On The Streets With Fati: On The Streets: Cultural Awareness at the Bancroft Street Market

As many of you know, the month of September is known as National Hispanic Heritage Month. It's a month dedicated to celebrating the histories, cultures, and contributions of American citizens whose ancestors migrated from different parts of Latin America such as Spain, Mexico, Central and South America, and areas surrounding the Caribbean.

It's also a month filled with festivities and community events that bring people together to understand more about the Latin American culture and its contributions to the United States.

In celebration, I attended a Latin American art exhibition that took place at the Bancroft Street Market located in South Omaha, this past week. It was put together by local student artists such as Hugo Zamorano, Gerardo Vazquez and Alma Becerrill Salas in partnership with the Office of Latino/Latin American Studies (OLLAS) at the University of Nebraska, Omaha. They created a two week exhibition and conversation event to not only provide a supportive outlet for Latin artists and spread awareness, but with the hope of growing the art community in South Omaha.

Hugo Zamorano- a current art student at the University of Nebraska, Omaha- mentioned the importance of creating this event that he and his colleagues have been working on these past few months. In a recent newsletter written by the University of Nebraska, Omaha, he says, "There is a lot of untapped potential that never really translates into talent after high school." The majority of the people living in South Omaha are originally from Mexico and/or other parts of Latin America and are considered low-income. There are barriers such as language, economic stability, education, etc. that make it difficult for families to overcome. With this event, Zamorano, Vazquez, and Salas hope to continue creating opportunities like this for young Latin artists who contribute to and enrich the community as they shed light on their abilities and experiences.

"Nebraska Murica"- by Bart Vargas

While I walked around the gallery looking at the different art pieces, I noticed that this event brought in people of various races and ethnicities, and it was a way to spread a message of cultura (culture), fuerza (strength), and unidad (unity). From my experiences living in Omaha for two years, I've had the chance to meet people from various backgrounds and learn more about their stories and experiences of migrating to the United States and coming to Omaha. I am beginning see that South Omaha is like a giant melting pot of cultures, languages, traditions, talents, and much more. It feels great to be apart of something that is creating an impact now and in the future.

Overall, this event has pushed me to continue appreciating my own culture and other people's cultures and to speak out about it through art, poetry, or even just sharing about it with a friend, because it's something to be proud of!