Vecinos de South Pasadena has announced “Cultura Grants,” which will champion and foster a greater understanding of Latino heritage and culture while bringing the community closer together.
“We really need to do more Latino celebration in schools and in the community,” said Vecinos President Janna Philpot. “We can plant the seed for lots more celebrations around town.”
Ideas to be rewarded should embrace Latino culture while creating local connections and encouraging understanding, togetherness and a sense of belonging within the community, Philpot said.
Local individuals of any age, or group — from all backgrounds — are encouraged to apply for a grant which might range from cultural festivalsm, art exhibitions, educational workshops, food tastings or dance performances.
Applicants must lead in planning and executing the project, and provide a budget and reports on the progress of the program.
Philpot said that there would be a $500 maximum grant for each project chosen, and the deadline for applications would be Nov. 1.
There is no set number of grants to be given, and they will be decided on a case-by-case basis by the Vecinos board.
The grants program, the largest project ever attempted by the group, was unveiled at the Vecinos meeting last Saturday.
“Honestly, we don’t know how many will apply,” Philpot said, adding that if this round of grants is successful, the group might try the project again next spring.
The money comes from Vecinos membership drives and fundraisers, and is only one of several projects currently being done by the group.
Vecinos de South Pasadena last year gave $3,500 in scholarships, and the year before that it gave $9,000 to worthy students.
The group traditionally has also sponsored a well-attended Day of the Dead festival.
Philpot said that there are currently 400 people on the group’s mailing list and members don’t have to be Latino to join.
Latinos make up about 19.6% of the city’s population of 25,500 people.
Vecinos de South Pasadena for the past 20 years has sent a clarion call to remember a past in which South Pasadena struggled with diversity, while also infusing the city with the richness of the Latino heritage and bringing it together.
Philpot said the group is representative of the diversity of the Latino community in Southern California. Some members have recently immigrated, while others have been in the United States for generations. Some are wealthy, she said, and some are struggling financially. There are people who are retired and there are youngsters.
“It’s hard to put a profile on it,” Philpot said. “The one thing we can agree on is our culture, and sharing it with the community.”
Philpot, whose parents were from Mexico, recalled that she identified as a Latina when she was a teenager.
“But I wasn’t really sure what that meant until later in life,” she said. “It wasn’t until later in life that I felt the cultural traditions. I realized that I was sometimes the target of ire and that some people saw us as apart.
“I’m fully American, but I embrace, along with my kids and my husband (who is Caucasian), what it means to be Latino. … after the 2016 election, I knew I had to step up. …
“There is a lot of scapegoating that is going on, and I’m not going to shy away from being part of the culture.”
Editor’s Note: For further information about the culture grant project, contact Janna Philpot at president@vecinossouthpasadena.org. For further information about Vecinos de South Pasadena, go to the group’s website at vecinosdesouthpasadena.org.
First published in the September 22 print issue of the South Pasadena Review.
