The fourth annual Raizado festival is adjusting its schedule this year amid the Trump administration’s increased immigration enforcement.
Raizado was originally created in response to what festival founder Monica Ramirez calls the erasure and undervaluing of Latine lives, especially in times of crisis.
Ramirez said there have been several moments in history that have been difficult for specific communities, and this is a particularly difficult time for Latine people in the U.S.
Last week, the U.S. Department of Justice sent letters to 13 states and 22 local governments, including Colorado and Denver, designating them as sanctuary jurisdictions. The department threatened governors and mayors with potential prosecution for “undermining” and “obstructing” federal immigration enforcement, according to The Guardian.
The letters warned these states and municipalities that they could lose federal funding or face legal action if they do not help with the president’s immigration enforcement and mass deportation efforts.
This comes as Latino advocacy nonprofit Voces Unidas, based in Glenwood Springs, has filed a complaint with the Colorado Attorney General over alleged collaboration between the Garfield County Sheriff’s Office and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
After hearing concerns about possible ICE raids on the Western Slope back in April, Ramirez decided to cancel Raizado’s annual community celebration, which was the only free, publicly accessible event in the festival in previous years.
“We were in talks with the city and trying to determine the location,” she said. “But, unfortunately, community members told us that they felt scared because of all the immigration raids that were happening around the country and the hostile environment that people were witnessing in different places, even here in Colorado.”
Ramirez said it was a tough choice, but she understands the reality of living in America for the Latine community today. She has also been fielding questions about whether it’s a good idea to have a festival at all this year.
An immigrant rights activist since she was 14 years old, Ramirez decided to continue hosting the festival, saying it will focus on how best to support the immigrant community.
This year, the festival will include food demonstrations where chefs use recipes passed down from generations, as well as conversations between mothers and daughters about developing new companies and passing them down through the family.
There will also be a panel focusing on farm workers who have been excluded from basic labor protections for over 80 years and how this continues to affect immigrant workers and the food supply chain.
NPR reports that economists warned that Trump's deportation campaign will harm the economy, particularly areas that rely on immigrant labor. In the last four months, agricultural employment has decreased by 155,000 workers, which is the biggest loss in almost a decade.
Ramirez grew up in Ohio, a state that relies on agricultural migrant labor. As she was planning the festival, she wanted to think about what the Latine community has inherited from their ancestors that has prepared them for this moment.
“What are the lessons that we've learned, and what are some of those teachings and learnings that we're carrying forward?” she said. “And how do we think of ourselves as future ancestors, and what is the legacy that we will leave behind?”
Raizado starts Thursday and runs until Sunday in Aspen. It is an invite-only festival, but there are a couple of events open to the public, including screenings at the ISIS Theatre throughout the day Saturday.
This year the first-ever play reading will take place on Friday at Paepcke Auditorium, which is also free.
This is the fourth year of the festival, and with another six years to go in the commitment, it keeps on growing. Originally scheduled for two days, Raizado has expanded to four, and it now takes place at six locations around Aspen, including the top of Aspen Mountain.
“We wanted to be very thoughtful about what the program looked like,” Ramirez said. “But we do need to embrace joy, and we do need to celebrate wins, and we do need to talk about advancements and be proud of those. I think that we struck a good balance of being able to touch on the tough topics while also naming some of the progress that's been made.”
