Traditions: Ohio Heritage Fellows; 302; Lucy Long interview, part 3 of 3

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Toledo has, has a very active and very strong Latino population. Um, starting in the, in the 1930’s, um, people from Texas of Mexican heritage like Tex Mex or, uh, Tahono, those people were coming up to work in the, in the various factories and agricultural industries here. Many of them, uh, settled (CAR NOISE)

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Many of them settled in the area, um, and many of them moved into the city in Toledo. So, they have a very strong community there. Um, it, it’s... the dancing is something that people have done in Toledo as, as recreation and to, to celebrate their identity in their community. Um, and then there are organizations such as this dance group that are actively trying to promote, um, a sense of pride in that identify and also educate other people about what it is.

Q:

LUCY: Yes, I think the, the dance, the dance forms tend to be shared among Mexican Americans, um, and not, not only Mexican Americans but people of other Latino heritages. Um, people travel back and forth to visit family, it’s very, very common for people in Toledo to go back to Texas and they frequently have, have relatives there, so, so the forms get shared back and forth. Um, dancing has, has always been something that is included at festivals, celebrations, parties at home as well as community parties. So, the dancing would be brought back and forth. So, I know that there, there are some other dance troops in, in Toledo, I don’t know exactly when they started but there does seem to be a strong connection between those dance groups and dancers in, in other regions of the U.S. as well as in Mexico.

Q:

LUCY: Elaina grew up in the community in Toledo, so she grew up familiar with the dancing, she started dancing herself when she was six, at least she, she probably danced earlier than that but she joined the dance troop when she was six. And, and then she started her own dance group when she was 15. So, one of the qualities that we look for, for Heritage Award winners and, and for folklore, um, is that the person comes from the community and has learned the tradition within the community. So, she definitely learned the type of dancing that was being done here in Toledo. And, then she also went and studied with dancers in other regions including in Mexico. So, she has made an attempt to, to learn more about the dance as an artistic form and also as a cultural form. Um, and then she’s very active in teaching other people in the community. Um, so, you know, she’s, she’s perfected her, her own artistic abilities and skills but she’s also giving back to the community. So, it’s not just about learning new skills and taking off on her own (LAUGHING) she hasn’t forgot the community that she came from. And, she’s also very interested in, in promoting and understanding of the community to other people through the dance. So, she’s and educator in, in many different senses.

Q:

LUCY: Costumes are, are fascinating because they, they come from different regions within Mexico. So, um, so for, for the different dances the, the steps and the costumes are matched and Elaina’s, Elaina’s mother apparently sews all the costumes. So, um, Elaina does try to, try to keep the regional tradition alive in the costumes.

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