SE QUIEN SOY

Sé Quien Soy" is a musical production and slide show produced by Jóvenes Unidos, the youth arm, of the SouthWest Organizing Project (SWOP). Their first presentation was on August 17, 1997 at the University of New Mexico, Continuing Education Building, 1634 University NE, here in Albuquerque.

Jóvenes Unidos is a multiracial, multi-issue, community-based organization of youth ranging in age from 4 to 18.

The presentation included songs the group has written - "Sé Quien Soy", "Vámos a Bailár" and "Nós Gústa el Chile" as well as catchy renditions of a variety of Spanish and oldies covers such as "La Bamba" and "Twist and Shout".

The vocals are headed by Fernando Manuel 17, a senior at Valley High School in Albuquerque; and he is backed up by Fernando Martínez 14, Amanda Saavédra 13, and Dominic Gallégos 12.

The presentation show-cased the group's musical talent and featured a side presentation, "500 Years of Chicano History in Pictures."

Now here is something that is unique and worth encouraging. What is unique is that the group is multi-racial, it is issue oriented, and the members are not afraid, nor will they be embarrassed of confronting the most important issue of all, "I Know Who I Am."

This movement offers a ray of hope. Let me review what is at stake and what has transpired in the past.

As you leared in the previous page, they say I am WHITE. Now what do I do. I have been telling everyone who wanted to know, and some who did not or did not care, that I am a Mexican; or I am a Chicano, or I am a Chicas Patas. I eventually coined my own term, I am an Indo-Hispanic.

I keep learning from young people. Recently I have seen many definitions of family. Here are some of them from some Albuquerque High School students:

What makes a family is not necessarily genetic relation but rather the nurturing and loving qualities of acceptance.

" Without family, without the people we love, we would be alone.

" A family is a group of people who trust and confide in one another.

" I think that love, support and responsibility define a family.

Families are what people make of them. They are not alike in a qualitative sense, but there is a thread that connects all of them. You don't need a father, you don't need a mother, you don't need a brother or a sister, all you need is people who care for you, people who support you, people who respect your decisions, and good communication.

I would like to think that is what we have in our family, but we need to improve our communication. We are not the "family" you see on TV nor do we need to be. Our communication needs to improve and to do that there are three things that I want to pass on to those who follow. The first is to have faith in yourself because your family will always be there to back you up. The other is to respect people's "otherness" and allow "others" their "space." The third is; keep in touch.

Let me explain. One thing I learned from our little Dolóres many years ago was to respect "otherness." I say little, because she must have been eight years old, or so. I had corrected her about something she did or said, and she responded, "But Daddy, I am another person!" It took many years for this old geezer to really understand the meaning of that remark. Now in my advanced years it comes back to haunt me every so often. Sometimes I even ask myself, "Who am I?" The answer is I am a Mexican American. (Notice I do not use the hyphen.) I am comfortable with Hispanic, Chicano or even Spanish American. It gives me pause to be referred to as American. To me American comes across as elitist, perhaps because of the "white" experience in the United States of North America. To me, beginning in the far north of this continent, the people from Greenland and Canada are Americans, so are we, as are the people from Mexico, Guatemala, Argentina and Peru. The term I really despise is Latino as it conjures something out of the Roman Empire in my mind and I can't really fathom that. The politically correct movement seems to prefer Latino. I prefer Indo﷓Hispanic. (Notice I do use the hyphen here.) So what is the difference? There is one to me. A big one. Teach tolerance I say. Respect "otherness" and try to understand.

Allowing others their "space" has to do with values and values define everything. As a Mexican American I was brought up with a specific set of values that have always been very meaningful to me. My childhood stories still come back to my mind; all value laden and I am pretty proud of that. That's what makes me who I am.

My birth certificate says I am White and my Passport says I am American but please respect my "otherness" and my "space" and do not call me Whitey or American. My family must understand this.

More good things from the Kimo. A Passion play that links human suffering with the crucifixion of the son of God has become a labor of love for a local mother and daughter. Theresa and Elizabeth Cardenas will celebrate Holy Week with a performance of the original program "El Cristo de los Flamencos" Wednesday at KiMo Theatre. The performance, which sets the mournful yet beautiful stories to soulful flamenco dances, was conceived by Theresa Cardenas with the help of her mother, a former flamenco dancer and teacher. "We did this as a mother-daughter project, as a way of taking her back to her art and of preserving traditional dances," said Theresa Cardenas, who conducted an extensive study of the culture of the Andalusian region of Spain to research the program. Andalusia, with its mixture of Gypsies, Moors and Jews, is believed to be the birthplace of the flamenco style. Preserving Spanish dance is important to the Cardenases, who say they can trace their heritage back to the original Spanish families who colonized New Mexico in the late 16th century.

Part One of "El Cristo de los Flamencos" consists of dances set to two poems by the Spanish poet Federico Garcia Lorca. The poem, "Lament for Ignacio Sanchez Mejias," tells the story of the lingering, painful death of a famous Spanish bullfighter who was gored to death. "Alma Ausente," or "Absence of the Soul," is a romantic lament for a lost love.

The poems will be recited by Susanna Calzada Garret and the dance performed by Poli Reyes Rauen, widow of James Joseph Rauen. The entire first part of the performance is dedicated to Rauen, a noted local flamenco guitarist who died last year. Also in Part One, flamenco dancer Antonio Hidalgo Paz and local dancer Ramona Garduño will perform "Mano a Mano," a number originated by Carlota Santana of New York. Most of the show's choreography was done by Paz, who lives in Malaga, Spain. Both Theresa and Elizabeth Cardenas knew Paz through his work teaching flamenco dancers in Albuquerque and in Santa Fe with the famed flamenco dancer Maria Benitez, said Theresa Cardenas.

Part Two, called "La Via Crucis," or "Way of the Crosses," echoes the traditional Spanish Catholic Holy Week recitation of the Stations of the Cross and the narration and re-enactment of the Passion, which tells the story of Christ's protracted death. The stations and the Passion are an important part of New Mexico's heavily Catholic spiritual culture, said Theresa Cardenas. The first section of Part Two is the Stations of the Cross, which will be presented with songs, dance, narration and images projected on a screen. A penitente cante, or singer, will perform some of the "alabados," or traditional sorrowful hymns. The narration of the Passion will be done by Ray John de Aragon, a northern New Mexico penitente and author of the book, "Hermanos de la Luz," or "Brothers of the Light." He will be joined in the recitation by his daughter, Rosalia de Aragon de Pacheco. The second section of Part Two will be the re-enactment of the Passion, written by Theresa Cardenas and choreographed, directed and performed by Paz, who will play Jesus. Dancers Bridgit Lujan, Nicole Lujan and Joan Carvell also will take part. Others who will perform onstage include Spanish Gypsy singer Jose "El Pelete" Arencon, guitarist Bruce Patterson and percussionist Francisco Javier Orozco. "El Cristo de los Flamencos" is being done as a scholarship benefit for the Hispanic Women's Council, an Albuquerque civic group of which Theresa Cardenas is a board member.

For those who want to dig even deeper into the flamenco culture, the Cardenases are holding an exhibition and traditional Spanish merienda, or tea. The tea will take place from 2-4 p.m. Saturday, April 21, at a custom house built in traditional Spanish style by Theresa Cardenas and her brother, Tom Cardenas, of TC Builders Inc. The exhibition will include displays of original costumes from important Spanish dance figures as well as reproductions by local costume designer Jennifer Woods. Other exhibits will include a display on Gypsy family life in Andalusia and one on retaining Spanish culture in New Mexico, in honor of the women who contributed to the expansion of traditional Spanish dance and flamenco in New Mexico. The tea is in homage to the old-fashioned practice among New Mexican women of Spanish descent of bringing out heirloom gowns and jewelry for fashion shows and teas. The gatherings were an occasion to exchange traditional tales and converse in Spanish about customs they feared were vanishing.

So there! Se quien soy! Si se Puede!

What I hope people will say about me when I am gone, “Andy was a passionate orator, a skilled rouser of rabble over issues he loved and an unapologetic populist liberal.” Think I'll have this put in my Epitaph!

Read On! Enjoy!