Imperial Valley Social Justice Committee Celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month

-Editorial 

The Imperial Valley Social Justice Committee held its first Hispanic Heritage Month celebration Saturday, bringing community members together in El Centro to recognize Hispanic culture, local history, and residents whose work organizers say has helped shape Imperial County.

The free community event, held Sept. 26 at the Old Post Office Pavilion, featured the theme “Celebrating Culture, Honoring Heritage” and included recognition of longtime community leaders and remarks about the importance of preserving local Hispanic history.

Adrianne Dorsey-Lawson of the Imperial Valley Social Justice Committee said organizers had hoped to hold the celebration previously but postponed those plans because of illness among participants and renovations at the Old Post Office Pavilion.

“This is our first year for Hispanic Heritage Month. We’re really excited about it,” Dorsey-Lawson said. “The reason why we’re doing this event is just to celebrate the Hispanic heritage community.”

Dorsey-Lawson said the celebration was particularly significant because of the large Hispanic population in the Imperial Valley and the contributions generations of residents have made to the region.

“They do more than people think to make our valley go around,” she said. “Today, we’re here to celebrate their culture.”

A central part of the event was an initiative called “Legends Don’t Die,” recognizing Imperial Valley residents for their civic, professional, and community contributions.

Dorsey-Lawson said honorees were selected by looking at their histories and involvement throughout the Imperial Valley. Photographs were displayed of those being recognized and presented certificates honoring their contributions.

“We are giving awards today because they have helped shape the Imperial Valley, and we’re giving thanks to them,” she said.

Among those recognized were Annie Gutierrez, Maria Isabel Machain Serrano, Victor Legaspi Sr., Cruz Reynoso, William “Willie” Moreno, Martha Cardenas-Singh, Alex “Taco” Armenta, Lupe Quintero, Antonio “Tony” Gallegos, Luis Legaspi, Oscar Gonzalez, Ruth Bermudez-Montenegro, Louis Curiel, Henry “Hank” Legaspi, Richard Ortega and Dolores Provencio.

Dorsey-Lawson said the organization considered the honorees’ involvement in government, civic organizations and community service when developing the recognition program.

“We watch the community and what they do in the community,” she said.

Brian Vega, a volunteer with the Imperial Valley Social Justice Committee, said the celebration followed efforts by the organization to have Hispanic Heritage Month formally recognized by the Imperial County Board of Supervisors.

Vega said organizers wanted the recognition to extend beyond a government proclamation by highlighting Hispanic and Latino residents who contributed to the county’s civic and community life.

“We wanted it to be more than just a proclamation,” Vega said. “Part of what it was tied with is a series of acknowledgments of Latino, Hispanic leaders here in Imperial County that have contributed to the civic life and really the life as we know it.”

Researching the honorees also provided an opportunity to examine parts of Imperial County history that Vega said are sometimes overlooked.

“Even though there’s a lot of us Latinos here in Imperial County, we don’t really know a lot of the Latino history,” Vega said.

They looked at historical milestones, including Hispanic and Latino residents who were among the first to serve on local city councils, the Imperial County Board of Supervisors, and the Imperial Irrigation District board, Vega said. They also considered how those individuals used their positions and community involvement to benefit others.

Vega said he hopes the celebration encourages younger generations and other residents to learn more about local history and become involved in preserving it.

“I do hope, moving forward, that we continue to see more, not just youth, but community involvement, in wanting to preserve our history, to celebrate it and to come out to these celebrations,” he said. “Sometimes we forget about having fun and creating joy, and that’s very important.”

Rocío Vázquez Alvarez, head consul of Mexico in Calexico, also addressed attendees, emphasizing the importance of understanding the region’s history and recognizing the diversity within Mexican culture.

“To our young people, I do want to emphasize: Be proud of where you come from,” Vázquez Alvarez said. “Know a little more about your history, your local history and Mexican history.”

Vázquez Alvarez spoke about Mexico’s Indigenous and Afro-Mexican populations as well as immigrant communities that have contributed to the country’s cultural diversity. She said heritage is not limited to the past but continues to develop as communities and cultures interact.

“Heritage is being built right away,” she said. “History and all these cultures and traditions are built every day, and every one of those communities brings something more.”

She also emphasized the historical and contemporary contributions of Mexicans and Mexican Americans in the United States.

“It is very important, in times like this, that everyone understands the incredible contributions that came from Mexico to the United States,” Vázquez Alvarez said.

The Imperial Valley Social Justice Committee describes its work as focused on civil rights, civic engagement and community recognition. Dorsey-Lawson said events such as the Hispanic Heritage Month celebration are intended to recognize residents whose contributions have influenced communities across the Imperial Valley.

Hispanic Heritage Month is observed nationally from Sept. 15 through Oct. 15, recognizing the histories, cultures, and contributions of Americans whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America.