By Iris Martinez
The Hyde/Jackson Square area of Jamaica Plain has historically been home to a Latine community and is currently an official cultural district of the Commonwealth managed by the Hyde Square Task Force.
This task force aims to “nurture and amplify the voices, creativity, and power of youth by grounding them in Afro-Latin culture so they can advance justice in their communities,” according to their website. Celina Miranda, executive director of the Hyde Square Task Force, highlights the arts as part of their work.
“We, you know, describe ourselves as a creative youth development organization, and what that means is that we’re utilizing the arts, specifically Afro-Latin arts, to engage young people in the out-of-school time,” Miranda said. “So, we do- we use the performing arts, dance music, theater, all grounded in Afro-Latin culture and traditions, to engage young people.”
With increases in ICE presence across the country and in Boston, such as the immigration raid at a car wash in Allston leading to nine detainees on Nov. 4, there are worries about safely engaging with the community.
Regina Gallardo, a museum educator working with community engagement and programming, notes the weight of these increased raids on programmers and Latines.
“You start seeing that and, in doing community engagement, you start seeing that in other places in the country, and, you know, it kind of stays on your mind.” Gallardo said. “And not only being Latina, but like, it’s something like, you want to make sure that you’re protecting your community.”
The Hyde Square Task Force has adapted their programming to keep the community safe, such as adjusting a trip to Puerto Rico to a trip to New York and increasing the amount of immigration rights programming offered. They have also developed protocols for their building and for outdoor events in case of unexpected ICE presence.
“We’re just very conscious of what the current climate and context, really, you know, forces us to grapple with,” Miranda said, “and so, since January, we had to look at our organization and look at our protocols and, you know, think about, are we ready should there be a an unexpected appearance of ICE, whether it’s at our building or in or during our events.”
Gallardo and Miranda both stress the importance of art and visibility for the community.
“Whether we’re, you know, Salvadoran like myself, Puerto Rican, Dominican, you know, Mexican, it’s- it expands, right, so many different countries,” Miranda said. “But the importance of acknowledging the contributions that our community has made and continues to make in this nation- this country, you know, would not be what it is today if it wasn’t for the contributions of many, many immigrant communities.”
