With a dose of Ozomatli and themes of resilience, Pasadena celebrates its Latino community

With immigration-related tensions being felt by the community, a modified version of the Latino Heritage Festival took place Saturday, Oct. 11, at Pasadena City Hall.

Unlike past years, the city canceled the festival’s annual parade, which traditionally took place in the late morning and marched to City Hall along Los Robles Avenue from nearby James Madison Elementary School.

But it in the end, hundreds who gathered outside City Hall saw – and heard – a rich mix of folklórico, rock ‘n roll from a group of local high school and middle-schoolers, and an infectiously dance-soaked set from headlining band Ozomatli — that had young and older moving, grooving, clapping, singing and smiling.

The gathering, organized by the city’s Parks, Recreation and Community Services Department, was centered on the east side courtyard at N. Garfield Avenue and started in the early evening.

Lisa Barrios, co-chair of the Pasadena Latino Heritage Committee, expressed gratitude for the celebration, despite challenging times.

“We’re just really grateful for the community that has come out, despite all of the challenges and different things that we’ve been going through, so that we can celebrate our culture with music, dancing, and the community partners,” she said, acknowledging Vannia de la Cuba, her co-chair on the committee.

“We really wanted to highlight all of who we are in Pasadena and we get to do that in front of City Hall,” Barrios said. “We’re just grateful today. That’s what we’re celebrating.”

Marching bands, musical groups, and a drum circle of native dancers filled the area with rhythm and song.

The scents of ceremonial sage mingled with the aroma of food trucks, while dozens of nonprofit groups of all variety welcomed visitors to explore their booths at tables surrounding the celebration.

And while there was a sense of festivity permeating most of the gathering, which saw hundreds of people in attendance, the serious, sometimes somber message shared by several elected officials, including Assemblymember John Harabedian, D-Pasadena, served as a sobering reminder of how national policies on immigration have dramatically impacted the lives of local residents.

“This is unprecedented,” Harabedian said. “These are unfortunately historic times, because our Latino community is under attack.

“Right now what we see is division, we see discrimination, and we see fear, and we see that creeping into our communities,” Harabedian said, noting that Pasadena has been and will continue to be one of the targets of immigration raids by the federal government.

U.S. Rep. Judy Chu, D-Pasadena, also expressed strong concerns over the state of affairs, simultaneously offering words of praise for the Latino community.

“Latinos are business owners, educators, artists, essential workers, public servants, and neighbors who make our community stronger every day,” Chu said.

Vice Mayor Jess Rivas shared her thoughts, juxtaposing a sense of celebration with concerns over current affairs.

“It’s really a wonderful celebration to be here for Latino Heritage Month, celebrating it in this wonderful setting, but today and this year in particular, just because of everything we’re going through,” Rivas said.

“Latinos are Pasadena. We are proud of working alongside so many to build this city,” she said. “Latinos are also Americans. We are proud to have worked alongside of so many who have built this country, and nothing will ever change that.”

This year’s theme for the festival was “A Proud Past, A Hopeful Future,” and focused on honoring the strength and resilience of Pasadena’s Latino community.

The event’s musical acts emphasized those themes, from Los Jornaleros del Norte to the headlining musical act Ozomatli, the L.A.-based band known for it blending of salsa, hip hop, funk, reggae and jazz.

Ozomatli, a band that includes members who went to school at Pasadena City College, also sang the praises of Pasadena Unified’s Blair Modern Band and Blair Marching Band, who opened for them.

Ultimately, the night ended with Ozomatli bringing the teenage musicians on stage, where together they all performed in the night’s musical finale.

Pasadena Mayor Victor offered some perspective on the whole event.

“The Pasadena Latino Heritage Foundation is about more than music, food, and dance,” he said in a statement. “It’s about who we are as a community.”

“This year’s theme … speaks to a truth we all share — by honoring our past and the generation who came before us, we lay the foundation for a future filled with hope,” he said.

Jarret Liotta is Los Angeles-based freelance writer and photographer.