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Hispanic folk and ethnic arts in from: Hispanic Culture in Utah

BACKGROUND... This article is found in the book Hecho en Utah (Made in Utah) : A Cultural History of Utah's Spanish-Speaking Community, published by Utah Arts Council in 1992. The original text in the book is in both English and Spanish.

TEXT ARTICLE... HISPANIC FOLK AND ETHNIC ARTS IN UTAH

People have many ways of expressing their ethnic identity. Speaking a language other than English at home, cooking special foods, or celebrating holidays that many of their neighbors don't celebrate are some of the ways Utahns reinforce their identity. Often art forms, especially music, dance and crafts, provide additional ways for people to maintain their distinctive culture and traditions. Among Utah's several Hispanic communities, the arts have always been an important way for community members to take part in their cultural traditions, teach them to their children and share them with other Hispanics and with their non-Hispanic neighbors.

THE ORIGINS AND MAKEUP OF UTAH'S HISPANIC COMMUNITIES

Utah's estimated 100,000 Hispanics include people from a variety of national, cultural and religious traditions. Although they share a common Spanish heritage that dates back 500 years to the voyage of and the subsequent exploration and settlement of the Americas by Spanish soldiers and priests, each group has developed very distinctive cultural traditions. The customs of native peoples, the influence of Africans slaves and a million other factors ranging from geography to lifestyle have contributed to the development of these distinctive cultures. As a result, both similarities and differences exist among Utah's Hispanic population--characteristics that are often evident in their arts. Utah's Hispanic population can be divided into three groups. The first is made up of those with cultural ties to the Spanish colonial settlements that were established in the Santa Fe area in about 1600, nearly 200 years before the signing of the American Declaration of Independence! These remote and isolated villages, located in the vast Mexican Territory north of the Rio Grande River, only became part of the U.S. in 1848 after many generations of Spanish colonists had lived there and developed their distinctive culture. Fifty years after being annexed by the U.S., broken promises--often related to land ownership and water rights, prompted some farmers and ranchers from villages in New Mexico and to move into the southeast corner of Utah. During the 1940s many more came to Utah to take newly created jobs in federal supply depots or to work in the mining, railroading and agriculture industries that had been revitalized by the war-time economy. , Ogden, Tooele and Price became home for many Hispanic families. The New Mexicans, or Manitos, as they called themselves, brought with them the occupational skills, religion, lifestyle, traditions and arts of their people. Utah's second Hispanic population came from Mexico. The earliest Mexican immigrants settled in northern Utah just after the outbreak of the Mexican Revolution of 1910, soon after the first villagers from New Mexico and Colorado moved into southeastern Utah. They came seeking both safety and work--work they found on the farms and in the orchards of Utah. Many single men joined railroad or mining crews. Though all did not stay, many were ultimately joined by their wives and children and became permanent Utah residents. Immigration from Mexico, or by Mexican-Americans from other U.S. states, has continued throughout the century and is still strong today. The result is a vibrant cultural community that is continually reinforced by new arrivals. Many come as migrant workers; others come because of familial or religious connections. And while the majority of Utah's long- time Mexican residents have cultural roots in the states of Sonora, Chihuahua or Durango, located near the Mexican-U.S. border, some of the more recent arrivals bring with them the cultural traditions of Mexican states further south. This blending of traditions only adds to the richness of Utah's Mexican-American culture and arts. Utah's third and most recent Hispanic population encompasses an even more culturally diverse group of Spanish-speakers--the Latinos from Central and South America and the Caribbean Islands. Since the late 1960s, immigrants from Argentina, Chile and Peru have come to Utah in ever-growing numbers for religious, educational and economic reasons. In the last decade this immigration has expanded to encompass other South and Central America countries, particularly those surrounding the Caribbean. Significant numbers of El Salvadorans, Guatemalans and Nicaraguans have settled in the urban areas of northern Utah, many fleeing from the political turmoil in their home countries. Smaller numbers from Bolivia, Colombia, Honduras, Paraguay, Uruguay and Venezuela have come and some from Brazil, Costa Rica, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Panama and Puerto Rico have chosen Utah as their home. Though most have left behind the traditional foods, customs and lifestyles of their homeland, they bring the arts--especially the rhythms and sounds of the folk and ethnic music and dance--unique to their native lands.

THE PERPETUATION OF FOLK AND ETHNIC ARTS

Whether one has just arrived in Utah from Mexico or Latin America or one is a second- or-third-generation Hispanic Utahn, participation in the arts is often an important part of expressing and maintaining cultural heritage. Although some ethnic music and some traditional crafts are created and enjoyed by individual artists and their families, many art forms require group participation as well as an appreciative audience. As a result, religious institutions, ethnic organizations and businesses that cater to Hispanic clients often provide the

Page 1 venue for the creation, enjoyment and perpetuation of Hispanic cultural traditions.

THE ROLE OF CHURCHES

CATHOLICISM Most Hispanics are Roman Catholics, as they have been since the 15th century conquest of the New World by Spanish Catholic explorers and priests. And though Utah's Catholic Diocese consists of people from many national and ethnic groups, the fast-growing Hispanic population has prompted church leaders to encourage Hispanic activities--activities that often include a Spanish-language mass, formation of a Spanish-language choir and celebration of holy days such as Our Lady of Guadalupe Day on December 12th. One of the first parishes to offer weekly Spanish-language services was Our Lady of Guadalupe in northwest Salt Lake City. Many others, like Sacred Heart Parish in central Salt Lake City, now have a Spanish Choir that sings both church hymns and traditional tunes for services and for special celebrations. Spanish choirs are typically accompanied by guitars, accordions, harmonicas, trumpets or violins and most singers and musicians learned their skills and repertory in the traditional way, "by ear," by watching and imitating family members or friends. Such services help keep both language skills and traditional music alive within the Hispanic population. Many parishes also celebrate the December 12th Our Lady of Guadalupe Day in honor of the Virgin of Guadalupe, one of the most important saints among Hispanic Catholics--especially those with Mexican heritage. At St. Joseph's Parish in Ogden, after-the-mass festivities include singing Las Mananitas (Happy Birthday to Our Lady), performance of an ancient Aztec dance, a reenactment of Juan Diego's encounter with the Virgin, the breaking of pinatas and enjoyment of traditional foods such as tripe, tamales or chile verde. Also during December some parishes celebrate Las Posadas (the inn), a reenactment of Mary and Joseph's search to find a place for the Christ child to be born--a folk drama that has been acted out for centuries in both small villages and large cities throughout Central and South America. Whether observed through nine consecutive evenings of visiting parish members' homes or through a one-night reenactment at the church with candles lighting the way, the celebration ends on Christmas Eve with traditional food and the breaking of pinatas. Church-sponsored socials, often organized by the Guadalupanas auxiliaries, provide opportunities for Hispanic parishioners to reaffirm their shared cultural heritage. At Provo's St. Francis of Assisi Church, evenings featuring traditional cuisine and the music of local "Spanish" dance bands, like the popular Los Mercenarios, illustrate how the arts form an integral part of this cultural identity. As in all cultures, important stages in life--weddings, birthdays, anniversaries and funerals--are often celebrated in church or among the members of one's church community. It is not surprising then that the traditional arts form an integral part of such celebrations. Singers and instrumentalists from Spanish choirs, like the one that accompanies the mass each Sunday at St. Francis Xavier in Kearns, perform at many wedding and funeral masses and at 50th wedding anniversaries. Likewise, one of Utah's oldest Mexican performing groups-- Mariachi Aguilas de Utah--often sings as part of wedding masses and then provides music for the receptions that follow. Weddings can also include the traditional New Mexican wedding march, or las entragas, often followed by old and new style dance music for Utahns who wish to remember their New Mexico and Colorado cultural roots. Quinceaneras, or 15th birthday (coming out) parties, for young girls, are popular among Utah's Mexican population and often include a special mass followed by a celebration with traditional food, formal introductions and live music. Since traditional crafts are typically made from raw materials that may be available only locally, folk crafts are often forgotten when artists move away from their countries of origin. Yet sometimes, because of their relationship to religious worship, these art forms are preserved. Mexican immigrant Fortunato Marrufo, a parishioner at Our Lady of Guadalupe, customarily weaves the palm fronds distributed by the priest on Palm Sunday into crosses or other small objects. Though palms don't grow in Utah, the church provides the material, helping this traditional art to continue. Such weavings take on special significance if they are blessed by a priest and saved for use on Ash Wednesday the following year. Another craftsman, Robert Martinez, not only plays and sings in the Spanish Choir at Our Lady of Lourdes, he carves wooden crucifixes and rosaries in the style of the santos carvers he grew up with in New Mexico. His beautiful work is inspired by and contributes to his religious convictions. He and his wife Mary are also among the many Hispanic Catholics who have built religious altars or shrines within their homes or yards to provide a place for personal reflection and worship. These elaborate assemblages of woodcarving, statues of saints, candles, flowers, photographs of family members, and rosaries, convey the colorful and ornate aesthetics of this tradition.

MORMONISM As might be expected, a significant part of Utah's Spanish-speaking community either immigrated to Utah because of their affiliation with the LDS (Mormon) Church or became members after arriving in the state. Marriages between Mormon missionaries and Spanish- speaking converts add an important component to this community. And like the , the Mormon Church has provided a setting in which maintenance of Hispanic identity is encouraged through participation in ethnic arts. The first major group of Hispanic converts to were among those who immigrated to Utah after the Mexican Revolution of 1910. By 1925, dressed in traditional clothing, members of Salt Lake's Spanish-speaking La Rama Mexicana congregation were regularly invited to perform traditional music and dance for other LDS wards and for community events. Such performances seem to have furnished a way for Anglo- to better understand Hispanic members while reinforcing cultural pride among Hispanics. Several decades later these early successes at sharing Hispanic identity must have been remembered by church leaders, many of whom were then second-and-third-generation Mexican-Americans who had been discouraged from even speaking the Spanish language. Looking for ways to give their children a sense of pride in their heritage, they initiated church-

Page 2 sponsored programs to teach traditional arts. In the 70s, sustained by a steady influx of converts from Mexico and other Latin American countries, the Lucero Ward instituted an annual pinata festival. Working in family groups, many learned to make pinatas and some, like Catalina Reyes of West Jordan, became masters at crafting paper and glue into fine sculptures. In both Salt Lake's Lucero congregation and at the Cumorah Branch located in Midvale, a whole generation of young people were taught to appreciate and to perform folkloric dances from different regions of Mexico and Latin America. Such activities inspired the creation of fine costumes, an art form continued today by costume makers like Yvonne Miera Lindsay. They also inspired the development of numerous dancers and the birth of many dance troupes. The Ballet Folklorico de las Americas, Ballet Folklorico de Utah, the Gomez Family Folkloric Dancers, the Mexican Fiesta Dancers, and Maquilxochil are among the troupes whose members trained through these programs. This training has also been felt at the LDS Church's University where many of the skills of these dancers and costume makers have contributed to performances by their internationally recognized folk dance troupe. And this interest in maintaining ethnic identity through the folkloric dance forms that have become, for many, a symbol of Hispanic culture, continues as subsequent generations are trained in the dances that represent their national origins. In the last few decades, the influx of Mormon converts from Central and South America has increased significantly, bringing new energy and new artists into the Spanish-speaking congregations. Latinos have joined the Mexican-Americans in the Lucero and Midvale groups, Spanish-speaking wards have been organized in Ogden and Provo and a third congregation was organized in Salt Lake--the Monte de Sion (Mount Zion) Ward. For several years this ward has sponsored an autumn music festival and competition that has included performances by traditional musicians, many who specialize in the folk music of their homelands. Perhaps because Hispanic Mormons do not use images of saints in their religious worship, traditional arts like altar making, santos carving and palm weaving are not sustained within the Mormon community. Instead, craftsman Jose Polo makes model boats that remind him of his island childhood off the coast of Colombia; or needle worker Jacinta Zumaeta embroiders fine wool landscapes of Chile that help her remember her homeland. Likewise Hispanic Mormons appear to be more active in stylized folkloric music and dance based upon traditional art forms than in perpetuating ethnic music by way of ethnic choirs or ethnic dance bands.

THE ROLE OF ETHNIC ORGANIZATIONS

Established in the 1940s, Centro Civico Mexicano (the Mexican Civic Center) has played a pivotal role in keeping the arts of Utah's Hispanic community alive. Over the years, this organization has presented hundreds of concerts and dances featuring local "Spanish" performers as well as touring groups from both Mexico and the Hispanic villages of New Mexico and Colorado. Among their many social, educational and cultural programs, Centro Civico has customarily sponsored festivals or fiestas on holidays of significance to Utah's Mexican- American population. Cinco de Mayo (the May 5th celebration of the 1862 battle of Puebla when the Mexicans defeated the invading French) and the 16th of September celebration of Mexican Independence from are permeated with traditional music, dance and food and have become important occasions for even non-Hispanics to enjoy and participate in Hispanic culture. Besides providing a setting for ethnic artists and audience to meet, Centro Civico has also provided the practice space that has encouraged many local artists to pursue their art. Both folkloric dancers and dance bands have used practice space at the center. Fuego Tropical, Centro Civico's current "house band," specializes in a contemporary Mexican sound that is very popular among the local community. Within the last few years, the formation of ethnic clubs like Club Peru, Mujeres Latinas (Latin Women) or The Bolivian Association in Utah have brought Utah's Latinos together and provided a venue for their ethnic arts, especially music, to flourish. Picnics, soccer leagues and dinner-dances, commonly planned around national holidays or Independence Days, provide the typical setting for sharing both traditional food and ethnic performance. Held at church buildings, hotel convention centers or on university campuses, get-togethers often begin with a performance of folk music followed by a dance that features several bands, both local and from out-of-state. Enjoyment and participation in traditional or folk music is wide-spread in many South American countries, especially in Bolivia where almost everyone plays the quena (flute), the stringed charango (made from an armadillo shell) or the zamponas (pan pipes). The first Bolivians who immigrated to Utah were folk musicians who initially toured in the U.S. as part of a sister-city partnership. Though Utah's Bolivian community is relatively small, many are musicians. Jose Angelo and the Ayllon and Caballero families are among those who are known for their lively performances of Andean folk music which they share both at ethnic club events and with the general public. Social dancing is a way of life for those who grow up surrounded by the complicated rhythms for which Latin America is known worldwide. Ethnic club events provide a setting where people of all ages can dance and where children can learn to participate in the arts of their homelands. From the distinctive cumbias, salsas and merengues to the creolized sounds of Afro-Caribbean or Peruvian coastal music, the music of Utah's Latin musicians keeps the community in tune with their cultural background. And though musicians periodically regroup and the names of bands change, Utah's numerous and active musicians remain central to the identity of Utah's Latin American communities.

THE ROLE OF HISPANIC BUSINESSES

Commercial establishments, especially restaurants, have long provided a meeting ground for Utah's minority and majority cultures. In past years restaurants serving Mexican- style food, like the Guadalupe Center's La Morena Cafe, were one of the few arenas where Hispanic performers could share their arts with a mixed audience. Groups like The Dons and El Quinteto Latino are among those who played a repertory of Mexican, Latino and American music that attracted clientele from both the Hispanic and non-Hispanic population.

Page 3 In the last decade, the popularity of southwestern cuisine and the parallel growth of Utah's Hispanic population have resulted in the proliferation of restaurants and bars--many that compliment their ethnic cuisine with ethnic music. The several La Frontera and La Puente Restaurants, operated by the Tovar Family, have been leaders in providing strolling musicians in their dining rooms and in booking both local and out-of-town performers. Many weekend dances at their Cantina, the private Norteno Club or at church or civic dance halls have attracted huge Hispanic audiences with bands the Tovars have recruited from Mexico or other western states. More recently, the Armenta Family has been responsible for bringing in numerous out-of-state performers to entertain at their Mi Ranchita properties in Salt Lake and Utah counties while Ogden's Taqueria Piedras Negras offers a weekly dance featuring local musicians. Bars, like The Durango or El Nogales in Salt Lake or Destino 2000 in Ogden, are known for hiring musicians to entertain their Hispanic clientele. Similarly, Latino music is becoming more visible, especially in the private nightclubs and bars that specialize in live, contemporary music. At Inti, a Salt Lake restaurant that serves Peruvian food to a growing Latino clientele, informal Saturday evening performances currently feature local folk and ethnic dance and music groups. Utah's location, audience and the wealth of Hispanic talent make the state an important center for regional touring. "Mexican" or "Spanish" dances are held regularly at the State Fairgrounds, organized by tour promoters who take advantage of Utah's location between and Texas. And Utah artists actively tour in neighboring , Wyoming, Colorado and New Mexico. James Romero y los Amigos from West Jordan and the Versitales from Kearns frequently play for audiences with Spanish colonial ties while Ogden's Grupo Sabor and Tony St. Hilaire's La Neuve Clave are among those touring groups who entertain regional Mexican and Latino audiences. Several of Utah's more widely known Hispanic bands, including Los Principes from , have also toured extensively in Mexico. This vibrant and flourishing entertainment scene, fueled by continual immigration-- especially from Mexico, is providing an important social and cultural setting for both long-time residents and for those workers drawn here by temporary jobs. Migrant workers who come prepared to work long hours, save money and ultimately to return home to raise their families, often find themselves without any sense of community. Though Catholic parishes can provide some cultural interaction, activity is often limited by the long hours and intensive nature of agricultural work. And migrants, like all Hispanic immigrants, also find themselves in a society that does not generally observe Saints Days or the other special celebrations around which much of their traditional culture revolves. As a result, even marriages and blessings, activities that normally bring people together in celebration of religious beliefs and ethnicity, are often postponed until the anticipated return home. So for many who come to Utah, the dynamic Hispanic music and dance scene offers an important avenue for coming together and for enjoying and expressing cultural identity. The evolution of Utah's Hispanic population is also visible in the proliferation of businesses and services specifically targeting Hispanic clientele. In northern Utah, three Spanish-language newspapers, a monthly magazine and three radio stations currently serve the growing Hispanic market. Small stores meet the needs of recent arrivals by offering imported groceries, snacks, soda pop, paperbacks and comics, religious paraphernalia and clothing. These markets, that do a brisk business in Spanish-language videos and cassettes, are typically covered with posters featuring Spanish recording artists or advertising upcoming dances. A handful of taquerias (taco stands), restaurants with distinctive cuisines from diverse Mexican regions, and several panderias (bakeries) have also opened along the in the last few years. Along with established eateries and factories that produce and distribute tortillas and other food products, these businesses contribute to the perpetuation of Hispanic arts and culture among Utahns of Hispanic heritage.

CONCLUSION

Folk and ethnic arts form a vital part of Hispanic life in Utah. The creation of traditional crafts, participation in folkloric arts and taking part in the rhythms and sounds of contemporary ethnic music and dance are among the ways that Hispanic Utahns maintain a sense of ethnic identity. Many developed these skills in the traditional way. Performers learned to sing and play instruments, "by ear," absorbing melodies and rhythms from family and friends. And craftspeople, in the same way, learned to create the religious objects, toys, decorations, costumes and musical instruments that have come to symbolize their Hispanic ethnicity. Both the Catholic and the Mormon churches, the many ethnic clubs and organizations, and a rapidly growing number of businesses that provide services for Utah's Hispanic clientele, all contribute to the continuation of these arts. By providing an environment in which artist and audience can participate in and celebrate their shared heritage, the importance of these arts is reaffirmed and the values and cultural heritage they embody can be passed along to the next generation of Hispanic Utahns. The folk and ethnic arts of Utah's Spanish Colonial, Mexican and Latino communities are strong, vibrant and diverse. In their beauty and complexity, they provide a wealth of artistic expression that can and should be appreciated by all Utahns, whatever their cultural background. by Carol Edison

______SOURCE... Hecho en Utah (Made in Utah). Salt Lake City, Utah : Utah Arts Council, 1992.

AUTHOR(S)... Edison, Carol

Page 4 USE RESTRICTIONS... The contents of this article may be repurposed for non-commercial, non-profit, educational use.

______Distributed by the Utah Network eMedia service: http://www.uen.org/emedia Original digital conversion by UCME: Utah Collections Multimedia Encyclopedia project: http://www.uen.org/ucme File ID = t_001001

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