LYNN — Hundreds gathered in the Lynn Auditorium Thursday night to an array of speeches, dance performances, and musical ensembles, all meant to celebrate and highlight Lynn’s diverse hispanic population.
In the City Hall lobby Tuesday night sat a variety of decorated poster boards, each one ripe with fun facts about a different Spanish-speaking country. The displays, made by Breed Middle School Spanish students, carved out a path to the auditorium, where a display of Latin American flags hung before the stage for the city’s “Proud of our Hispanic Heritage” celebration.
Executive Director and Founder of the Lynn non-profit Latina Center MARIA and event organizer Magalie Torres-Rowe kicked off the event by clearly stating its purpose: to garner pride in hispanic heritage. She held back tears while recounting experiences as a second grade teacher in which her students said that they were ashamed of their native language.
“Sometimes, they feel ashamed to speak Spanish. I said ‘If you’re ashamed to speak Spanish, you’re ashamed of your heritage, you’re ashamed of your culture, and that’s no good.’ So that’s why we did this celebration. People need to be proud of their heritage. Doesn’t matter if it’s Asian heritage, African heritage, Latino Heritage. That’s the point of this celebration,” Torres-Rowe said.
Before the Lynn English High School Choir sang a rendition of the National Anthem, North Shore Community College Provost Jennifer Mezquita, who moved to the U.S. from the Dominican Republic at the age of 10 without speaking English, delivered brief remarks about the celebration. Mezquita, who has earned four college degrees, encouraged the crowd’s young latinos to remember their cultures throughout their education.
“I make sure that folks understand that I am an immigrant. I am the daughter of a housekeeper, who worked for 27 years so that I could have the life that I have right now. I want to encourage all of you to know that where you are right now is not the end, it’s just a stepping stone. I ‘ve had the privilege of earning four college degrees, and now, I have the privilege of serving my community,” Mezquita said.
Sen. Brendan Crighton, and Rep. Peter Capano both spoke briefly about the importance of language diversity. Crighton praised the city’s efforts to honor cultural diversity, and Capano, the son of Italian immigrants, told the crowd that the immigrant mentality can be an asset in itself.
“I also know the opportunities that arise from growing up in an immigrant family, and my colleagues say ‘you have the advantages of growing up poor,’ so I think if you use that as fuel and energy for the rest of your life, you will be able to do anything you want,” Capano said.
Americo Mendoza, a Harvard University professor from Peru, addressed the crowd, encouraging them to speak Spanish with their parents, and develop their bilingualism. He reminded the young crowd that speaking two languages fluently will serve as a valuable asset in the workplace as they get older.
“When people come to the United States, there is a pressure to learn English,” Mendoza said. “
By being bilingual, you’re also increasing your chances to be hired, to get a new perspective of the world ,and especially to connect with your heritage because becoming American, and moving to the United States does not have to become who you are at a macro level.”
Anthony Cammalleri can be reached at [email protected]
