Latin Fiesta promotes immigration reform

Charity event sponored by Latin American Legal Defense and Education Fund raises close to $3,000.

By: Rachel Silverman
   The dances were spirited, the buffet sizzling and the donations flowing at Friday night’s Latin Fiesta, held at Trinity Church.
   The charity event — sponsored by the Latin American Legal Defense and Education Fund — raised close to $3,000 in donations.
   Maria Juega, the organization’s chair, said the money would be used for immigration reform efforts, various legal expenses and the formation of an immigration hotline program.
   "We’ll make good use of the money you give us tonight," she assured the crowd.
   Throughout the evening, event patrons were treated to a smorgasbord of culinary delights, including tamales, tacos, chili, rice and chicken, among other dishes.
   The fiesta also included colorful dance performances, representing a variety of Hispanic dance styles. Princeton University’s Ballet Folklórico, for example, performed traditional mariachi dance in swirling skirts and sombreros. And while Princeton High School’s Pasión Latina moved to a modern Latin beat, the performers of Danza Española de Princeton donned flamenco dresses and castanets.
   Addressing the audience in both Spanish and English, Ms. Juega only briefly touched on underlying issues of concern for Princeton’s Latino community.
   "We’re facing a real crisis in the Latino community right now," she said. "We thank you for turning out to help us address some of these issues."
   In an earlier interview, however, Ms. Juega delved deeper into these issues, and the ongoing immigration raids in Mercer County. Since April of last year, about a dozen such raids have been conducted throughout Mercer County, Ms. Juega said. Four raids took place last week alone, one of them at McCaffrey’s supermarket in Princeton Township.
   "We’re very concerned about the situation," Ms. Juega said.
   Though the fiesta mood was jovial, attendees seemed particularly concerned about these developments.
   Fiesta-goer Jonathan Holmquist, who organizes yearly trips to Guatemala, spoke about the need to support the local Hispanic community.
   "The Latino community here is an important part of the fabric of Princeton," he said. "But is often not as appreciated as it ought to be."
   Stephen Allen, whose wife was involved in event catering, also agreed about the importance of the Latino population, and cited concerns about "people not blending together on Witherspoon in the day-to-day."
   But it was the memory of a Latino friend currently involved with deportation proceedings that really motivated Mr. Allen to spend his Friday night at the fund-raiser.
   "He’s caught in a terrible legal quagmire," Mr. Allen said emotionally. "He’s a hardworking, good person. His family is suffering as a result."