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Show EDISON THE ROLE OF ETHNIC ORGANIZATIONS EL PAPEL DE LAS ORGANIZACIONES MINORITARIAS Established in the 1940s, Centro Cívico 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 México and the Hispanic villages of New México and Colorado. Among their many social, educational and cultural programs, Centro Cívico has customarily sponsored festivals or fiestas on holidays of Growing up in Midvale's LDS Cumorah Branch, Yvonne Lindsay learned to perform many of Mexico's regional folkloric dances. Combining sewing skills learned from her mother, she researched and sewed traditional costuming first for fellow folkdancers at BYU and now for her own dance students. Each year during the Cinco de Mayo celebration, she dances in one of her most intricate creations, the sequin-covered china poblana. (GR:92) 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 Spain are permeated with traditional music, dance and food and have also become important occasions for non- Hispanics to enjoy and participate in Hispanic culture. Besides providing a setting for ethnic artists and audience to meet, Centro Cívico has also provided the practice space that has encouraged El Centro Cívico Mexicano, fundado en los años 40, ha jugado un gran papel en perpetuar las artes de la comunidad hispana de Utah. Esta organización ha presentado a través de los años cientos de conciertos y bailes con participantes latinos, tanto como grupos de México, Nuevo México y Colorado. Entre los muchos programas especiales, educativos y culturales, el Centro Cívico ha patrocinado de costumbre festivales o fiestas en días feriados importantes para la población mexicano-americana. La celebración del Cinco de Mayo, fecha de la batalla de Puebla de 1862 en la cual los mexicanos derrotaron a los franceses invasores, y de la Independencia de España el 16 de septiembre, están llenas de música, baile y comidas típicas mexicanas. Estos han llegado a ser eventos importantes aún para personas que no son de ascendencia hispana para gozar y participar de la cultura. Además de proveer un lugar donde los artistas y la audiencia se pueden encontrar, el Centro Four generations of Utah's Gómez family perform Mexican music and dance, from grandfather Rubén, who plays guitar with The Dons, to his great-grandchildren who are now learning folkloric dance. As bishop of the Lucero Ward, son Richard, also a dancer, was a strong proponent of the ward's dance troupe and piñata festival. His children, including bailad singer and former Miss Hispanic Utah Monica Gómez Rogerson, pictured here, actively perform as The Gómez Folkloric Dancers. (NP:87) : |