Traditions: Ohio Heritage Fellows; 302; Tonya Duran interview, part 3 of 3

Q:

TONYA: To a child... me when I was a child I didn’t have that and then so now that the kids are a child that I see daily here, um, I think it’s... I see them like when they dance they dance with pride, you know what I mean? That pride is something that you don’t learn, you know what I mean? It’s something that’s developed inside. And, you know, so their proud to dance. I remember the one day I was here last year and the girl got her first (Inaudible) school dress and she put it on and she’s like Miss Tonya look at me I got my dress. And, I’m like, I seen that pride just come out of her. I said, can, can, can you re-do that again so I can take a picture of you because that just stood out, you know, it just... she was so proud of her heritage, she was so proud of that dress. Like, you just... and to see that coming from a kid, you know what I mean? It’s like because when I... Elaina does dance and I do sports. It’s, you don’t, you don’t get that pride in sports. Oh, I won, oh I lost. But then, I said, don’t give up. I don’t have to tell the dancers don’t give up. But the... in sports (Inaudible) way, I always tell them don’t give up. You’re gonna get their one day, you’re gonna get good. My goal in sports is to make sure you get good grades, you get a full scholarship, I’ll work on your clearing house package. I’m... you’re not promised and NBA or the NFL but I just want you to get a good education so you can get a full scholarship so that you can, you can have a good life. And, the one thing about dance, they’re already heading towards a good life cause they got pride. Pride is something that people don’t realize it’s important. If they have pride, they be proud to go to... they have pride so they don’t have a low self-esteem. I don’t have to worry about suicide or bullying or, or them taking drugs because if you have pride in yourself and your proud of what you’re doing in life, you’re not gonna go the other way. So, that’s one thing I know about to hear... but the kids if they’re proud of what they’re doing, they know how to fight all the negatives away. So pride is really good for a kid to learn when they’re little and then they’re growing up because I don’t have, I don’t have to worry about them that much. So, that’s why I think it’s really important that their kids, um, sense of pride that they show in their heritages, like, I am proud who I am, I don’t have to fake who I am, I don’t need to know, you know, I don’t have to worry this one teasing me because... Like for example, somebody was teasing them last week cause they were performing and I see them... I see other... and that’s a shame because it was a grown adult. Oh, we gotta sit here and watch them dance and I was like, but the kids they ignored them. They sit there and just started dancing. And, then I, and I gently went to the gentleman and I said, you know, what you did was so disrespectful. You seen those kids, you did that to kids but the kid... you didn’t bother those kids because the kids have pride. And, I said, and no I told him the kids have respect, they respect what they’re... they’re here dancing and, and when I told the gentleman... because before the next group came up, can you please have a seat and respect my kids. And, so he sat down, everybody was like looking and I said, we teach these kids respect, we teach the kids, you know, how to behave and I said, and, and, it’s a shame I had to tell an adult. And, that’s what these kids they see respect, they do respect, they have honor and pride (BACKGROUND COUGHING) they’re gonna have that when they get older.

Q:

TONYA: If the kids have pride and respect and they are already gonna be a great adult when they get older. And, I don’t, you know, Elaina has done a great job and I can... in the 20 years that I’ve known Elaina I like... about a month ago I seen Billy which Billy was in the group for like 18 years and now his daughter is, you know, is five and I seen him and he goes, this is Miss Tonya. When you turn eight you’re gonna join the Mexican dance group with Elaina and you’re gonna know her really well. Cause he’s like, I know her and she’s a great lady. So, for Billy to say that to his daughter about me, I was at... I went... some of the dancers, one of the dancers had a art gallery and which is a (Inaudible) club kid, I always go try to support them even though I was only there for 20 minutes, I went there, bought a picture from the kid to let him know I support you and other things than just dance. And, so while I was there I ran into an old dancer and when Billy said, said that to his daughter, this is Miss Tonya, when you turn eight you’re gonna join the dance group. And, I’m like, I was so proud how he like introduced me, like, oh, and I’m like, I said but I’m not the dance instructor. I said, and she goes but Tonya you always was there with Elaina and whenever Elaina’s not there, you’re there, when you’re not there Elaina’s there. You guys do not realize how much you influenced my life. And, I’m like, for Billy to say that about me, I’m like, I was really proud. So, yes...

Q:

TONYA: We need more Elaina’s because we need good teachers. Even though she don’t have a teaching degree, she teaches kids about life, respect, pride, commitment, cause it’s a commitment to come to practice. There’s a commitment to show up for the dance performance. Um, it’s also a life skill too because people don’t realize if you show them this way, the right way, they don’t know the wrong way. Elaina teaches them the right way. So, if we have more teachers who are volunteers and parents who showing the kids the right way, we will have a better world. It’s hard to get good volunteers who teaches the kids the right way. If I had a 100 Elaina’s we would... I would, I would, I would be blessed (LAUGHING). So, yeah..

Q:

TONYA: For example, at her... the annual dance when I seen her and her husband dance, I just seen all her life hard work come to a point and it was just... you should have seen me, I grabbed somebody’s chair, I stoled somebody’s chair and sat right in the front and videotaped the whole thing. And, the lady’s like, you know, she didn’t say nothing about me stealing her chair and I sat there and I took pictures and I’m just remember just like all the years I’ve known Elaina I have never seen her and her husband... I seen them dance at their wedding day but to dance the Jalisco dance, the Mexican hat dance, the dance of love. That was the first time I ever seen it. And, I remember just and then... and then I’m like... and afterwards I... the comment that her dad had made was like they have not danced that dance since they were eight, since she... Elaina was eight. And, after all these years they’re dancing the Mexican hat dance and I’m like... it’s just the history that she brought, the history that all the years of struggle and for her and her husband to dance and show... there was over 300 people there and to show them that she was proud of her heritage, she was proud of dancing with her husband and she was, you know, even though her and her husband, you know, everybody has their struggles but they struggled together. And, they’re still together. And, they showed that bond, in that dance that smile, that lean, that kiss. It was so genuine, like, like it was like, it was nice to see, like they after all these years they danced like that. It... everybody in the crowd was crying, if you would seen the video everybody in the crown was crying. If they knew Elaina for all those years like I’ve had... I was sitting there teary eyed, I was crying, yep and I’m over here getting sweater wiping my eyes and so it was just really nice to see them dancing together. And, then I was like, it was perfect. My son Diego taking pictures and even my son Diego, he’s like mom... like after he’s, mom it was so nice to Evecee (sp?) and Elaina dance together. And, it’s... for me, cause my son Diego married a lady, a girl from the dance group and so that’s what I want to do. And, so and I’m like, I was just so proud of my son because Elaina and Evece’s great role models and then she... and then all those years they’ve been with my kid... my three kids and my son said that to me and I said, it’s like an honor for me because it’s like, it’s like respect, you know what I mean? He’s like, I want to be like Elaine and Evece. And, I’m like, I was so proud at that dance, like when Elaina... I think what Elaina brings is, um, hope that tradition will still go on. That traditions are, uh, are gonna be there for the next generations. So, that’s what, that’s what I like.

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