Play/Recreation

Although there are a lot of opportunities out there that Latinos engage in, I found it a bit difficult to find statistics on the following. Please comment below if you know of additions to the below and/or statistics on how Latinos spend their “free time.”

In the meantime, we know there are a lot of celebrations, a few of which are listed below and many more which will be added in the upcoming weeks and months.

Dance – Many forms of dance are practiced in conjunction with traditional music. For example, there are numerous ballet folklórico dance companies all over the southwest that perform at local events, as well as tour on a more national level – Ballet Folklórico de México de Amalia Hernandez is one of the most famous (although not based in the U.S.). Puerto Rican traditional dances are also taught at various cultural centers and by numerous groups across the country as well.

Festivals — Cultural festivals such as the Fiesta del Sol in Chicago (and now, a similarly named festival in San Diego) allow community members to come together to celebrate cultural heritage or enjoy a certain kind of event (such as film festivals).

Film and Movies – There are a number of both independent as well as larger and more commercially produced films that bill themselves as “Latino” film – either from the U.S. or Latin America. To showcase some of the smaller films (and gain early community support for more commercial films), there are a variety of film festivals, one of the largest in San Diego each year in March.

Museums – While The National Museum of the American Latino is still a ways off, there are many cultural arts centers around the country that showcase the various forms of Latino art and culture. Museo del Barrio in New York City is one, as is the Centro Cultural de la Raza in San Diego, and the Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center in San Antonio, Texas.

Music – Many music events take place around the country annually, and one of the largest is Calle Ocho in Miami which is a street party, but ends up bringing national and international music stars together to perform for the huge number of attendees in March each year.

Parades – one of the best known and largest parades is the Puerto Rican Day Parade hosted in New York City each year.

Theater – Although theater is a long tradition in Latino communities, in 2008 a broadway musical based on a Latino community and written by a Latino playwright won a Tony and made broadway history. I’ve seen the show and if you get a chance, go! It’s one show you absolutely do not want to miss….