La Fiesta de Oaxaca

Marcela Iraheta | Staff Writer

A group of seven women holding pineapples on their shoulder perform a Oaxacan dance during the Guelaguetza event at the Santa Monica College Main Campus on Thursday, Sept. 28th in Santa Monica, Calif. (Akemi Rico | The Corsair)

Oaxacena holding a basket filled with flowers and a cross arranged flower over their head during la Jarabe del Valle in the Guelaguetza event and first Oaxacan event held in Santa Monica College's quad on Thu. Spet. 28 at Santa Monica, Calif. (Danilo Perez | The Corsair)

Trombone music sheet of two seperate Oaxacan songs on Thu. Sept. 28 at Santa Monica, Calif. (Danilo Peez | The Corsair)

Christina Marcial, staff administrative assistant at Santa Monica College, recites a poem she wrote in response to an incendiary comment recorded in city hall last week. She is surrounded by Oaxacan dancers that will be performing the next dance during the Guelaguetza event at the Santa Monica College Main Campus on Thursday, Sept. 28th in Santa Monica, Calif. From L to R: Esmerelda Hernandez, Sociology and Political Science major and indigenous Zapoteca (Bin di zäa); Lucelia Elizabeth Vasquez Jimenez, Business Administration major from Santa Maria Tlahuitoltepec, Oaxaca; Stefani Hernandez, English major; and Victoria Isabella Hernandez, economics major, from San Miguel del Valle, Oaxaca. (Akemi Rico | The Corsair)d

Victoria Isabella Hernandez, economics major from San Miguel del Valle, Oaxaca performs a Oaxacan dance during the Guelaguetza event at the Santa Monica College Main Campus on Thursday, Sept. 28th in Santa Monica, Calif. (Akemi Rico | The Corsair)

Oaxacena dancer performing during the Guelaguetza event and first Oaxacan event held in Santa Monica College on Thu. Sept. 28 at Santa Monica, Calif. (Danilo Perez | The Corsair)

On Sept. 28, the SMC community celebrated Guelaguetza, an event meant to celebrate the Oaxacan community and the practice of gift-giv- ing. The SMC main quad was filled with vibrant

colors and invigorating music. The Latino center held the event at the quad on the main campus as a part of Latinx Heritage Month. The celebration consisted of food and dance that are indigenous to the Oaxacan culture. Addition- ally, painter Oscar Lopez and Quiadaiyn Restaurant were in attendance. Groups from the community, such as Grupo Estudiantil from UCLA, a student Oaxacan group, and Co- munidades indígenas en Liderazgo (CIELO), an indigenous women-led non-profit, were also present.

The celebration of Guelaguetza comes from Oaxaca, Mexico. The word Guelaguetza originates from the Zapo- tec language, which can be interpreted as the reciprocal ex- change of gifts and services. This was the first student-led Guelaguetza celebration SMC has held on campus. The event highlights the growing Oaxacan community at SMC.

Christina Marcial, one of the coordinators for the event, shared a poem responding to the discrimination Oaxacans face.“There is beauty in our traditions, there is beauty in our creativity, and there is beauty in our appearances,” Marcial read aloud during the recitation of her poem.

The day was filled with various performances including one by SMC students from the Oaxacan club. They per- formed the “Flor de Piña” dance that was choreographed by Paulina Solis in 1958 while reciting the poem of same name written by Felipe Matias Velasco as a homage to the indigenous roots and people of the Papaloapan region. The performers wore a traditional Oaxacan dress called a Huipil and held pineapples which are of great significance to the culture since they are commonly grown in the region. Per- former Lucelia Vasquez describes what it felt like to perform at the event:

“Performing at this event allows me to, most importantly, embrace and just learn not to be ashamed of my culture and just bring it here and present it here at SMC.”