The Cultural Contributions of Immigrants Make Me Proud to be American

 Carmen.Maquia and Ballet Hispanico of New York

Last week, my wife and I went to see the ballet Carmen.Maquia performed by Ballet Hispanico of New York at the Appleton PAC. The performance was wonderful and full of very powerful dancing.  Bravo!  

Ballet Hispanico de New York is a highly regarded dance company that has been producing extraordinary performances since 1970. The company has roots in Cuba, but it is not a folkloric company. It does not focus on Cuban or other Latin American folk dancing, and it does not dress its dancers in folkloric costumes. The company is “Hispanic” only in the sense that its members and its leadership are Hispanic people and as such, they have a “Hispanic artistic sensibility” that underlies the company’s work.

Hispanic Artistic Sensibility

A Hispanic sensibility is different from a Cuban, Mexican, Argentinian or other Latin American sensibility. Each of those countries has its own culture and its own sensibility, and they are very different from one another. Hispanic sensibility is different from all of them, and it comes from the unique experience and culture of Latin American immigrants in the United States. A Hispanic sensibility has emerged in the United States out of the interaction between the cultures that Latin Americans have brought with them and the culture of the United States to which the immigrants must adapt.

Immigrant Sensibility Has Enriched Our Culture

Other immigrant groups have developed similar types of artistic sensibilities. There is a distinct Jewish-American sensibility and a distinct Italian-American sensibility. The movie The Deer Hunter takes place in a Russian-American community with its own distinctive culture. The interaction that produced these various immigrant cultures has produced many beautiful works of art, literature, theater and music. They are all American, but they express different aspects of our rich and complex culture.

Think for example of the movie Brooklyn starring Saoirse Ronan, which portrays the experience of an Irish immigrant woman in New York. Or think of the movie Funny Girl about a Jewish immigrant.  There are the novels of William Saroyan, which describe the experience of Armenian immigrants. We also have the musicals of Rogers and Hammerstein both of whom came from immigrant Jewish families.

Black Artistic Sensibility Has Played a Special Role

Then, there is the enormous contribution of Black Americans to American music. Black Americans are a special case because the racism and segregation of American society have allowed a unique Black American culture to evolve even among Black people who have been here for many generations. They have been marginalized and excluded, and so, they have developed a unique sensibility that has been central to the character and development of American music. Our culture has been immeasurably enriched by the musical creativity of Black Americans,

Hispanic Ballet and the Tradition of Immigrant Contributions to Our Culture

The work of the Hispanic Ballet Company falls into the rich tradition of immigrant and Black contributions to American culture. The company's work draws on the special experience of Hispanic immigrants to the United States, and it enriches our culture through the expression of a unique point of view. The beauty and power of Carmen.Maquia moved me deeply. It deepened my experience and offered me one more way to share in the unique power and diversity of American culture. We can be proud of it.