6 | FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2016 BIG ISLAND ENTERTAINMENT SCENE | WEST HAWAII TODAY Second annual Hispanic Heritage Festival shares traditions Saturday ¡Celebra! Get ready for a fiesta. National Hispanic Heritage Month started Thursday and runs through Oct. 15 and the local Hispanic community is throwing a party. From 2-9 p.m. Saturday at Old Airport Pavilion, Comunidad Latina de Hawaii presents the second annual Hispanic Heritage Festival. The purpose of the event is to celebrate and share the rich cultural heritage of Hispanic and Latino culture with the whole island. “The festival helps us encourage community engagement and create positive relationships between immigrant and local communities,” said event organizer Angela Dean. “The festival is also used as a platform to showcase other community organizations and bring awareness of programs and services that are available to everyone.” Hispanic Heritage Month began in 1968 and started Thursday, which is the anniversary of independence for five Latin American countries — Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. Mexico, Chile and Belize also celebrate independence days during this period. The term Hispanic or Latino, refers to Puerto Rican, Mexican and South or Central American culture or origin, regardless of race. Today, about 17 percent of the American population are of Hispanic or Latino origin. “Over the years we have seen major growth in our immigrant Latino community here on the Big Island,” Dean said. “Because of this growth, we realized we needed to form an organization to help encourage self-efficacy, as well as help bridge the language and cultural barriers that many individuals are faced with. We want to bring everyone together and encourage integration with the larger community.” The event features authentic cuisine, live music, entertainment and dancing. “We have Ballet Folklorico Costa De Oro from Oakland, California,” said Dean. “There going to be performing dances, and showing the different cultures from each of the different states in Mexico. We also have our own Ballet Folklorico, Arco Iris from Kailua-Kona, which is a group from our dance enrichment program with children ages 10 to 15 performing.” This annual celebrations focuses on the positive contributions made by generations of Hispanic and Latino Americans whose influence has enriched our nation and our community. It’s about recognizing the unique heritage and culture that is intertwined with that of the larger society. “We really want to help bridge the gap between communities and identify stereotypes,” said Dean. “If we can bring the larger community together, we can highlight the positive things and contributions of our immigrant and Latino community and help encourage positive relationships.” With salsa dancing, mariachi music and food vendors offering everything from Colombian to Salvadorian cuisine, it’s a fiesta of unity for the entire community. The festival is free to the public. For more info, call (808) 895-2052, email adean@ comunidadlatinadehawaii. com or visit www. comunidadlatinadehawaii. com. ■ BY KAREN ROSE SPECIAL TO WEST HAWAII TODAY Performers dance. PHOTOS COURTESY /BALLET FOLKLORICO ARCO
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