Bakersfield College’s MEChA hosted Noche de Cultura (Night of Culture) on April 28 to celebrate culture with students, parents, and faculty.

The event took place in the Forum-West from 6p.m. to 9p.m. At the start of the celebration, the room was packed with parents eager to watch their children perform karate, which was part of the program. After the karate show, the room was almost empty. Only five people remained to watch the next act.

That did not discourage MEChA however, and the night went on.

After the karate show, BC Chicano history professor Rosa Garza gave a brief PowerPoint presentation about the very beginning of Chicano history. Afterward, soon-to-be MEChA vice president Emmanuel Limaco, 30, gave a presentation about the Inca culture of Peru. He also shared his story about how he was brought to the United States.

“My mom actually was nine months pregnant with me when she decided to come here from Lima, Peru, where she grew up all her life. Her reasons for coming here were that she didn’t want me to grow up with the difficult life she had living in Peru. She wanted to give me more opportunities,” said Limaco.

He went on to say that on Aug. 3, 1985, his mother made it to the Mexican-American border, but was caught. His mom was placed in jail for the night.

Limaco told the audience, “She was released August 4th. Less than six hours later she started having birth pains, and less than 24 hours later, I was born.”

He went on to talk about his struggle with gang life in Los Angeles. Just recently, he decided to start school at BC.

“I can honestly say that if it hadn’t been for the amount of support my mom showed me, and if it hadn’t been for her persistence, I wouldn’t be here.”

After his introduction, his Inca presentation began.

Noche de Cultura then took a brief intermission. Afterward, the auditorium was again full with parents now waiting to watch their children perform Mexican folklore dances. Escuelas Unidas was invited by MEChA to perform dances from various regions of Mexico, from Guerrero to Sonora.

Children and young adults of all ages entered wearing colorful and cultural attire, ready to dance to songs such as “Vuela Paloma” and “La Iguana.” This attracted more BC students to view the show.

When the dancers finished, Limaco and current MEChA vice president Tania Bernal, 24, gave a brief history of MEChA, as well as thank you speeches to the audience.

“We promote higher education and history of our own culture so we can preserve it and not lose where we came from,” said Bernal.

Limaco then said, “While I am not too familiar with the history of the MEChA organization in community colleges, one thing that I am familiar with is the idea of a movement.”

He went on to say, “From where I come from, being involved in something that’s greater than myself is not something that is highly promoted… For me, being a part of MEChA is more than getting out there and telling people who we are. It’s about being part of something that is greater than ourselves… I want to thank everybody from the bottom of my heart for being here and for supporting us, and for learning a little bit about our cultures.”

The night ended with an Aztec dance performance in which dancers performed ancient dances of the people from what is now known as Mexico.