|
PLAINVIEW (Texas) DAILY HERALD
Fiesta Campesina more than just food and games
By KEVIN LEWIS Herald Editor
Sure, there will be loud music, lots of food and plenty of games to play
in Broadway Park today. However, Fiesta Campesina is about more than
that.
According to Rey Rosas, organizers also want Fiesta Campesina to serve
as an educational tool for everything from how to buy a house to how to
register to vote.
Fiesta Campesina started here 21 years ago, Rosas explained, as a way to
honor "all of the farmers, ranchers and migrant workers who produce the
food throughout the United States."
He said most people think Fiesta Campesina is a festival for Hispanics
only, but it's for farmers and ranchers in addition to migrant workers.
"It takes cooperation from all three of them," Rosas said.
Similarly, three groups came together to make Fiesta Campesina happen
back in 1989: LULAC (League of United Latin American Citizens), West
Texas Legal Aid and a group of citizens from Plainview, Hereford,
Amarillo and Lubbock called Dreams Unlimited.
Rosas said that, roughly translated, "campesino" means migrant worker,
so Fiesta Campesina is a festival to honor them. It's held on the last
Sunday in July when many campesinas traditionally "finish their work
here and go home" to South Texas.
Fiesta Campesina is a one-of-a-kind event, according to Rosas, who said
organizers here received a proclamation from former Gov. Ann Richards
declaring its exclusivity. Rosas said they even fought off a challenge
from Oklahoma to move the festival - which he said draws people from
throughout Texas as well as New Mexico, Oklahoma and Colorado - not long
after it started.
The Fiesta was held downtown the first three years.
"But it grew so fast that downtown could not hold us, so we decided to
move to Broadway Park," Rosas said. "It's been there ever since."
Activities begin at 11 a.m. today and end at 9 p.m. Included among them
are a jalapeno eating contest, watermelon eating contest, jumpers for
kids and a car show. Several bands also have been lined up. (For more
details see the ad on Page 3A.)
But Rosas said organizers also want to provide useful information to
people who may not otherwise be exposed to it. That's why they'll have
booths set up offering home-buying tips, educational opportunities,
health screenings and more. Rosas said they'll also have inspirational
speakers offering stories of encouragement.
While the number of migrant workers has decreased over the past 21 years
as the advancement of farm technology translated into fewer labor needs,
Rosas said many still are here.
"We still have a few migrants, although not as many as when we started,"
he said. "And it's important to recognize them."
|