Growing up in El Paso I was exposed to mi cultura everywhere, en mi casa, con mis primos, in our neighborhood & even in school. It was great to go listen to mariachis at the restaurant, eat menudo at the Village Inn, check out Los Matachines by the puente, or even checking out the Viva El Paso show. Now that I live in Austin, I really miss that & want mas sabores de mi cultura in my city. Don’t get me wrong, we do have some activities that showcase Latino culture & all it’s beauty pero necesitamos mas! If you feel the same way I do, then I encourage you to attend the next Hispanic Quality of Life community forum. The focus will be on cultural arts & history de nuestra gente! If you love Frida’s paintings, Selena’s cumbias, Cesar Chavez’s ganas, & embrace nuestra cultura then make your voice count & attend Tuesday’s forum! I’ll be there & hope to see familiar faces & even new ones!
Adelante!
Mando
Mando & Ixchel getting their Cultura on!
Hispanic Quality of Life Cultural Arts Forum
Join City of Austin officials, community leaders and citizens alike next Tuesday, April 7, from 6:00pm to 8:30pm at the Mexican American Cultural Center to discuss the opportunities our community is providing to enhance the quality of life in Austin for Hispanics. Topics will include funding and infrastructure, leadership development and advocacy, culture arts funding and education, and history and enrichment.
The agenda will include a performance expressing the relevance of an established Latino cultural arts presence in our community, followed by structured small group discussions to explore unmet needs and suggested recommendations. Discussions will be lead by representatives from several cultural arts groups including Aztlan Dance Company.
“Arts and culture are among those things that contribute to influencing a city’s unique personality,” said David Juarez, Assistant Director of Austin Water Utility. “Here in Austin, culture is expressed in many ways including music and arts events, festivals, museum exhibitions, art galleries and cultural traditions. Through education and community participation in this forum, the community can foster a meaningful understanding and appreciation of the Hispanic/Latino cultures with their respective artistic expressions.”
Anyone who has an affinity or connection to the Hispanic culture or cultural arts is invited to voice his or her opinions or listen to others’ ideas at this forum. The comments captured at these discussions and through surveys will help shape recommendations on how to make the City of Austin a better place to live for the diverse Hispanic community.
Roen Salinas, Artistic Director of Aztlan Dance Company said the forum will shape the direction of cultural arts for years to come. “As artists we always imagine a future where we prosper in infusing the heart, soul and spirit of community,” Salinas said. “This is important as we do this for our children and their children. We must begin building tomorrow’s institutions today.”
The City of Austin estimates that conservatively, 36% of Austin’s population is Hispanic and that growth from the Hispanic community in Austin accounts for 70-80% of total growth for the City so far this decade.
Cultural Arts
Tuesday, April 7 6:30pm-8:30pm
(Food & Networking 6:00-6:30)
Mexican American Cultural Arts Center
600 River St. Austin, TX 78701
For more information on the Hispanic Quality of Life Initiative, visit www.AustinHispanicQualityOfLife.com or call (512) 974-2344.
Adelánte Solutions at (512) 637-0877.
El Mundo de Mando 
Whoa! The Matachines used to come to Van Horn all the time. Ironically, it would scare the b’jesus out of me! Damn diablo and that scary mask!