The Abridged version:
- Citing concerns for the safety, Winters Community Corazón postponed its annual Festival de la Comunidad.
- It’s not the only organization to adjust its plans due to the current “political climate.”
- Local leaders raised concerns about federal immigration enforcement and its effects on the community.
For years, Winters has spent the end of September celebrating. On the last weekend of the month, members of the community descend on Rotary Park, donning aprons, carrying instruments and lacing up their dancing shoes for Festival de la Comunidad.
But next weekend, the downtown park will go without its annual “carnitas festival.”
Citing concerns for the safety of their community, Yolo County residents are rethinking how to celebrate Latino Heritage Month. The Winters Community Corazón, the organization behind the carnitas festival, decided to postpone the gathering originally planned for Sept. 27. The move comes as pressure from federal immigration agencies increases.
In the postponement announcement on its website, the organization referenced the current political climate and its impact on potential attendees.
“If members of our community feel unsafe gathering, then we cannot call the event safe for anyone,” the statement said.
County Supervisor Lucas Frerichs, whose district includes Winters, said he was saddened by the change but supported the prioritization of the community’s safety.
“We are living in uncertain times, and many residents, despite being upstanding members of our society, live in fear of being targeted simply for who they are,” he said in an emailed statement.
Winters Community Corazón declined to comment for this story, stating the organization wanted to stay focused on its mission.
Federal immigration policy fear in Yolo County
The federal immigration crackdown that began at the start of the Trump administration has been an ongoing cause of concern for many Yolo County residents. When the Supreme Court ruled on Sept. 8 that immigration enforcement officers could continue stopping people for doing things like speaking Spanish or gathering in certain areas, that concern heightened.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement said its focus is not on cultural gatherings.
“Heritage and cultural festivities are valued community traditions, and we respect their importance,” the agency said in a statement to Abridged.
ICE does not comment on ongoing enforcement operations, it said.
But nationwide stops and raids have hit close to home for many in Yolo County.
County Supervisor Angel Barajas who submitted the official recognition of Chicano/Latino Heritage Month at the Sept. 9 County Board of Supervisors meeting, spoke to the fear that community members feel.
“If you look or sound like an immigrant, you’re in danger. Your rights are not protected,” he said at the meeting. “I was born and raised here, but I could be stopped.”
Yolo County Latino Heritage Month events adjust
Winters Community Corazón is not the only organization to adjust its plans due to the current political climate. Brown Issues, the organizer of the Yolo Farmworkers Festival, decided to proceed with the event but moved it off Woodland’s Main Street to protect attendees.
“To cancel would mean erasing a space of joy, culture, and recognition that our farmworkers deserve. Instead, we are taking the festival directly to the farmworkers and their families in safe, accessible spaces,” they said in a social media post announcing the change.
Abridged reached out to Brown Issues and did not receive a response. It is unclear where and when the event will take place. The city of Woodland, which partnered on the event last year, was unable to provide the program information.
Even organizations that are holding ticketed, indoor events have had to consider the danger they might pose to attendees. The board of directors for Concilio of Yolo County, which works to recognize and support the county’s Latino community, discussed how to protect the people who come to the group’s annual dinner and scholarship fundraiser on Oct. 11. They have security guards and controlled entry, but that doesn’t completely remove the risk for those traveling to and from the event, board member Jesse Ortiz said.
Despite this, Ortiz said it remains important to recognize and celebrate what the Latino community has contributed to Yolo County for generations.
“We have to be cognizant of the current climate,” he said. “But we will get past this,” he said.
Several events in Yolo County will move ahead as scheduled, including Hispanic Heritage Night at the Woodland Public Library, Corazón y Cultura’s Noche de Pintura de Lotería at South Davis Montgomery Library and Counseling, Café y Conchas at Woodland Community College, according to a list provided to Abridged by Barajas’ office.
Daniel Hennessy is a reporter covering Yolo County at Abridged.