THE QUESTIONS:
As postulated earlier in the goals and objectives section of this report, the questions set before the groups were the following: In your opinion, what are the best existing assets and resources for Latino cultural activity in Idaho?

In your opinion, what are the major obstacles and needs which have to be addressed in improving Latino cultural activity in Idaho?

Considering your own experience with traditional culture, what solutions would you recommend to solve the problems? What do you think needs to happen so that cultural expressions occur without problems?

What are the dreams you have for your community in terms of folk arts and traditional cultural expressions?

In all the communities there were salient responses; participants expressed common resources, common problems, common solutions and common dreams. In most communities, the participants reached consensus: What is needed is a Cultural Center where they can hold classes -dance, music, sewing, cooking, singing, Spanish - where they can have exhibits, celebrate as a community, maintain the culture, a place where the whole family can participate in events. Most expressed a desire to have a location, a space where they can hold classes, and practice; a performance space was also cited as a critical need, the folklórico dance teachers for example, would require a particular floor. One of the problems that surfaced was the lack of networking, so that not everyone knows what is going on. One of the solutions mentioned that teacher training would be a way of teaching about culture.

The first question we asked the participants to consider was: In your opinion, what are the best existing assets and resources for Latino cultural activity in Idaho? Invariably the participants answered that the community itself with its artisans and energy is the richest resource. In Appendix C, I have included a list of the various artists and classified them accordingly. Another great resource in most communities are the existing fiestas that occur annually around the religious celebration of La Virgen de Guadalupe on December 12 or the secular celebrations that occur around the 16 de septiembre or 5 de mayo Mexican holidays or in many cases the Hispanic Heritage Fiestas that occur at the end of summer or in early fall, probably vestiges of other community harvest fiestas. Among other resources, participants also mentioned the existing businesses -bakeries, restaurants, etc - the many elders who are known healers, curanderas, the seamstresses, the teachers of the danza, the community activists who have always sought to keep the culture alive and to strengthen the skills of all the members of the community. Most of the participants agreed that there are some resources available, but they also recognized limitations and obstacles that exist to thwart their efforts.

The second question asked them to think about why the traditions may not be realized; it asked: In your opinion, what are the major obstacles and needs which have to be addressed in improving Latino cultural activity in Idaho? In various places, participants cited the inherent clash between the dominant culture and the Latino's weltaunshauung, or worldview, as a major obstacle. For example, there were comments about employers not understanding the needs of their employees to celebrate certain holidays, or the school districts' lack of understanding in terms of cultural views of education. The intolerant and often hostile environment to Spanish speakers and to "different" cultural practices was also seen as an impediment to developing music programs in the school or to having celebrations in communities. On another level the obstacles were much more mundane, lack of time, lack of funds, lack of teachers professionally trained to teach danza, lack of seamstresses. Also, not surprising, the inaccessibility to the instruments (accordion, guitar) and to the accouterments (dress, shoes, hair decorations) required for mariachi or other music programs as well as for danza were cited. Stan Casiano whose "school" is his own home, spoke passionately of what he sees as an obstacle to attaining his goals in terms of transmitting his tradition: the fact that there are not enough instruments for all the children who want to learn to play the accordion and the scarcity of places to buy them, even if they had the funds.

Among the problems the participants identified are: the lack of transportation for rural families, a lack of understanding of employers, teachers, and even other Latinos. In several places the lack of Spanish - English translators was seen as an obstacle, for without true communication, the Latino artist or activist wanting, for example, to hold a festival cannot communicate to the authorities what is needed and does not understand what is required in terms of permits and such. In fact the group in Burley that had so successfully held a jaripeo the week before we were there, pointed to the difficulty in securing the permits as a barrier, while several other participants there claimed it was just a matter of not understanding the procedures. In Rupert, the discussion focused on how difficult it is to get a drivers' license, as an example of how the language barrier is very real for a great number of residents. Another obstacle the groups identified was one of self-identification, as many artists don't see themselves as artists, they just do what they do, and their jobs don't leave time to pursue their artistry. While lack of particular goods was often cited, the particular needs for traditional food, however, seems to be met by the increasingly commercial suppliers of herbs and canned foodstuffs imported from California.

In American Falls questions of access to teachers and to the things that make a program work were evident. Delinda exclaimed, "We just don't have access to a good dance floor and to seamstresses for the costumes for the folkórico dance group." Angela also reiterated a problem found in other communities: time. The need for instructors is evident. Angela has been driving for the classes and tells of another teacher, Esperanza Taylor a teacher at Blackfoot High School. Both are faced with the time-crunch with their own jobs and then teaching the dance group. Unlike the other folklórico dance groups, this one has attended the ANGF in San Antonio with the students where they benefited from good workshop. But the registration and the dues are prohibitive, and they are not current members; they do not plan to attend this year. They also identify access to quality recordings for the group as an obstacle

Overall, the overarching needs and obstacles to successfully living a rich traditional culturally expressive life in Idaho for Latinos was the lack of space, a cultural center in the community where dancers can practice and perform, where classes can be held in a myriad of artistic expressions - music, dance, cooking, sewing, and even carpentry as Jose Jaime Hurtado mentioned in Aberdeen - and the lack of access to the materials they need such as recordings. But, perhaps even greater need is the understanding of the community at large of what the Latinos are doing, what the traditions mean and a greater valuing of their cultural contributions to their communities.

The third question focused on solutions to the problems identified by the participants and asked: Considering your own experience with traditional culture, what solutions would you recommend to solve the problems? What do you think needs to happen so that cultural expressions occur without problems? Various participants expressed a need and a solution based on knowledge of other Latino communities in the country: Cultural Centers. Ana Leticia in Rupert would like, "un centro como el Centro de Chicago - Casa Azteca donde habia clases de todo y un lugar para ir a pasar el tiempo." (A Center like the one in Chicago, Casa Azteca where they had classes and one could go and spend leisure time there.) Stan would love to see a youth recreation center, and a cultural arts center like the one in San Antonio, the Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center. Another solution was the idea of establishing a network of all the groups involved in similar activities, such as the folklórico dance groups so that if one had access to a supplier of ribbon or of music, the others would also share that information. The solution for poor participation by the youth in the dance group in American Falls is also to have a season that begins in late August or September and have an Idaho State University event in Pocatello to kick off the season that would run through February and 5 de mayo. Although the idea of limited funds came up, most participants did not dwell on that, and most saw that they were already engaged in fund raising in one way or another. Of course, the idea of a grant to support a festival so that they could attract artists from beyond the immediate area was mentioned as a solution. In one place the need for a grant writer surfaced as a priority. So in most locations, at some point during the discussion ideas for fundraisers surfaced as solutions. For example, in Burley, the idea of a cookbook emerged and immediately someone recalled that some folks at the College of Southern Idaho were using the idea as a fundraiser. Most of the solutions revolved around increasing revenues and finding a place for the cultural activity to occur and a place for performance whether a jaripeo or a danza.

As we concluded the sessions, the participants were asked: What are the dreams you have for your community in terms of folk arts and traditional cultural expressions? Not surprisingly, the participants' answers mirrored their solutions to the problems they perceived. On one hand, there was an overwhelming response that spoke not of physical or financial goals realized but of cultural understanding and acceptance. Also, many answered that their dream was to see a thriving cultural center in their community. In Burley, Twin Falls, and Caldwell participants expressed the need for a lienzo charro where they can hold jaripeos. Most places exhibited incredible energy and vision to realize their dreams. Both the folk Arts Director and I insisted that neither we nor the ICA could make their dreams come true, but we also emphasized the need to dream as the communities work toward their goals. Like many of the participants in Burley, Idaho Falls and Caldwell, Lisa, Cora and Sylvia from Rupert expressed a need for activities for the whole family, a place for classes of all kinds - Spanish, cooking, sewing, dance, music - as well as for entertainment. And as in the other locations many of the artists' dreams in Rupert involved sharing their knowledge: Lisa who knows how to make the traditional repostería, would like to teach children and others who want to learn the traditional foods -- La reposteria de las fiestas de 15 años y de bodas. She like the owner of the tortilla factory in Burley would like to teach others how to make the traditional tamales, mole, and other festive foods not necessarily found in restaurants.

Another dream that was common across the area focused on education. "Education is the key," exclaimed Pete Espinoza in Rupert. Antonio Hernandez' dream is already becoming a reality as he has worked with others to create a scholarship fund based on the "padrino/madrina" model -sponsors - so that at graduation students have sponsors who will see to it that they attend college. The cultural and traditional views of education can become both that which supports and that which deters educational achievement: in the former, the Latino support of education and the high value it has for families, and in the former the educational system misunderstanding of the culture and the low expectations of Latino students. Like others, Catalina's main dream for her six children is "la educación." She talks of how teachers make students feel inferior and judge them even before they know them, of how when they got here from Nevada the principal told her son "Don't think you can act up and do whatever you did back there" before he had even had a chance to know him. She also mentioned a teacher who hits the students and punishes them for speaking Spanish. Various others also knew of this teacher and reiterated the need for education of teachers. So teacher training and the need for schools to be sensitive to the student's culture including his or her language came up repeatedly as solutions and as dreams for the community.

Another participant cited an assets survey that was done that concluded that the group in their community had the lowest self-esteem; she tied it to the school example Catalina identified. Rosalinda and Cora identify language as a barrier and they like many others dream of translation services and full ESL educational opportunities for everyone who needs the classes. Esther in Rupert and Delinda, Dora, and Angela in Idaho Falls would like to see children keep the Spanish instead of having the schools make them embarrassed and inculcating English at the expense of their Spanish. They dream of totally bilingual communities where everyone communicates in both languages and understand each other's culture.

Several participants dream of the arts as the bridge across the cultural divide in their community. Oralia dreams of a mural project, a dance program, programs that build self-esteem in youth and where parents can collaborate. Alma Gómez who is directing a summer mural project in her community dreams of more collaboration between and among various communities in the Treasure Valley. Pablo would like to see all people together without barriers and without even consciousness of how special that would be. His dream is reiterated by Gloria in Idaho Falls. Laurel's dream that her children grow up in a totally equal and free society for all people mirrored the Aberdeen community's dreams of having music classes for everyone even if they didn't have the $200 to take the classes in the public schools.

The dreams of the parents and teachers invariably included their children. They dream of a top-ranked, nationally recognized dance group, of a life-affirming educational environment and equal opportunity for all children to achieve their dreams. But, what about the dreams of the children? Luckily we had several youth attending the meetings in Aberdeen, Boise, and Burley. Their dreams varied from wanting to be a star, a singer like Selena, to wanting "a college (in the community) so I can become a teacher." Many dream of dancing and singing as a way to keep their culture in their lives. In Rupert, Oralia sees the arts as the main way to communicate "the expression of the hearts and minds," the vehicle through which we can communicate with other cultures, while Robert Gómez would like to see a museum with the history of Latinos in Idaho; this, he insists, would be a source of pride and would boost the self-esteem of children and of all Latinos in Idaho. Sylvia wants "a venue for people to gain confidence,(and) understanding," and she agrees that a cultural center could be such a place, for she said, "Art brings out pride in people."

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RECOMMENDATIONS

Judging from the response to our questions, our observations and our assessment of the communities needs, it is apparent that the recommendations center on three general areas: Recommended that the communities have access to a space, that they have access to the resources, and the perhaps most difficult that there be true integration of the community within the larger community in Idaho. I will address each of these separately drawing form the participants' own comments. I will include in the discussion of each recommended actions by the ICA insofar as it can address the needs and issues raised by the community participants.

Obviously, the issue of space is not within the purview of the ICA, but the ICA can support efforts of groups that are working to find space. In fact the ICA, albeit minimally, has helped in establishing the Hispanic Cultural Center in Nampa by supporting the activities of the group even when they do not yet have a physical space. The land has been secured and the community is in the process of raising the necessary funds for the building. But, the onus should not fall on the Latino community alone. Local governments - county and city - can well develop plans for establishing recreational centers with an emphasis on Latino activities in areas where the population is significant to warrant ethnic-specific centers. And, on the other hand, all locally-sponsored activities should strive for inclusion and local governments and organizations should make their on-going festivals and other activities venues for integrating the Latino cultural expressions found in the area

In terms of resources and access, the same can be said. But, here the ICA can help by training community artists to present themselves and to work within the system of local, state and federal government grants to support their work. Traditionally, the Latino community has not has access to grant-making institutions or to funds allocated for arts activities in city and county budgets. The ICA's technical assistance to community arts agencies and to individual leadership development would allow for an increase in grant proposals from the Latino community. Often, the Latino community's isolation - both in terms of geography, language and culture, even within the more urban areas of the state like Boise - has resulted in a barrier to communication and to access. Publishing guidelines in Spanish would help groups understand the process. Making translated available as well as speaking in the community's language would also achieve another goal: to make the agency "user-friendly" for non-English speaking groups. Of course, working with the networks already established in the community - the Idaho Commission on Hispanic Affairs, for example - will facilitate access of ICA to the communities and make the communities less apprehensive about the bureaucracy often associated with state agencies. Finally, the recommendation that the ICA's efforts to dismantle barriers between the greater population and the Latino community be achieved via the arts is not as impossible as it may seem, for as one participant claimed, "the arts bring us together." Teacher education programs that focus on folklore and culture can be a resource. Just like there are humanities summer programs for teachers, there's no reason why the arts education program cannot also initiate a summer program, or an in-service workshop designed to expose teachers to the rich folk arts of the state and ways to teach about Latino arts, especially in school districts with a high percentage of Latino population. A preliminary step in this direction is the publication by Lisa Gabbert, Folklore and Folk Arts in Idaho: an Educational Resource Guide. The next step would be to seek a multicultural component to the school curriculum as other states have done.

A more direct recommendation, perhaps not entirely addressing the participants comments in our visits, does address a need made even more evident by our visits: increased fieldwork and a detailed survey of the Latino arts in the state.

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TRENDS, CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES

Significant as it is, the increase of Latinos in the state, as indicated by demographic data, it is not as critical as the knowledge that the elders in this community who have lived and worked their whole lives in the state will not be with us much longer. The Voces Hispanas publication and the Idaho Hispanic Oral History Project only scratch the surface of the rich cultural legacy that such a generation leaves for Idaho. Those born at the turn of the century, sadly, have by and large passed on and it is now those who grew up in the 20s, 30s and 40s that remain to teach the old ways. When Guadalupe Carranza builds an outdoor oven to teach her daughter how to bake bread in the traditional way, when Stan Casiano teaches his classes of up to 20 students to play the accordion, they are passing on arts that have survived in Idaho for generations. The ICA can become the impetus for insuring that these activities do not cease, and in fact that they be multiplied in all corners of the state where there are Latinos. That is the challenge: to document and recognize the numerous artists and arts that exist in Idaho and then to insure that their traditions persist. To a certain degree, the apprenticeship program in the state achieves the latter, but the former is still not fully realized. Another challenge facing the ICA is to gain the trust of these communities and to work effectively with the already established community as well as with the numerous newcomers whose lack of English skills or legal status in the country is often a deterrent and sometimes makes it difficult to integrate them into the life of the greater community.

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BIBLIOGRAPHY

Published Print Sources

Baker, Richard. Los Dos Mundos: Rural Mexican Americans, Another America. Logan, Utah: Utah State University, 1995.

Fiske, Edward B., editor, Champions of Change: the Impact of the Arts on Learning, Washington, DC: President's Committee on Arts and Humanities, 1998.

Gamboa, Erasmo. Mexican Labor and World War Two. Austin: University of Texas Press, 1990.

Rea, Lori, editor. Living Treasures: Hispanic Artisans & Traditionalists of the Snake River Valley. Nampa: Hispanic Folkarts Survey Committee, 1991.

Siporin, Steve, editor. "We came to where we were supposed to be": Folk Art of Idaho. Boise: Idaho Commission on the Arts, 1984.

Sorrels, Rosalie, editor. Way Out in Idaho: A Celebration of Songs and Stories. Boise: Idaho Commission on the Arts, 1991.

Unpublished Sources

Montaño, Mario. Hispanic Traditional Arts Project, Idaho Commission on the Arts Fieldwork Report, 1989-1990.

Sierra, Victoria Archuleta. Oral History Interview Transcript, Idaho Hispanic Oral History Project Interviews. State Historical Collection, January 10, 1991.

Web sites

Idaho State: http://www2.state.id.us

Governor's Hispanic Initiative: http://www2.state.id.us/icha/Publication/Governsinitiative.htm

Idaho Commission on Hispanic Affairs: www2.state.id.us/icha/

U.S. Census Bureau: http://www.census.gov

Gamboa, Erasmo, Raices Historicas: www2.state.id.us/icha/Publication/raiceshistoricas.htm

Voces Hispanas: www2.state.id.us/icha/Events/voceshis.htm

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ARTISTIC TRADITIONS LIST OF ARTISTS AND TRADION BEARERS

DANCE
Folkló rico Dancers and teachers
Norma Pintar, Angela Saldaña Luckey, Yadira Arreguín, Nancy Pedraza, Mercedes Nevarez, Paula Salinas, Henry (Hank) González, Delinda Muñiz Fehringer, Guadalupe Carranza, Raquel Chávez, Bertha Corona, Antonia Cruz, Gloria Galán, Erica Hernández

Dancers
Jose Jaime Hurtado, Oralia Palomo, Maricela Rios, Micaela Rios, Norma Rios Curiel, Karla Ruiz, Irma Santana, Monique Michel-Duarte, Miguel Duarte

Rope tricks
José Luis Heredia

Danza
Henry (Hank) González, Carlos Lugo

MUSIC
Musicians
Idalia Casiano, Jose Jamie Hurtado-drums, Minerva Casiano, Rosalinda Escobedo Mirella Macias Oralia Palomo-music, Stan Casiano-accordion, guitar, Nick Hernadez-accordion, Manuel Cavazos-guitar, singing, Tino Vasquez-Doamian, Rodriguez-guitar, Antonio Ochoa-trumpet, Lucio Prado-guitar, Rudy Rodriguez-guitarron, Jose Prado-bajo sexto, Cirilo Martinez-bajo seto, Aurora Quilantan-Martinez-12 string guitar and song, Damian Rodriguez-guitar, Jr. Gomez-button accordion, Jose Campos, Adriana Sanchez (dance and sing)

PAPER ARTS
Flowers
Jeannette Callsen, Carmen Carvajal, Minerva Casiano, Rosalinda Escobedo, Paula Gómez, Esther Mendoza, Marta Ponce, Cora del Toro, Catalina Yañez, Bea Mendiola, Petra Ramirez, Eva Castellanoz (Nyssa, OR)

Papel Picado
Adriana Lopez, Zulema Macias

Pi ata Makers
Irene Sánchez, Esther Mendoza, Maria Andrea Berain

NEEDLE ANDHAND CRAFTS
Seamstress/Tailor
Yadira Arreguín, Elizabeth López, Paula Salinas (dance costumes) Guadalupe Carranza Catalina Yañez, Gloria Galán, Mary Lou Leal, Peggy J. Morín, Mercedes Nevarez, Yolanda Sandoval (little girls' dresses)

Embroidery/Crochet
Guadalupe Carranza, Paula Gómez, deshilado + cross stitch Manuela Casta Castañeda, Angelita Flores, Maria G. Jensen, Claudia Mata, Gloria Salcido, Merlinda Santana, Sorina Montes, Beni Santos, Perfecta Montes

CRAFTS
Ceramic, Pottery
Guadalupe Carranza, clay oven Agustin Esquibel, adobe making and construction. Paty Carrasco, Ofelia Naba, Alicia Chávez, Maria G. Jensen

Miscellaneous
Paty Juarez, upholstery, Ana L. Tovar, recuerdos, Merlinda Santana-quilting, Eva Castellanoz, (Nyssa, OR), Jeanette Callsen-Quinceañeras & wax flowers, Mendez Ortiz, Quinceañeras, Guisela Bahruth & Sinya Rosario-community scholars

ORAL TRADITIONS
Storytelling
Minerva Casiano, Lisa García, María Gómez, Sylvia Lujan

Poetry
Jose Jaime Hurtado

OCCUPATIONAL
Charrer a
Antonio Carrillo, Jose Jaime Hurtado, Refugio Larios, Gerardo Lemus, Arturo Rios, Mario Rios, José Campos José Luis Heredia, floreo de la riata

FESTIVAL ORGANIZERS
Janie Archuleta - heads the 5 de Mayo celebration, community activist, Nampa/Caldwell
Gloria Galán, José Pérez, Hispanic Heritage Fiesta, Twin Falls
Ana María Schachtell, Alice Whitney, Fiesta Idaho
Pablo Yzquierdo, community organizer

FOODWAYS
Cooks/Bakers
Comidas típicas
Guadalupe Carranza, Raquel Chavez (Tortilleria La Raza), Consuelo Correa, Angelita Flores (tortillas), Gloria Galán, Esperanza Gerhard, Paula Gómez, Leopoldo Gutierrez, Paula Maldonado, Eulogio Mendoza. Reyna Nuñez, Abel Ornelas, José and Rocio Pérez, Elena Rodríguez, Yolanda Sandoval, Cora del Toro, Rosalinda H. Paiz, Paula Salinas, Simona L. Ureña, Beni Santos, Kelly Valle (Peruvian food), Catalina Yañez (comidas típicas), Valerie K. Chisholm

Herbalists
Guadalupe Carranza, Elena Rodríguez, Gloria Salcido, Eva Castellanoz, OR

Reposteria
Lisa García, reposteria (festival pastries) Maria Andrea Berain,
Ana L. Tovar, bread, cakes

Restaurants/Panaderias
Acapulco
16 12th Ave. South, Nampa 456-0073
El Gallo
5165 Glenwood, Garden City 321-0355

El Pueblo
5200 Fairview Avenue, Boise 375-5108
El Sombrero
153 W. Main, Jerome 324-7238

Garibaldi's
677C Filer Ave. Twin Falls 735-8753

La Raza Tortilleria
220 1/2 East Main St. Burley 83318
Panaderia & Pasteleria Mexico
117 West Main, Jerome, 83338

Panaderia la Michoacana
Main Plaza, Rupert

Panaderia Las Rosas
1317 3rd St., Suite A Nampa, 83651

Plaza Azteca
2608 Fairmont, Burley, 83318

Tacos Michoacan
605 N. 6th.Avenue, Caldwell 454-1583

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