ICE chills Latino celebrations
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Worcester isn't alone. Latinos Unidos en Massachusetts (LUMA) announced this week that
And in May, Chicago's 45-year-old Cinco de Mayo parade — one that has typically drawn up to 300,000 attendees —
The absence of these festivals isn't just about skipping a weekend party. They point to a deeper disruption. As cities like Worcester, Everett, and Los Angeles reckon with the real or perceived dangers of ICE presence at public events, the communal spaces where immigrants gather to celebrate heritage and share resources are shrinking.
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'We cannot celebrate while so many in our communities are suffering from family separation, fear, persecution, and injustice under this administration,' Lucy Pineda, director and founder of LUMA, said in a statement announcing the cancellation of the festival in Everett.
In Worcester — the state's second-largest city and one that is home to
There is some good news. Other Latino festivals in the area are still moving forward — for now. Veronica Robles, founder and director of the
Additionally, Robles's center is part of the organizations putting together the fourth annual East Boston Latin Music & Dance Festival and she confirmed that it will take place on Sept. 12.
'For us, it's a form of resistance,' Robles told me of the decision to continue holding her center's festivals, which will take place outdoors but on private property that's fenced in.
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Still, even when organizers insist other factors are at play — as in Worcester — the chill of uncertainty lingers. As rumors of raids and deportations persist, it's hard not to wonder what else could disappear. In this climate, the public celebration of culture increasingly feels like a risk.
Two years ago,
This is an excerpt from
, a Globe Opinion newsletter from columnist Marcela García.
.
Marcela García is a Globe columnist. She can be reached at
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