The surge in immigration enforcement is putting a pause on a popular indigenous festival planned for this weekend in North County.
The Guelaguetza Festival at Palomar College on Saturday has been postponed. The Coalition of Indigenous Communities of Oaxaca (COCIO) said this is in effort to keep their community members safe.
“There's this fear of insecurity, and it all stems like from racial profiling,” said Cuetz Rodríguez, a COCIO board member.
Since reports of an immigration enforcement crackdown in San Diego, there have been instances of people being detained at their workplaces throughout the county.
Guelaguetza San Diego was not the only Oaxacan celebration affected by the enforcement surge. The Guelaguetza Madera in Northern California was postponed for the same reason.
Guelaguetza San Diego was canceled last year also because of the Trump administration ramp-up in immigration enforcement, Rodríguez said.
“Because even though our event is really important to us, the safety of people, the wellness and the well-being of our community and all of us is more important,” he said.
Guelaguetza is a celebration of indigenous cultures of Oaxaca — a state in southwestern Mexico. There are 16 recognized indigenous groups in Oaxaca.
“We used to call it a day in Oaxaca, where it's like you can celebrate culture, dance in a positive way, learn about the people in our community, that diversity, the different languages that people speak,” Rodríguez said.
There are an estimated 40,000 Oaxacans living in San Diego County, mostly in North County, he said.
The group already has a date in mind for the rescheduled celebration, but they aren't making that public yet.
