{"id":27910,"date":"2025-01-21T10:28:38","date_gmt":"2025-01-21T17:28:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/peninsula360press.com\/?p=27910"},"modified":"2025-01-21T15:52:06","modified_gmt":"2025-01-21T22:52:06","slug":"cultural-circle-house-event-and-global-exchange","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/peninsula360press.com\/en\/cultural-circle-house-event-and-global-exchange\/","title":{"rendered":"Art, a documentary, live music, food and native dances: Casa C\u00edrculo Cultural and Global Exchange event, preparing to defend our migrant community"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Art,
\u201cTied by Art: Caring for the Future of Our Community,\u201d an event by Casa C\u00edrculo Cultural and Global Exchange to defend our migrant community. Photo: Raul Ayrala P360P<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Listen to this note:<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

In Mexico and other places in Latin America, it is believed that when a red ribbon is tied to a seed known as 'deer's eye', the powers of the amulet supposedly grow to protect whoever carries it. With this in mind, Casa C\u00edrculo Cultural (CCC) held a multicultural and artistic event at its headquarters on Middlefield Street, in North Fair Oaks, on the afternoon of Thursday, January 17. It was called "Tied by art: Caring for the future of our community."\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

CCC shared the responsibility of organizing the event with the organizations Global Exchange, Social Focus and this media outlet, Pen\u00ednsula 360 Press, which was attended by the co-director of Global Exchange, Marco Castillo; the consul of Mexico in San Francisco, Ana Luisa Vallejo Barba; the councilman of Redwood City, Jeff Gee; and the former Latino mayor of Half Moon Bay, Joaqu\u00edn Jim\u00e9nez, among the dozens of people who participated.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

It was one of the first relevant public events in 2025 for CCC, a year that anticipates many challenges for immigrant communities, especially in Latin America. For this reason, and opening the night, Fernando Escartiz unveiled a sculpture entitled precisely \u201cOjo de Venado.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Art,
Fernando Escartiz unveiled a sculpture entitled \u201cDeer Eye\u201d. Photo: P360P<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

According to Fernando, the deer's eye is a tropical seed named for its appearance and considered a good luck charm. "It serves to protect you from bad energies, and the belief is that it works better if someone gives it to you. That's why we thought about giving this sculpture to the community," the Mexican artist told P360Press. He created the work in two weeks with his group from Escartiz Studio.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The sculpture is made of wood, polystyrene foam or styrofoam, wood and concrete.<\/span><\/p>\n

However, Escartiz clarified that \u201cits meaning is symbolic: what will protect us from this character who is coming is unity and, in addition, informing us of our rights,\u201d he said, referring to the country's new president and his anti-immigrant policies.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOjo de Venado\u201d was blessed by the Esplendor Azteca Xipe T\u00f3tec dance group from East San Jos\u00e9, in a ritual ceremony that took place, like the rest of the evening, in the main hall of CCC.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Art,
\u201cOjo de Venado\u201d was blessed by the Esplendor Azteca Xipe T\u00f3tec group of dancers from East San Jos\u00e9, in a ritual ceremony that took place, like the rest of the evening, in the main hall of CCC. Photo: P360P<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Following a speech by Councilman and until a few months ago Mayor of Redwood City, Jeff Gee, the presentation of the Casa C\u00edrculo Cultural Folk Dance Group directed by Eduardo Torres and a demonstration of the martial art of Tae Kwon Do by Master Gerardo Ortiz's group, those present were ready to watch the documentary presented by Global Exchange and titled \u201c#Ignoradxs Never Again.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"
At the event, the Folkloric Dance Group of Casa C\u00edrculo Cultural gave a demonstration. Raul Ayrala P360P<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Marco Castillo, co-director of the Global Exchange organization, who traveled from New York to attend, told Peninsula 360 Press that this twenty-minute documentary, directed by Claudia Loredo and Xicot\u00e9ncatl Santana, recounts the struggle of indigenous peoples of the United States and Mexico, African Americans and Afro-Mexicans, and relatives of missing persons and victims of violence in both countries to overcome the differences that divide them and build a movement where they share a common table: the People's Movement for Peace and Justice (MPPJ).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"
Marco Castillo, co-director of the Global Exchange organization, traveled from New York to attend. Raul Ayrala P360P<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cAfter seeing it,\u201d we had some questions with the people, a small conversation,\u201d Castillo continued. \u201cThis movement is binational and does not (take into account) the border, precisely in the face of a president who is promoting and threatening to divide our countries, to separate them further, to separate families.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

We are aware that this is not the answer, that it will bring more problems, said the co-director of Global Exchange. What is the answer is \u201cthe strengthening of ties between the two nations, because we have a shared history and roots,\u201d and he agreed with Escartiz that \u201cunited, we all win.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Former Half Moon Bay Mayor Joaqu\u00edn Jim\u00e9nez, who spoke to the event participants after the screening of the documentary, confirmed that he remains involved in community work for farmers and immigrants in the coastal city.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"
Former Half Moon Bay Mayor Joaquin Jimenez confirmed that he remains involved in community work for farmworkers and immigrants in the coastal city. Raul Ayrala P360P<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Regarding the feelings of Latinos living in the area, Jimenez said that since the raids in Bakersfield were reported, many people have been calling him with obvious concern.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe started to distribute the red cards that inform people about their rights, mainly to remain silent if they are detained, not to sign anything, and if they are detained, to ask for their lawyer,\u201d said the Mexican-American activist and politician. \u201cEven so, there is fear of going out on the street, of going to work, children do not want to go to school,\u201d which will affect, he said, not only the community but also the economy.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

But people should know, he stressed, \u201cthat they have our support, that of the city, the county, the state\u201d at this crossroads. \u201cAnd that the important thing is that they know their rights.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Another personality who addressed the audience at the event was the representative of Mexico in San Francisco, Consul Ana Luisa Vallejo.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"
Another personality who addressed the audience at the event was the representative of Mexico in San Francisco, Consul Ana Luisa Vallejo. Raul Ayrala P360P<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cAt this time when we are worried about what we may face, we must not let ourselves fall into anxiety or fear, but rather continue with our lives with the strength of being united in a community,\u201d said the diplomat.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

She invited Mexicans to come to the consulate, \u201cwhere we are prepared to advise them on legal, health, and educational issues\u2026 In addition, Mexico is also prepared in case we have to return to the places where we were born, with new opportunities,\u201d said the consul, adding that her countrymen \u201cshould not lose the drive that has led them to seek a better life for themselves and for the generations to come,\u201d despite the adversities that may arise.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Those present enjoyed delicious food prepared by Karla Peralta - chicken tinga and shrimp ceviche - and the night ended with the music of Enrique Ram\u00edrez of \u201cLos Peludos\u201d and his guitar.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

To learn more about the work of the Global Exchange organization, visit www.globalexchange.org<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

You may be interested in:<\/strong> Activists discuss migration and arms trafficking, crucial issues that Mexico and the United States share<\/a><\/em><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Escucha esta nota:   En M\u00e9xico y otros lugares de Latinoam\u00e9rica se cree que cuando se ata una cinta roja a una semilla conocida como ‘ojo de venado’ supuestamente crecen los poderes del amuleto para proteger a quien lo lleva consigo. Con esto en mente, Casa C\u00edrculo Cultural (CCC) realiz\u00f3 un evento multicultural y art\u00edstico […]<\/p>","protected":false},"author":54,"featured_media":27916,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[14,11,7,118],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-27910","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-cover","8":"category-culture","9":"category-events","10":"category-migracion"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/peninsula360press.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27910","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/peninsula360press.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/peninsula360press.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/peninsula360press.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/54"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/peninsula360press.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=27910"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/peninsula360press.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27910\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":27944,"href":"https:\/\/peninsula360press.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27910\/revisions\/27944"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/peninsula360press.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/27916"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/peninsula360press.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=27910"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/peninsula360press.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=27910"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/peninsula360press.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=27910"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}