OPB’s First Look: Oaxacan culture celebrated in La Guelaguetza festival

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Good morning, Northwest.

When I moved to Portland from Canada two years ago, I was blown away by how vibrant Latino culture is here.

But here’s the thing: Saying “Latino culture” is a bit like saying “Asian culture,” which I grew up in.

Latino culture is not one big dish, but more like a colorful buffet of traditions and stories from all across Latin America.

Today, I’m delighted to share OPB digital producer Sukhjot Sal’s story on La Guelaguetza, Hillsboro’s annual festival celebrating the music, dance and food of Indigenous Oaxaqueños, whose roots trace back to Oaxaca, Mexico.

One of the festival organizers put it beautifully: It’s important to be intentional when describing people, especially Oaxaqueños, who often face racial discrimination within Mexico because of their Indigenous identity.

And if you’re more into ollies, don’t miss the Rockstar Energy Open at Portland’s Tom McCall Waterfront Park this weekend.

Keep an eye out for 14-year-old Nels “Gnarls” Rosen from Seattle, who returns to Portland for the second year — OPB’s “Weekend Edition” host Lillian Karabaic has the scoop.

Here’s your First Look at Saturday’s news.

— Winston Szeto

La Guelaguetza brings more than a thousand Indigenous Oaxaqueños to Hillsboro

Adorned with thick, detailed suit jackets, horned wooden masks and fur-fringed pants, the first group of dancers — representing la danza de los diablos, or the dance of the devils — stepped and stomped around Shute Park, waving whips above their heads.

It’s one of the most popular and anticipated dances from this gathering, attracting Indigenous Oaxaqueños across state lines to this park in Washington County.

La Guelaguetza is an annual cultural celebration in Hillsboro that features traditional dances, food and crafts specific to about eight distinct Indigenous cultures from Oaxaca, Mexico. It’s modeled after the La Guelaguetza festival, which has taken place in Oaxaca since pre-Hispanic times, before the 16th century.

The parade was just one of the performances that happened throughout the day in the park, which included danza de los diablos (dance of the devils), danza de la pluma (dance of the feather), flor de piñas (flower of pineapple) and more.

At the end of different performances, dancers and volunteers distributed donated fruits to community members. It was a tangible reminder of what La Guelaguetza stands for — sharing resources and supporting each other. (Sukhjot Sal)

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4 things to know this morning

• For nearly a decade, Portlanders have had the opportunity to see professional opera performances for free in various locations across the city. It’s all part of the Opera a la Cart, Portland Opera’s mobile performance venue. The program started as a way to expose a wider audience to the centuries-old artform. (Joni Auden Land) 
• Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek was among dozens of elected officials throughout the country who received a warning from U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi on Thursday. The warning letter stated that sanctuary jurisdictions could lose federal funding if the Justice Department determines officials there are unlawfully impeding federal immigration enforcement. (Dirk VanderHart) 
• Oregon will likely lose millions of federal dollars for programs that help support survivors of child sexual abuse, domestic violence and other violent crimes due to the state’s status as a sanctuary state. (Lauren Dake) 
• The third annual PNW Survival Games kicked off yesterday at a campground in Molalla. Fifty people, organized into teams of two, will compete in a series of weekend-long challenges designed to test their outdoor survival skills. (Francisca Benitez and Sheraz Sadiq)

Headlines from around the Northwest

• Harmful algal blooms impact Willamette River (OPB staff) 
• Multnomah County’s 2nd death this week linked to recent heat wave (Courtney Sherwood) 
• Southwest Washington restaurant loses appeal over $1M COVID violation fine (Emily Fitzgerald)

Rockstar Energy Open brings world’s top skateboarders — and this Seattle teen — to Portland

Some of the biggest skateboarders in the world will be shredding and grinding at Portland waterfront this week as part of the Rockstar Energy Open. Among the nearly 100 competitors is two-time Olympic gold medalist Keegan Palmer.

One of them is 14-year-old Seattleite Nels “Gnarls” Rosen, who is returning for the second year.

Rosen, who wants to be a pro skateboarder, has amassed a social media following for his gnarly skateboard tricks, many of which are shot on “DadCam” by his father, Steve Rosen.

Nels Rosen trains about four hours a day and does about seven contests a year. Sometimes that means fitting in schoolwork while traveling. While the Olympics and turning pro is a dream, Rosen doesn’t worry too much about strategy. He just wants to skate. (Lillian Karabaic)

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