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VIEWPOINT: Don't let rained-out parade dampen spirit |
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By Yvonne D. Hawkins
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Tuesday, 08 May 2007 |
It might have seemed strange to throw a party celebrating Mexican culture in a city that – despite its much touted growing diversity – is still and forever will be home mostly to non-Hispanic whites.
After all, Sioux Falls’ Hispanic population is only about 2 percent.
Nonetheless, businesses such as Midcontinent Communications, Avera McKennan Hospital, Hy-Vee, Schoeneman’s, Sign-A-Rama and Home Federal Bank were among companies that helped sponsor what was to be the city’s first-ever Cinco deSFBJ Administration [Joomla] Mayo celebration.
Lines of cars and hordes of spectators were prepared to join the festivities.
But then the rain came, and the giant party featuring piñatas and tamales was wiped out.
Organizer Emily South, owner of Sign-A-Rama, says the event will be planned again for next year.
I sure hope so, but truthfully, I was holding my breath somewhat to see how well Sioux Falls would respond to this year’s celebration.
Everyone does love a party. Still, on the surface, a Cinco de Mayo event would appear to be an odd fit for Sioux Falls. There’s only one other group, in addition to those hailing from non-Spanish-speaking Europe, that has large amounts of people with deep-rooted ties to this area. That’s obviously American Indians.
Despite that, Sioux Falls regularly joins cities nationwide in collective cheers during celebrations such as Black History Month and on the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday. It appears that we’ll be adding Cinco de Mayo to the list.
And that’s wonderful.
The city’s celebration underscores that this country no longer finds it practical to be exclusionary, at least in an obvious manner. The U.S. finally has had enough of certain self-destructive practices that have caused or contributed to events ranging from the Civil War to immigration protests.
We’ve learned to find at least some benefit from mutual acceptance, and to join all the cultural parties.
Locally, our business community is among those carrying the Cinco de Mayo baton. And rightfully so. Businesses understand the practical aspect of embracing multiculturalism. They know it’s just good business.
Still there’s more that all of us can learn about multiculturalism, especially in this prairie town. Our demographic landscape doesn’t offer a high volume of day-to-day experiences with people from a variety of non-European cultures. But it’s those types of experiences that help kill unreasonable fears of others at their roots.
Instead there still are closets of hidden resentment among some in Sioux Falls about “other” people building their homes here.
There still is a silent group of folks who perceive multiculturalism as an issue of political correctness instead of a glorious, inescapable reality.
And worse yet, there are people whose idea of embracing others means that everyone is welcome to assimilate – a hideous thought if ever I heard of one.
More people are moving to Sioux Falls each year. And business initiatives such as those that Sanford Health unveiled months ago – among other contributions – mean that the population growth will continue.
The newcomers won’t all be Germans or Norwegians. That means that Sioux Falls continually will evolve so that folks here can live, work and do business together.
So let the parade go on. If not this year, then certainly next. |