Latino Arts for Humanity

We Celebrate The Rich History of Columbus' Latinos by Ana María Quevedo (2003)

Although their visibility has become notable over the last five years, the history and activity of Latinos in Columbus go as far back as the 30's, when, according to the historical archives of the Columbus Metropolitan Library, Rafael A. Gonzales became the first Hispanic to become an attorney at OSU.
More recent history takes us to the 60's, when Cuban families fleeing to Miami were resettled in Columbus. In that group were people like Maria Klemack, separated from her parents and brought to live here in 1961 by Catholic Social Services, and who grew up to be the first Latina President of City Council for Grove City, where she lived since the 60s. Also in that first wave of Cubans were attorneys Luis Alcalde and, a decade later, José Luis Mas. Benito Lucio, one the most vocal community activists recalls some of those firsts. "The first actual Latino group was the Cuban Circle.
Another key person during that time was Orlando Alonso, he was probably the first true Latino Advocate in Columbus. They did a lot to support the Cuban refugees in settling out here in Columbus. This goes back to late 60's and 70's and all during the 80's. As they got older, there was no one to really follow up on this group, but they were a permanent fixture at the International Festival, they had a big booth, very well decorated and full of Cuban culture.

" The Ohio Commission on Hispanic/Latino Affairs was also founded 25 years ago as the Ohio Commission on Spanish-Speaking Affairs. Juan Andrade, who is now the director of the United States Hispanic Leadership Institute in Chicago, which started in Columbus as the Midwest Voter Registration Project, Aurora Madrigal and Lin Avendaño are remembered as being instrumental in the creation of the Commission.

Peruvian born Leticia Chang-Sotero, better known as Letty Thompson, started her working and volunteer relationship with OSU in 1968, when her family moved to Columbus. She would later become instrumental in the beginning stages of the work the Ohio Hispanic Coalition does today with pregnant women. Letty was also the 'to go' person for many newly arrived immigrants. Her son, Ray, was well-known for their Peruvian food restaurant, Latin Rooster.

The first effort towards the formation of a cultural center was spearheaded by Argentinean Simona Briggs-Munoz and her organization HACHA, formed in 1984. Simona also started the first cable television show, 'En Español.' During Hispanic Heritage Month in September of 1986, the Ohio Arts Council brought together several Latino artists to do a Latino music afternoon at the State House The Hispanic Alliance was founded in 1988 by Benito Lucio, Arturo Presas, William Feliciano, the Martinez's, Tita Alcalde, Pat Ludwig and others. "We were actually the first to hold a festival at Bicentennial Park in 1988, after our first ever walk-a-thon for the Hispanic Scholarship Fund, HISPA-AT&T co-sponsored the event with other local businesses that helped. That went on until 1992, when we created the Ohio Hispanic Scholarship Fund and incorporated the Hispanic Alliance under the new name of the Hispanic Society of Central Ohio, Inc. During those years up until 1996, we raised over 50,000 in scholarship funds and gave it out to over 52 students in colleges here in Central Ohio," says Benito Lucio. The Hispanic Society of Central Ohio has not held a meeting for the last two years, but says Lucio that the organization will soon be back in track, re-launching the scholarship walk and other activities, in collaboration with the Santa Cruz parish. Of the last four decades, the 90s have been the most active in terms of the Latino community in Columbus.

The Ohio Hispanic Coalition was founded in 1990, by Julia Arbini Carbonell, and based on Mrs. Thompson's vision of serving pregnant Latina women.

Catholic Iglesia Santa Cruz was established in 1993 and was the first church to have a service in Spanish. In 1995 the Reverend David Garay of Hilliard became Pastor of First Spanish Baptist Church. Today we have twelve churches that offer Spanish services. The first bilingual newsletter, Contacto Latino, was published by yours truly from 1992 through 1994.

Qué Pasa, OSU? was born in 1993, under the leadership of Professor Omar Barriga (our very own Ezra Escudero was the editor in 1995.)

La Voz Hispana was first published in 1996 by Alex Goya.

The Columbus Hispanic Chamber of Commerce was founded under the leadership of attorney Mike Galeano in 1993, and published the first business directory in 1994. The group later dissolved and came back through the Ohio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce in 1997, led by attorney Juan José Perez. Also in 1993 was founded the Ohio Latino Arts Association (OLAA) as a statewide umbrella group for artists and arts organizations.

Eco Cultural Latino was founded in 1995 as a group to get together and enjoy the company and food of other Latinos while learning about different aspects of our culture. The group has since disappeared, and its founder and promoter, Mr. Pardo recently died.

La Organización de Damas Latinas was founded and organized in 1995. It started as a small group of Latina ladies who met once a month to have dinner. In 1997 they decided to formalize their group and gear it towards a new mission statement: "To Honor and Preserve our Hispanic Heritage and To Empower Future Generations of Hispanics." It was also in that busy decade that the first actual Mexican Restaurant appeared in Columbus. "It was Mi Mexico on East Main Street which was managed and owned by Antonio Ornelas. From that restaurant, the others branched out Casa Fiesta, El Vaquero, etc. The first tienda was Macondo, founded in 1990 on East Broad Street, and later had a location in The Continent. La Nueva Frontera in Hamilton Road soon followed. The first promoter of Mexican dances was Mr. Mata, he had dances at the Inner Circle and other locations on the east and south side of Columbus," says Lucio.

Before Lincoln Park West became a major Latino complex in the west side of the city in 1999, the first major housing complex were Hispanics settled was the Greenbrier Apartments, which is now Woodland Meadows, with an approximate 33% of the tenants being Hispanic. Lincoln Park West became home to more than 5,000 Latinos because of the fact that many resources for newly arrived immigrants are offered on-site.

Before there was Festival Latino, there was the Latino Festival, hosted by the Pontifical Josephinum College and coordinated by Alma Amell for ten years, with all funds donated to an orphanage in Mexico.

Only three years ago, in 1999, when the economy was at its peak and the influx of Latinos to Columbus was too, the Latino Empowerment Organization Network (LEON) was founded to bring together Latino and mainstream resources to support the immigrants.

The first visit of the Mexican consulate to Lincoln Park West was coordinated by Benito Lucio and La Marketa, three years ago, who also started at that time the first commercial radio program at WSMZ 103.1 FM three years ago and now at 1580 AM. New groups continue to arrive.
Many are signs of what is going on in their countries of origin. There were no Venezuelans and Argentineans in Columbus before the year 2000, now it is not uncommon at all to see people from these countries. And as new people come, new needs surface. And new groups. La Influencia Latina and Latino Arts for Humanity are examples of that craving for artistic _expression boiling up in our community.

New media and hundreds of new businesses are also on the rise. After all these accomplishments, one thing stands out as the dream that has not yet been achieved. Maybe the one in the 'to-do' list for 2003. Maybe the one that will finally bring all the organizations together. A Latino resource center. A physical place with a real phone number and Latinos taking care of Latinos. Can we build it? Yes, we can.