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Young musicians filled the Ogden Amphitheater with mariachi Saturday afternoon. Ogden City partnered with local nonprofit LUPEC to continue the tradition of celebrating Cinco de Mayo downtown. Attendees sipped shrimp cocktails, munched on tamales and shopped for clothing from across Latin America.
The atmosphere was lively and fun, said South Ogden resident Mildred Diaz, who was helping friends who own a local Mexican restaurant. But this year felt different, she said, since some of her friends and family were scared to go. She said they feared facing consequences related to their legal status.
“[It] doesn't matter your background, your race, whatever, your age — everybody loves to come out and celebrate. So, it's just sad that our people feel scared,” she said, noting many community members consider this their hometown.
Roughly half of immigrant Latinos nationwide are worried they or someone they know will be deported, according to a Pew Research Center survey conducted earlier this year. That’s the same rate as 2022 under the Biden administration. But Hispanic and Latino celebrations have been canceled this year in places like Philadelphia, Chicago and small-town Iowa, due to fears of immigration enforcement.
Leading up to Saturday’s event, LUPEC vice chair Eulogio Alejandre said some vendors asked if they thought anyone would attend. But his group stuck to the plan, welcoming those who attended and understanding others might not.
Even some citizens and permanent residents fear being deported by mistake, Alejandre said, and he felt sad that community members who work as educators, cleaners and builders don’t feel they belong.
“Our position was that we will have the event. We have nothing to be concerned about,” he said.
Ogden’s festival brought people from a variety of racial and ethnic backgrounds. Some came from out of state while visiting family in Utah; others wandered in while walking around downtown.
Volunteering at the event, high school senior Angela Gutierrez was stationed near an entrance to the amphitheater. She’s lived in Ogden her whole life and said it felt great to celebrate Cinco de Mayo with the broader community.
“It just shows how Ogden is able to support our community and actually celebrate it, rather than kind of hide it and not want to celebrate it at all.”
But to Diaz, that diversity felt hypocritical.
“I still see the same type of people coming out and celebrating something that is so dear to us, but they're not with us. They're not standing with us. They're against us,” she said.
Wearing a shirt with the words “besos not borders” — besos meaning kisses in Spanish — Ogden School Board member Arlene Anderson perused a tent selling embroidered dresses and jewelry. Though it was still early afternoon, she said she wished more people would enjoy the food, entertainment and sunny weather.
“We've got the music, we've got the bands, we've got the mariachis. It feels kind of hit and miss, though, like we're missing some community members.”
After the young mariachi players’ sound check, Alejandre stepped off the stage. The musicians were both current students at Esperanza Elementary, where Alejandre is principal, and older students who practice with the group Academia Mis Raices.
Alejandre said he looked forward to hearing the event’s other performers, including a group from Las Vegas. Despite everything, the atmosphere was happy and festive, though he said the crowd did seem smaller than in previous years.
“But the people that are here are just having a blast.”
Macy Lipkin is a Report for America corps member who reports for KUER in northern Utah.
