The final leg of the 350+ mile march from the San Francisco Bay area to the U.S. Mexico Border culminated Aug. 16. We joined in welcoming the mothers and their children at Larsen Field in San Ysidro. They started the pilgrimage in Merced, Calif. for those buried alive in the Sonora desert, the children crossing alone on La Bestia, and for all who are suffering from prejudice and oppression.
The goals of the pilgrimage included pressuring the Obama administration to put a halt to its “deportation only” regime until the Senate and House come together to pass a just and humane immigration reform; calling an end to the use of police as immigration enforcement agents; demanding an end to family separations, and stemming the tide toward racial profiling that has incarcerated so many migrant and African American brothers and sisters, such as SB 1070 and copycat laws, gang injunctions, “stop and frisk” and the targeted checkpoints in migrant communities. The Trail for Humanity is inspired by the wisdom in the Mayan proverb “In Lak’ Ech Ala K’in”, which means that we are all a reflection of one another. The march hoped to bring the realities of children being ripped from the protective arms of their parents, migrants dying in the Sonora desert and refugee children being kept in tortuous conditions. Their Web site stated that they “… are taking a stand against violence targeting migrant women and children. Join us in solidarity as we take a stand for humanity.” For more information, please visit www.trailforhumanity.org.
Tiki Oasis 14
It’s always a good time at Tiki Oasis. Tiki enthusiasts gathered for the four day event at the Crowne Plaza Hotel Aug. 14-17. This annual gathering is one of the largest annual Tiki events in the world and included live entertainment, burlesque shows, vendor marketplace, car show, poolside entertainment, drinks, contests, music and dancing. The gathering has a different theme each year, which creates a unique experience each time. This year’s theme celebrated the “Beat Era”; bold, straightforward, and expressive culture pioneered by writers, Allen Ginsberg and Jack Kerouac. Beat Tiki, “Dig that Crazy Scene”. The heart of the culture is to have a carefree time; enjoy the music, environment and people, have a drink and enjoy life. We caught the poolside fashion show, which showcased the latest trends in the Tiki culture. There’s also a Miss Tiki Oasis crowned each year. Congratulations to Ruby Joule from Austin for winning the Miss Tiki Oasis 2014 title. (www.halliemartin.com/home.html). Keep up on Tiki culture and events at www.facebook.com/tikioasis.
Mama’s Kitchen
Bourbon Street Bar and Grill hosted Mama’s Kitchen’s 19th annual Wine Tasting Fundraiser Aug. 21. The event was presented by Revivals. The theme, “Which Wine Are You?” encouraged attendees to wear red or white to show what their favorite wine is. There were a lot of people wearing both! Guests enjoyed wine and hors d’oeuvres and live music by Stage 4 Jazz Band. Proceeds from tickets, the silent auction, opportunity drawing and the ring toss (participants got to keep the wine they got a ring around), went directly to the daily operations of Mama’s Kitchen. They are the only non-profit in San Diego that prepares and delivers three meals a day, seven days a week at no charge to those affected by AIDS/HIV or cancer. This has become one of Mama’s Kitchen’s signature fundraising events.
TranscenDANCE
We saw an inspiring production, “Because I’m Still Becoming” at the Lyceum Theatre Aug. 23 by transcenDANCE. They are a multi-media dance theater production inspired by personal stories of resilience written about and by youth dancers. Audience members were energized and entertained by various dance styles, creative writing, storytelling, original music and film. TranscenDANCE Youth Arts Project empowers culturally diverse, City Heights and National City neighborhood youth to mobilize social change through Performance Arts based community-building, leadership and service. It was encouraging to see youth share their personal stories and receive support from their friends and family in the audience who cheered every time someone they knew came on stage. The youth testimonial on their web page says it all, “It’s more than dance classes, we learn about life and ourselves”. To become part of the transcenDANCE family, visit www.tdarts.org
