Chispa is the spark that makes the Cheyenne Hispanic Festival possible

Aug. 25—The city needed a spark. Chispa of Cheyenne is doing what it can to provide exactly that.

Some might recognize that the Spanish word "chispa" literally translates to "spark" in English. In this case, it serves as an acronym that makes the purpose of the relatively new cultural organization, born out of the committee that organized the Cheyenne Hispanic Festival, abundantly clear — Cheyenne Hispanics Improving Strengthening Powerful Alliance.

"We weren't just a festival anymore," Jessica Fernandez-Medina, board chair of Chispa of Cheyenne, told the Wyoming Tribune Eagle on Wednesday. "We do still hold our big Hispanic Festival, but we're also going to be doing a lot of things in the community. We've outgrown our name.

"We felt that that 'chispa' was appropriate because we did become this spark. We're just kind of spreading our flames all over."

Right now, the eight-member board is busy putting the finishing touches on the annual festival, to be held on Sept. 8 and 9. The idea of Chispa, however, has been roughly two years in the making, with the transition into its current form beginning with last year's event, when the focus turned toward cultural education, in addition to a celebration of Hispanic dance, food and history.

Fernandez-Medina and board secretary Denise Garcia, who also spoke with the WTE this week, have spent the summer strengthening relations with local organizations like the Wyoming State Museum, Laramie County Library and Juntos Wyoming, as well as tracking down Hispanic business owners in Laramie County. These local small-business owners will be honored during the festival with an exhibit of portraits in the Historic Cheyenne Depot, similar to The Black Excellence Project hosted by The Louise Event Venue last year.

Other businesses have reached out to them for partnerships as Chispa has managed to get its name out in the community.

The monthly Cuentos y Amigos program at the library is a prime example of the small ways that Chispa has made an impact despite being designated a 501©3 nonprofit as recently as April. In addition to the standard story hour that the library hosts, Cuentos y Amigos offers a Spanish story hour for young children.

In conjunction with the Hispanic Festival and Hispanic Heritage Month from Sept. 15-Oct. 15, Fernandez-Medina will host a special story time on Sept. 6 that focuses on Hispanic heritage as told by local community members.

"There's a lady from Mexico — she's going to share her background," Fernandez-Medina said. "And there's a lady from Peru, then we're working on bringing in a lady from Colombia. They're gonna come and kind of talk about their Hispanic heritage on that day, and just kind of give a story about their town."

Cheyenneites might not recognize how many members of their community are immigrants from Latin countries, especially those in South America. They also might not realize that many of these people have families, some of whom have made their way to Wyoming without being fluent in English, making assimilation into the community difficult.

Fernandez-Medina remembers translating for her parents when she was just 6 years old, before she herself had a grasp on the English language. The problem, she said, is still present in the public school system.

Chispa has made it their goal to partner with Laramie County School District 1 in the future to provide translators and other services for students who are not fluent in English.

They've continued to counter such obstacles with events like a Halloween Trunk-or-Treat and an upcoming Christmas party, where the majority of attendees are Hispanic and/or Spanish-speaking. Community spaces like these can have a significant impact on those who have only recently immigrated.

"I think those people feel a little bit more safe going to smaller events, that they start coming in, and we get to meet them," Fernandez-Medina said. "I've met people from Guatemala, and I've never met anyone here from Guatemala. I speak Spanish, so I think that having that second language makes them feel better because somebody's actually talking to them in their language.

"I think that that also opens up that trust with the people."

The real goal for Chispa is providing advocacy and support for the Hispanic/Latino community in Laramie County. During past festivals, the organizers partnered with the American Red Cross — which will return to the event this year — and other health organizations that will offer free medical services for attendees.

Though there is a risk of perpetuating negative stigma toward those who have recently immigrated to the U.S., the organizers have considered hosting a booth of immigration lawyers to speak with attendees about their rights and help them through immigration paperwork, should they need guidance.

If nothing else, Chispa board members — Fernandez-Medina and Garcia, in particular — are brimming with potential opportunities for community involvement in the near future, including with local law enforcement and medical professionals. Of the highest priority is more involvement with the Hispanic youth of Laramie County, with more after-school programs and access to school supplies and clothing.

In addition to the Wyoming Latina Youth Conference, held annually in Laramie, they'd like to introduce a Latino Youth Conference. Other charity organizations like Grace for 2 Brothers and the Unaccompanied Students Initiative are also of interest.

Fostering a community is key for Chispa, and that's what the Cheyenne Hispanic Festival serves to provide — be that on the south, east, west or north side of the city.

"We want to continue to provide to the community, continue to educate on both sides, not only the Hispanic community, but also the Black communities and the white communities," Fernandez-Medina said. "All of us (need to) work together to be able to provide what we need to provide for our community, especially our children.

"That has been our biggest focus — building those relationships around the community."

Will Carpenter is the Wyoming Tribune Eagle's Arts and Entertainment/Features Reporter. He can be reached by email at wcarpenter@wyomingnews.com or by phone at 307-633-3135. Follow him on Twitter @will_carp_.