With Election Day tomorrow, I decided to visit Santa Ana Mayor Miguel Pulido’s newer blog site one last time. (His old one is scant on information) The top post there reminds readers that Tuesday is election day and encourages participation. Nothing wrong with that. When I scrolled down on the site and saw the blogroll, something else caught my attention. The Mayor’s more up-to-date website has an “Arts and Culture” section on the right with links to different institutions around the city. Breath of Fire Latina Theater and El Centro Cultural de Mexico find themselves among those listed on the blogroll. Really?
So what’s the big deal? In all the years that Mayor Pulido has been in power, neither of those two homegrown, grassroots cultural institutions has seen support from him. Not even a dime! I should know. Since its inception, I have been a board member of the Breath of Fire Latina Theater Company in downtown Santa Ana. Over the years, rent to maintain the small, but dignified space where BOF stages its plays has solely come from annual fundraisers, generous community benefactors, and revenue from shows. Blogroll or not, there has never been a helping hand lent to the non-profit by the Mayor. Without such support, the Latina centered theater company has managed anyway to win an OC Human Relations Commission award, be honored as the best new theater company by the OC Weekly, and just recently attracted the world premiere of acclaimed Chicana playwright Cherrie Moraga’s “Digging Up the Dirt.” It’s an exceptional arts institution that has produced plays aimed at numerous social issues including the Mexican history of Orange County, the plight of undocumented students, and LGBT laughs with Monica Palacios.
I can attest to the fact that Councilwoman Michele Martinez paid us a visit at our first annual “Noche de Milagros” fundraiser three years ago and Mayoral candidate Alfredo Amezcua has also come through to a few of our events. I can’t say the same for Mayor Pulido, unfortunately. As for El Centro Cultural de Mexico, the story is very much the same. It is another exceptional, grassroots institution in the city. It’s list of accomplishments include linking Mexico’s Son Jarocho tradition intimately with Santa Ana through bringing the best groups direct from Veracruz and birthing a homegrown one of its own: Son del Centro. It also offers residents educational, musical, and artistic classes for free. As people will get a chance to experience in just a few days, El Centro’s best cultural achievement is the annual “Noche de Altares” Day of the Dead celebration. City hall gets in on the action, but the whole permit process overall has been difficult in the past prompting organizers to seek out a new location this year.
Despite the blogroll links, El Centro, Breath of Fire and the Mayor have not ‘all been in this together’ as the impression has been given. Whoever wins tomorrow hopefully will turn attention to cultural community institutions in the form of a helping hand. I write this blog simply to state the experience of two non-profits thus far vis a vis the Mayor’s office and to leave the door open for future unconditional support from whoever ends up occupying the seat.
A web link is nice. Moral and fiscal support is better. We know other ‘art’ institutions have enjoyed as much.
This blog solely represents the opinion of Gabriel San Roman and not explicitly that of Breath of Fire or El Centro Cultural de Mexico.
Gabriel,
The only reason Pulido and his supporters are acknowledging Breath of fire , Centro Cultural if in a listing manner only is because they understand that the Hispanic voter , better said the neglected Hispanic voter is the power that will replace him.
His secret for success has been third world politics of neglect in order to discourage civic participation……..to not vote.
A candidate they know and trust has placed himself as a alternative to Pulido. A candidate that will represent all the residents vs. Pulido’s startegy of divide to conquer.
Division was to gather the vote afraid of the Hispanic community. Neglect in the Hispanic communities so to discourage them from voting……”why vote if government does not listen to me”.
Look at the past of Pulido and his supporters to understand why his campaign strategy is what it now. If he wins thing will return to third world politics in order to continue the division and not voting due to resident frustration.
This is why Plido has those organizations in his web page. Just smoke and mirrors. He has no interest in producing success in the city from any source.
Successful venture creates stakeholders. This stakeholders will want to participate in decision making. This is not conducive to a leader that has third world ideas of governing. …….Everything that happens is for my best interest.
http://miguelpulidoblog.com/2010/09/25/mayor-pulido-and-his-father-partner-in-a-memorable-fiestas-patrias/
Art —
What does that have to do with BOF/El Centro? The invitation is out there and open. “Progressive” mayors and “progressive” city council members don’t leave progressive, homegrown cultural institutions assed-out. Support the REAL arts, reflective of the community and actively creating a progressive culture there. (With no strings attached)
Chicano theater is alive in OC (barely) as is the Mexican Cultural Center. As they say at El Centro: “Cuando la cultura muere, la gente muere”
The Don Papi would sooner visit the Weekly offices than the Centro…
Every team, club, group, etc wants the Mayor of the city at their events. With nearly 350,000 people it just isn’t possible.
Somehow Michele Martinez made it to one in 2007. I was tabling for the Cherrie Moraga play this summer when El Centro was having its open house too (same building). Somehow Lou Correa and Alfredo Amezcua made time enough to walk through.
That’s pretty much all I can say from my observational stand point.
““Cuando la cultura muere, la gente muere”
Exactly brother! It is why he does not support la cultura never has never will. Quiere que muera para que la gente muera.
Puldo and his control of the council are not a real progressive government. His government is just that…. strings attached.
I was at the fiesta when the Pulido’s took the stage. The comments from the crowd were a sense of anger and embarrassment.
Anger because they know and experience Pulido’s neglect. Embarrassing for placing his father in such an ackward position , that is in front of people that understand that he was using his father for politics and only politics.They live the 16 years of neglect and division he created for economic and political manipulation.
Pulido Jr. did not fool anyone at the Fiesta. Mostly the crowd was saying “what balls
for him to come here and patronize us in this manner.
Lomeli,
Actually, Francisco Barragan was there, when Pulido and his father sang together. He told me that he was very impressed and that people in the audience were stunned. Some were even crying. Ask him. He is an honest guy. I am sure he will admit to this.
No matter what Pulido has done…….he is not getting the voters back, tomorrow will be another day and ” adios senor Pulido” que le vaya bien.
“that people in the audience were stunned. Some were even crying. Ask him. He is an honest guy. I am sure he will admit to this.”
Stunned……yes, with anger and embarrassment as stated above. Crying did not see one teary eye in the thousands there.
Francisco is a new comer just learning the city’s politics, so his perception and experience was different than the long time neglected residents in the audience.