"Paz sin Fronteras"

Those who know me personally probably “figured” that I would write about this concert that I haven’t had the pleasure of watching but felt it was worth blogging about. I’m not sure if you have many Colombian friends but if you do you will know where I am coming from as you read my piece on Juane’s concert, “Concert for Peace” that took place in Cuba. According to several news papers during the planning process of this concert he had been threatened to be murdered if he went through with the concert. When I heard this I was astonished as to why our society continues to fear “GOOD”. Growing up in this country I have been exposed to many things that I was never taught in Colombia. Like my own home, which in some textbooks within my “Child Development” classes say, “The home is the #1 School”. With that said I learned at the age of 8 while living in Florida what ‘racism’ was. I wasn’t accepted in a predominantly “Anglo” community because I didn’t speak English and I wasn’t accepted in my Hispanic community because I wasn’t “Latina” enough. But when I would come home I would feel the most accepted.

I tried to fit in and so I wouldn’t speak Spanish and just focus on speaking English so that my peers would accept me. I would go home and my mother would say, “Sorry you are Colombian and you will speak Spanish in this house”. I can say that I thank her for that. In my home love is something that is very important. We were taught that we were a “Team”. What affects one affects us all. Music was a huge part of our lives as well. I remember watching Juanes in concert at the age of 12 in Medellin. He had about 1.5 million attendees and he was singing for “Peace”. He was tired of seeing people in our country fear for their lives when all they wanted to do is to live their lives. As I read about his plan to do a concert in Cuba, I thought to myself, “Wow, this man stops at nothing to spread Peace”. I was honored to be from his country and represent that in our people. Stereotypes are such a negative way of classifying people that it can in turn into a bigger problem. I believe that this is what has happened in Cuba.

I recently read that, almost 10 percent of Cuba's population showed up and about 30 percent of Cuba’s youth was present at his concert on September 20th. I felt these percentages to be astonishing and very proud of Juane's mission to spread “Peace”. I will leave you with this quote from Carlos Saladrigas, a reporter from http://www.cubastudygroup.org/. “The massive attendance highlighted the large and growing disconnect between the exiled hardliners and the Cuban people. More Cuban Americans have come to the realization that we cannot afford to continue with failed policies to meet the challenges of the future. We need to engage. It is not reasonable to expect to partake in a new Cuba if we don't partake in the process that creates it.” What do you think??