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| Photo credit: flickriver.com |
The Cinco de Mayo Festival is this weekend on the Fulton Mall in Downtown Fresno. Imagine about 50,000 people on a pedestrian mall celebrating Cinco de Mayo. Lots of food vendors, clothing, jewelry, aguas frescas, music and dancing... my idea of heaven.
I love celebrations like this because they're big. They're wonderful in bringing families together, our Central Valley community together, and bringing life to a place that isn't usually so bustling with activity. Seeing familias in Mexican shirts, dresses, and speaking rapid Spanish makes my heart sing.
I love these celebrations because for a little while I feel like a majority. I don't have crazy culture shock, I speak the language, I love the food, I am a part of the norm. That in itself is a rarity.
However, more than all of this I love these celebrations because I fully embrace who I am and where I come from. Being the daughter of Mexican parents, I didn't always understand the beauty and grace in mi cultura. I understood the want and need to fit into American culture, and the American way of life. All this while denying my Mexican-ness.
Now, after having journeyed with Jesus regarding my racial identity, I love being Latina. I love our joy, our loudness, our eagerness to dance, our embraces with one another, and the diversity within our people.
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