very important for our son to Latino community identifies itself. Witness the visit with the grow up and learn about his culture,” Martinezes: It also includes their 25-year-old daughter, Lorena, Klever said. and her two daughters, 5-year old Gabriela and 19-month-old That will include celebrating Ecuador’s Carmen. “It is a cultural thing. For me, it [my family] is not only independence day Aug. 10, along with my wife and kids, but also now my grandkids. . . . You are never other Latino faith traditions such as All alone. Even when you are old and sick, there is always someone Souls Day, the feast of Our Lady of with you,” Porfirio said. The Martinezes brought many of El Guadalupe and, in Ecuador, La Dia de la Salvador’s traditions with them. Some of the bigger faith Virgen de la Nube, or the Day of the Virgin celebrations include: La dia de los muertos, or All Souls Day, of the Remote Cloud, on Jan. 1. Nov. 2; La dia de la fiesta de candelaria, or the presentation of The devotion dates back to 1696, after Jesus in the Temple, Feb. 2; and the feast of Our Lady of Bishop Sancho de Andrade and Figueroa Guadalupe, the patron saint of the Americas, Dec. 12. had taken seriously ill. It is related that, “Holy Week is also a very special time for us,” Transito said. In thanks to the faith and the prayers of the El Salvador, “we have processions out in the street.” faithful for the health of the bishop, From Mexico to Minnesota their appeared in the sky between Guápulo and the Quinche the image of the Virgin Mary in a white Enrique and Marielena Centeno said faith had a lot to do with leaving their native Mexico and moving to the United cloud. Pursuing a better life The families say they like the fact their children will be bilingual. “It gives them more opportunities by learning two languages,” Transito Martinez said. For the younger generation born here, “It helps them not only maintain their culture but to be able to communicate with the older generation,” added her daughter Lorena. The bottom line is that Latinos who come to Minnesota are pursuing a better life, the families said. “We don’t come to do damage. We come with a dream and to flourish with our kids,” Lorena said. Life lessons can be learned when people open their cultures to each other, Enrique said. We come “to enrich ourselves,” Marielena added.