Through participation in a service that directly impacts the Latino community, I learned about Latino culture beyond a classroom setting. I provided my service at the Latin American Festival in Longs Park, Lancaster, PA on October 10, 2015. There were several activities that the coordinator had the group of volunteers do, such as help with children’s activities, parking duty, stage crew, information booth, program distribution, and the workshops. The activities that I had to do were to direct the performers to their dressing rooms and make sure no one enters the room as the performers get ready. Since the dressing rooms were right next to the bathrooms, I had to direct the public as to which doors were for the bathrooms to avoid confusion.
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The article discusses the how Day of the Dead celebrations became prevalent in the U.S. during the 1970’s following the Chicano movement, gained further involvement by other Latino groups by the 1990’s, and finally participation by non-Latinos (Marchi, 2013). Due to the new ways to celebrate the Day of the Dead that have evolved in the U.S., there has been debate over the authenticity and hybridity of these celebrations, which the author argues are actually related rather than opposing ideas (Marchi, 2013). There is concern because the new ways of celebrating the Day of the Dead are not conducted in the same ways as they are in Mexico and other Latino countries. Through interviews of Latino participants of U.S. Day of the Dead celebrations, the author has found that the majority of Latinos believe the intentions of remembering and respecting the dead is ultimately more important than the actual format of the rituals and activities performed, as well as the ethnic background of the participants (Marchi, 2013). The relevance of U.S. Day of the Dead activities to the Latin American festival in Longs Park is that they are both cultural celebrations. Both celebrations allow Latinos to share their traditions to other Latinos as well as non-Latinos, and thus maintain their cultural
The article discusses the how Day of the Dead celebrations became prevalent in the U.S. during the 1970’s following the Chicano movement, gained further involvement by other Latino groups by the 1990’s, and finally participation by non-Latinos (Marchi, 2013). Due to the new ways to celebrate the Day of the Dead that have evolved in the U.S., there has been debate over the authenticity and hybridity of these celebrations, which the author argues are actually related rather than opposing ideas (Marchi, 2013). There is concern because the new ways of celebrating the Day of the Dead are not conducted in the same ways as they are in Mexico and other Latino countries. Through interviews of Latino participants of U.S. Day of the Dead celebrations, the author has found that the majority of Latinos believe the intentions of remembering and respecting the dead is ultimately more important than the actual format of the rituals and activities performed, as well as the ethnic background of the participants (Marchi, 2013). The relevance of U.S. Day of the Dead activities to the Latin American festival in Longs Park is that they are both cultural celebrations. Both celebrations allow Latinos to share their traditions to other Latinos as well as non-Latinos, and thus maintain their cultural