Fort Leonard Wood celebrates Hispanic heritage with Latin rhythms, education

By Mrs. Melissa Buckley (Leonard Wood)October 16, 2014

Fort Leonard Wood celebrates Hispanic heritage with Latin rhythms, education
(Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

The smell of traditional Mexican cuisine and the sound of Latin rhythms filled the room during last week's National Hispanic Heritage Month celebration.

The Oct. 8 event was hosted by the 1st Engineer Brigade and held in the Engineer Regimental room of the John B. Mahaffey Museum.

A group of friends, led by Air Force Tech. Sgt. Ishanti Holmes, put on their dancing shoes to provide entertainment.

"We are a group of friends made up of Zumba instructors on post," Holmes said. "We are dancing to 'Bajo la Tormenta' today."

Holmes said the group practiced for about three weeks to get ready for the performance.

"We feel so honored to even be asked to participate in this event," Holmes said. "I hope that the audience can see the passion we have for our heritage and the music."

One of the dancers, Ina Keazer De Aponte, performed a solo piece from her native country of Panama.

"It's a traditional Congo dance from my country. I am from the area of Colon," De Aponte said. "It makes me very proud to share this with the audience. I hope that they like it."

The Congo Dance of Panama has its roots in Africa and came to Panama by way of escaped former slaves known as Cimarrons, and has been passed on from generation to generation.

"My dance may be from Africa, but I'm from Central America. My hope is through my dance the audience can see that we are all mixed and combined." De Aponte said.

Guest speaker Domingo Martinez has been the University of Missouri's Cambio Center director since it's founding in 2004.

The Cambio Center is an interdisciplinary research and outreach unit on Latinos changing communities in Missouri and the Midwest.

"We call ourselves Hispanics or Latinos because we have to. But, in my case I came to Missouri for the first time in 1980," Martinez said.

He said he was introduced to southern Mexican food in Arkansas, and that was the first time he ever ate a taco.

"I was almost 30 years old. They were these hard shell things that I was not use to," Martinez said. "I tell you this as an example. I really like Mexican food now, but it is an acquired taste for me."

Martinez said he was trying to break down stereotypes and prejudices.

"Most people think that tacos are something that all Hispanics grow up eating," he said. "I love to destroy stereotypes."

He said while working in the U.S. during the 1990s, people would ask him if he was Latino or Hispanic.

"I prefer to be called Domingo Martinez," he said. "Being Hispanic is not what defines me."

Related Links:

Fort Leonard Wood GUIDON Newspaper

Maneuver Support Center of Excellence and Fort Leonard Wood