Somos Comox Valley celebrates Latin culture in first event for Mexican Independence Day
A local cultural organization is bringing people together in the Comox Valley through Latin culture and community.
In May, Ana Miller launched Somos Comox Valley, with a goal of connecting, celebrating and supporting the Latin community in the Comox Valley and surrounding areas. Since then, she said she has connected with around 50 families across the Valley. Miller said she was inspired to found the organization after noticing a growing Latin community and a number of Latin-owned businesses, but says there was not always a strong connection between them.
“ I’ve been in the Valley for nine years, and I noticed that there’s a lot of businesses and a lot of Latinos in the Valley, and there’s not a connection between them. So a lot of people didn’t know that there were a lot of Latin businesses. And so I started this as a way to connect them all, and also as a way to bring awareness to the Latin culture so that the people who live here feel like this is a home away from home, so that they feel they can bring their culture and they’re accepted and they’re celebrated,” said Miller.
That goal was on display Tuesday night, when Somos held its first large event with a celebration of Mexican Independence Day at Gladstone Brewing.
The event featured a special menu created with Gladstone, along with salsa dancing lessons.
Miller, who is originally from Mexico, said the holiday is an important opportunity for Mexican communities around the world to celebrate their history and culture.
“ Mexico’s independence dates back to, well, 216 years ago. Mexico was under Spanish rule, and there was a priest, his name was Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, and he call[ed] upon Mexicans to raise[sic] against Spanish rule. So he did so by ringing a church bell and telling them… to get out and fight for their freedom. And a ‘grito’ literally means a cry or a shout. So that was a cry for independence. So every year, all over the country and all over the world, wherever there’s a Mexican, we are celebrating,” said Miller.
Miller talked about how she usually celebrates the holiday.
“We usually, you can go to a town square and celebrate. Usually the municipal president or the governor, they do the cry in front of an audience. But if you’re not going to attend the plaza, then you’re at home with your family. We eat traditional meals, we dance, and it’s just a wonderful opportunity to get the community together, [and] the families,” said Miller.
The organization creates opportunities for people to connect through cultural and community events. Miller talked about the diversity of cultures within the broader Latin community.
“ So I’m part of a Cumbia collective. We get together and we’ve danced, Colombian Cumbia a few times, and we’re all from different countries. From Colombia, from Ecuador, from Dominican Republic, from Chile, and have this strong sense of belonging to the Latin culture, and it is a beautiful thing to be able to speak Spanish because here we live in English. And it’s just like, first of all, speaking the language and also sharing different meals, having a potluck and just trying different dishes that you’ve never tried before. It’s amazing!” said Miller.
Miller said her vision is to build a welcoming community where people feel connected and proud to share their culture through art, food, music, business and community.
“Keep bringing awareness to Latin culture and to not only do the Comox Valley, but also reach other northern parts of the island. I’m also in contact … Latin communities everywhere. There’s a big one in Vancouver, there’s Victoria, there’s Nanaimo. So just kind of bring everybody together and help Latin businesses have more visibility!” said Miller.
Miller said she hopes to plan more large community gatherings in the future. To find out more, follow Somos Comox Valley through their social media and on their website at somoscomoxvalley.ca.
Funding Note: This story was produced with funding support from the Local Journalism Initiative, administered by the Community Radio Fund of Canada.