Cinco de Mayo

May 5 is one of our favorite holidays, as it is for the many here in Sonoma who will join La Luz Center this Sunday on the Plaza for a Cinco de Mayo celebration.
A generation ago, it was a minor event. But now, it’s become a part of our local culture, as it has in many other California communities.
That’s a process we enjoy, as immigrants bring with them distinctive elements of the communities they’ve left behind. We got Christmas trees from the Hessians that way and spaghetti from the Italians. Many aspects of what we consider American life have been introduced by immigrants and adopted, although it has been the immigrants who have had to make the bigger changes.
And those changes don’t happen quickly. Historically, it has taken generations, following similar patterns: the first generation comes looking for economic opportunity, working in whatever jobs can be found, and the education of their children and grandchildren then opens the doors of opportunity much wider, as they have ease with the language and culture and have more freedom to chose careers.
We enjoy seeing more leaders emerge from within the immigrant community in Sonoma. For too long, it has been Anglos (those whose native language is English) deciding what Latinos (native Spanish speakers) needed.
Readers know how much we dislike those in government telling us how we should live our lives, and we’ve always been uncomfortable with the similar relationship of support for Latinos. Generous, big-hearted people have stepped forward to give of themselves to those in need, and that continues to be a tremendous gift to our community. As time goes on, recipients of assistance become those who strive to assist others. Divisions blur and true community develops. Beautiful.
There’s another good opportunity for such leadership to step forward on Tuesday, at the community forum the school board is hosting that evening. The board is looking at how different groups in our community are being educated and how well that’s working out. We hope all those who have fun on the Plaza on Sunday will come to participate in the forum, where they can express satisfaction or dissatisfaction with the current offerings.
Readers know that we tend to view parents as the true consumers for public education. They are the ones who make the decisions about whether and where to send their children for schooling. We appreciate the fact that Sonoma has two charter schools and varying programs at some of the other schools, providing choices for parents and encouraging their involvement in public education. All our children need to graduate with the reasoning and communication skills they need to compete in college and in the workplace.
As we celebrate a Mexican holiday this weekend, let’s recognize the growing cooperation and confidence in all parts of our community. In our view, that’s what we’re really celebrating.
¡Viva Sonoma!