Coming soon this October 2010, the United East Austin Coalition and Friends of the Emma S.Barrientos Mexican American Cultural Center will celebrate Dia de la Raza, marking the contributions of the indigenous peoples of the Americas.

From my photo archives, here is a sample of the 24th Annual Dia de la Raza Celebration (October 2009) held at the Mexican American Cultural Center (MACC).

The program featured a flower ceremony and blessings with Xinachtli (in memory of lives lost as a result of violence). Jose Flores (of Conjunto Atzlan and ACC English professor) presented selections from 'Sun, Stone and Shadows: 20 Great Mexican Short Stories' part of the NEA Big Read Project and ACC Arts & Humanities division.

State Representative Eddie Rodriguez (Dist. 51) and Marta Cotera presented the Raza Awards to accordian player Joel Guzman, Donato Rodriguez, Center for Mexican American Studies of UT Austin and Latinitas (a community based organization for the empowerment of Latina youth).

The evening included special performances from Conjunto Atzlan (featuring music from the Chicano Movement and original compositions) and Salaman (Tejano dance).

Here is the blog posting of the event.