TWIN FALLS, Idaho — For the second year, the College of Southern Idaho hosted a Hispanic Heritage Celebration to kick off National Hispanic Heritage Month. Four hours of food, music, and dancing served to share and celebrate culture.
(Below is the transcript from the broadcast story)
"I like it a lot, and I like seeing like their faces like when they're all like happy," Justin Diaz said at the Hispanic Heritage Celebration, "Like, they know the music, and they like the dances."
Diaz says he began playing music five years ago, inspired by a musician his father listened to a lot. "He was an artist known as Ariel Camacho. It was really like something that I love. I wanted to re-create that feeling that he gave," Diaz said.
Now, in addition to performing songs, Diaz is one of dozens of dancers in the Crossing Bridges club from Jerome High School.
The club was out to celebrate Hispanic heritage at the College of Southern Idaho.
Delenei Nolasco says that in her culture, there is a party like this every weekend between Quinceaneras, dances, and other occasions.
"My parents are Mexican and I have always been going with them to weddings, Quinceanera's and everything. I've just been listening to the rhythm and music, and just enjoying the dancing when I'm at those parties," Nolasco said.
National Hispanic Heritage Month runs from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15, and crowds of people turned out Friday evening for food, music, and dancing.
Monze Stark-Magaña helped organize the event, she said it was important to her, and to CSI.
"As the first Hispanic-serving institution in the state of Idaho, it is super exciting to be able to have this opportunity to celebrate with everyone in the community," Stark-Magaña said, "We're really excited to showcase it."
Nolasco says the feeling she gets while playing these songs for dancers is beyond words.
"I just like seeing everybody happy," Nolasco said. "If it's something that people want to dance to, I like seeing them go up and dance and just enjoy their time."
