On August 25th, a festival at San Antonio park in Oakland, CA was held in honor of the 43nd anniversary of the first Oakland Xicana Moratorium held on August 29, 1970 "against the Vietnam War and injustices that Chicanos were facing including police brutality and systemic poverty and injustice" (Oakland Chicano Moratorium Wiki). Follows is a first hand account of what the festival atmosphere was like:
Xicana Moratorium Day: Strength and Character at San Antonio
Park
On Sunday afternoon, San Antonio Park was full of energy as
people from around the area came to celebrate their Chicano heritage. The
Xicana Moratorium Day event brought together traditional Mexican dancers,
handmade crafts, smoking barbecues, proud Latinos, and Brown Berets. Diversity
within their community was evident with gazebos displaying progressive
organizations like Oakland Pride.
At the crafts tables, I saw handmade bags and scarves. One
vendor sold prints of Disney princesses whose heads were iconic sugar skulls
normally associated with Dia de Los
Muertos.
Because the sun was shining and the temperature ranged in
the mid-seventies, people sat on the grass and watched as lovely women graced a
raised stage with dances of their ancestors. Men in brightly colored suits and
sombreros joined the ladies to exhibit the choreographic prowess of the folk
dance’s originators.
Although I’m an outsider to the Fruitvale community, I felt
at home. Food was served openly to all guests, and the organizers asked for no
fees – only a donation jar suggested any form of monetary exchange. The food
was exceptional. Rice, beans, salad, and carne asada (fresh off the grill) made
a wonderful afternoon even better.
As I was leaving, I caught a view of the pristine soccer pitch to the northwest of the park. The Oakland skyline was the backdrop for a pickup game of soccer with both adult and youth participants. In the forefront, corn stalks rising from the community garden signified the potential for growth in the area.
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