By Emil Guillermo
Record Staff Writer
Published Friday, August 20, 2004
The community is gearing up for Saturday's "Hands Across Stockton," a celebration of ethnic diversity aimed at giving people different points of access to the diverse cultures of Stockton.
The event is an outgrowth of Mayor Gary Podesto's Racial Harmony Task Force and is scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. at Weber Point Event Center. It will showcase the food, cultural exhibits and oral histories of more than a dozen of Stockton's ethnic communities.
"I'm hoping folks come together to share cultures," Podesto said. "We're hoping to make this an annual event." Podesto did admit that some troubling racial issues have emerged since his Racial Harmony Task Force began.
"There are issues that have occurred out in the jail, and things like that that probably created concern in certain communities," said Podesto, referring to the Black community's protest in the jail death of Mondez Denmon. "But as a community-wide ability of folks getting together," Podesto said, "I see it as a better situation than it's been in a long time."
Hands Across Stockton takes its name from Hands Across America, a benefit staged on May 25, 1986, where more than 5 million people joined hands in a line that spanned the 4,152 miles across the United States. Hands Across Stockton doesn't have to be so dramatic, and no one has to hold hands.
For the throngs assembled at the Weber Point Events Center on Saturday, a simple acknowledgement and appreciation of the city's tremendous diversity will do.
But while most people are up for a party, at least one community activist is reserving judgment.
"I think it's a nice gesture and something should be done," said Dillon Delvo, vice chair of the Little Manila Foundation. "But it would be nice to see racial harmony institutionalized in our schools' curriculums, and more in our city's institutions."
Delvo said he'd like to see ethnic studies classes broadened, at least in the high school and college levels. Hands Across Stockton will feature a speech by Podesto and a keynote speech from legendary Stockton farm worker activist Dolores Huerta.
Huerta worked with Cesar Chavez to found National Farm Workers of America, and later was instrumental in the formation, with Chavez, of United Farm Workers of America.
From noon to 4:30 p.m., University of Pacific's Jacoby Center will feature the first nine of 54 stories that make up the STOCKTONSpeaks, an oral history project.
"That's a great project," said Podesto, who read a few of the stories in advance. "If you look back at Stockton's family histories from the very beginning, we've been an interesting and diverse community from the start."
Other performances include the Stockton Community Mass Choir; the International Dance Studios from San Joaquin Delta College; the Stockton Community Pow Wow; With our Words, a poetry collective; Storyteller S.E.Wyatt; the Miyui Kai dance group; Bando Junjiro; the accordion stylings of Steve Trucco; Solo Qeej; the Tai Chi Dance group; Ordered Steps Dance Company.
* To reach reporter Emil Guillermo, phone (209) 546-8294 or e-mail eguiller@recordnet.com
HANDS ACROSS
STOCKTON
* WHEN: 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Saturday
* WHERE: Weber Point Event Center
* ADMISSION: Free
* EVENTS: Nine of the STOCKTONSpeaks stories will be unveiled from noon-4:30 p.m. Dolores Huerta will give a keynote speech at 4:50 p.m. Cultural displays, performances and ethnic foods round out the event.
* 11:30 a.m. -- Vietnamese Lion Dance
* 11:50 a.m. -- Mayor's opening remarks
* Noon -- STOCKTONSpeaks (Native American)
* 12:10 p.m. -- Native American performance (Stockton Pow Wow dancers and drummers)
* 12:30 p.m. -- STOCKTONSpeaks (African-American)
* 12:40 p.m. -- African-American performance (Ordered Steps Dance Company)
* 1 p.m. -- STOCKTONSpeaks (Chinese)
* 1:10 p.m. -- Chinese performance (Tai Chi Dances)
* 1:30 p.m. -- STOCKTONSpeaks (Italian)
* 1:40 p.m. -- Italian performance (Traditional Italian accordion music)
* 2 p.m. -- STOCKTONSpeaks (Filipino)
* 2:10 p.m. -- Filipino performance (Filipino Folk Dances)
* 2:30 p.m. -- STOCKTONSpeaks (Japanese)
* 2:40 p.m. -- Japanese performance (Miyuki Kai/Bando Junjiro Dance Groups)
* 3 p.m. -- STOCKTONSpeaks (Hmong)
* 3:10 p.m. -- Hmong performance (Solo Qeej Musician)
* 3:30 p.m. -- STOCKTONSpeaks (Cambodian)
* 3:40 p.m. -- Cambodian performance (Cambodian Folk Dancers)
* 4 p.m. -- STOCKTONSpeaks (Mexican-American)
* 4:10 p.m. -- Mexican-American performance (Ballet Folklorico de Frank Zapata)
* 4:30 p.m. -- Stockton Mass Choir
* 4:50 p.m. -- Keynote speaker -- Delores Huerta
* 5:15 p.m. -- Na Hoku Mai Kanoelani (Polynesian Dance)
* 5:40 p.m. -- Hmong Folk Dance
* 6 p.m. -- International Dance Studio (African-Haitian dance)
* 6:20 p.m. -- Closing remarks
* 6:30 p.m. -- Stockton Mass Choir
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