Dance is a powerful tool that brings generations together. This week’s ¡Dímelo, Columbus! features the stories of a mother, daughter, and educator who use Folklore Dance (Baile Folclorico) as a means of exploring and sharing their cultural heritage. Continue reading
Look closely between the chain restaurants and vestiges of deindustrialization on Columbus’s West Side, and you’ll notice a few colorful gems jutting from the landscape. One of these is Panaderia Oaxaqueña – a business located on 63 South Murray Hill Road that boasts some of the best Mexican pastries in town. This week, Dímelo features Genesis Cruz-Santos and his insight on the changing Latino community of the city.
Rubén Castilla Herrera was the first interview conducted for ¡Dímelo, Columbus! We met in September, the week following the Tyre King shooting. He has long been involved with many social justice issues in Columbus, Ohio – advocating for the Black Lives Matter movement, for migrant workers, immigrant rights, and refugees. Our conversation focused on the importance of recognition and understanding as well as the power of difference.
For a collective of community members and Ohio State students, dance is the key to cultural preservation. Álvaro Lozano and Maria Patiño are members of Folclor Hispano, a group at the Ohio State University dedicated to performing traditional dances from Spanish-Speaking countries. The organization highlights the uniqueness within Latin America by showcasing dances from Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Peru, and Spain.
In the small town of Weslaco, Texas, Ramona Reyes grew up sharing a room with grandmother and namesake, Ramona. Her parents and grandmother sought to break the family’s cycle of migrant farmworking by urging Reyes and her eight siblings to earn at least a high school diploma. Reyes surpassed her family’s educational goals by enrolling at Ohio State on scholarship. Now an Ohio State graduate living in Columbus, she seeks to use her education and experience to give back to the city’s Latino community.