This past Saturday, Sep. 16, hundreds of residents from all around Northwest Arkansas gathered at Siloam Springs’ Memorial Park to celebrate the city’s second Hispanic Heritage Festival. The fair saw the presence of a variety of Latin American peoples – mostly from El Salvador and Mexico – who recently celebrated 203 years of independence from Spanish rule.
Dr. Miguel Rivera, Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice at John Brown University, led the planning of the event months in advance. A total of 30 John Brown University students also participated by volunteering in shifts to organize stands, sanitize and greet visitors throughout the whole day.
The event officially started at 2 p.m. with a group of Mariachis, followed by singers and other special guests. The Chautauqua amphitheater served as the center of the show, attracting the masses with bachata, cumbia and other iconic Latin American dances. It is estimated that 2,000 to 3,000 people attended, Dr. Rivera even suggesting as much as 5,000 in total.
The atmosphere was extremely lively, bustling with over 50 Latino businesses that took over the block. Some of these businesses came from Bentonville or Springdale to participate. “I love the representation of people here,” said Daniel Barajas, a Salvadorian JBU student. “Everything is made for us in a way… that is so good,” Barajas added.
Christian ministries, such as Gideons International, were also present, donating portable Bibles in both English and Spanish to the public. The Christian Hispanic Center of Siloam Springs was simultaneously collecting funds for missionaries in Paraguay, Japan and Iraq. Pastor Oscar Franco remarked: “We wanted to connect with the community and let others know about us as well.”
Food was another central part of the festival, ranging from traditional tacos to “minutas”, national ice cream from El Salvador.
Other companies offered much-needed shipping services into Latin American countries. “The family always wants to be present, and we provide that medium so they can keep connected”, said a Global Cargo representative. The Migrant Education Program was also at the festival advertising tutoring and scholarship opportunities for immigrants devoted to agriculture.
The Hispanic Heritage Festival was a mere dream just two years ago when Dr. Rivera began noticing the “ethnic gaps” evident across Siloam Springs. According to Data USA, a stunning 21% of the Siloam Spring’ population is Hispanic – more than doubling the Latino average at the state level. Dr. Rivera was also motivated to promote a Hispanic festival by the migratory situation in the United States, which has dramatically worsened during the last years. As Christians,” Rivera said, “we must confront this humanitarian crisis with grace and love. I am hoping the festival gives the Siloam Springs Community a different view of who we are.”
The migratory crisis, however, does have the potential to make a positive impact. When asked about this, Rivera answered: “Family values, the way we [Latinos] support each other, the multigenerational family… all these would greatly impact American society.”
The city of Siloam Springs has recently announced the event as an annual festivity, inciting a lot of expectation for the future. The festival, however, is still missing representation from more Latin American countries such as Brazil, Costa Rica, Venezuela and many others. Dr. Rivera, as the founder of the festival, has already committed to improving this aspect in the following years.