As Cesar Lopez saw the traditional Andean music and folk dance of the Chimborazo region performed during the Ecuadorian Independence Day celebration on Sunday at the State Capitol, he was transported back to his early years in Guayaquil, Ecuador.
“These dances and songs remind me of some really pleasant times,” Lopez stated in Spanish. At that point, he said in English, “I was holding back my tears.”
Lopez serves on the Ecuadorians United in Connecticut (Ecuatorianos Unidos en Connecticut) committee. The celebration, which commemorated 216 years since Ecuador started its struggle against Spanish rule, was organized in part by him.
The people of Ecuador’s present-day capital city, Quito, started their uprising for independence on August 10, which is known as the Day of the First Cry of Independence, or el D a del Primer Grito de Independencia.
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Ecuadorians learned about this history and how it relates to the experiences of Ecuadorians who have immigrated to the United States at the Hartford event.
According to Master of Ceremonies Vernica Barragn, the 12-year process that led to independence is comparable to the experience of migrants residing in another nation. Speaking English with an accent, working two jobs to pay for your child’s college education, starting a business in a foreign country, and persevering through missing your mother and pan de yuca are all examples of your own scream for independence.
Barragn informed the crowd that August 10 was not just for Quito but for all Latinos who wished to leave their homes in search of a better life, no matter how painful it was.
Later, Lopez urged all there to speak up for the immigrant community in their own neighborhoods.
According to Lopez, the Ecuadorian community has a strong voice, but in order to spread our [pro-immigrant] message, we need additional voices.
Lopez is saddened by the continuous deportation raids in Connecticut and throughout the nation.
He said, “It’s not the America I knew.” My children and I must always have our passports on us when we leave the house in case we are asked for identification. Although I have a depressing feeling, I am quite hopeful that things won’t always be that way.
According to a Connecticut Public Accountability Project report, Ecuadorians have been the most often apprehended migrant group in Connecticut by federal immigration authorities since the beginning of President Trump’s second term.
“We [immigrants] are making this country flourish, so it’s unfair what’s happening right now, but we have that optimism that things are going to change,” Lopez added.
Having State Senator Saud Anwar and Congressman John Larson speak out in favor of the immigrant community at the event, Lopez added, inspired him.
Tradition endures.
There was silence in the room as a woman holding a baby doll to her bosom and crying while dressed in bright colors and elaborate patterns. A man behind her also broke down in tears as he bid farewell to Ecuador and left to immigrate to another nation.
The skit was performed by Wayra Sisa, a dance company from Danbury, as part of their event performance. It told the tale of a family bidding farewell to a father who was going to leave to work somewhere else and support his family back home.
As they played the act, a woman’s voice could be heard over slow strumming. “As much as he wants to bring, he can’t bring it all, and a whole life doesn’t fit in a suitcase,” she was heard saying in Spanish. “The only thing he brings is a heart full of illusions and a bunch of tears in his eyes.”
Following the act, the dancers gave a lively shout while performing a folk dance from the Chimborazo region.
For Jeremy Pinto, a National Guard Private First Class from an Ecuadorian family in Windsor, it was a memorable event.
This is literally the first time I’ve ever seen it in person. It’s in the news all the time. It’s always on YouTube. Therefore, it’s amazing to be able to witness it up close, Pinto remarked. Seeing them makes me very happy.
At the event, Pinto was given a recognition award, which he described as a humble moment of respect. He had an amazing feeling when he was surrounded by so much of his Ecuadorian culture.
I am really proud to serve my country, but it means the world to me to know that, like Pinto stated, people are not losing their roots and are preserving their heritage in a nation that greatly embraces immigration.
That, in Lopez’s opinion, is the significance of occasions like this.
We’ve been able to advance our traditions thanks to these gatherings, Lopez remarked. Ensure that our customs are maintained and recalled.
