Tulare County League of Mexican-American Women (TCLMAW) was founded in 1979 by five Tulare County Mexican-American women who were dedicated to educating and increasing the knowledge of women in Tulare County through activities such as conferences, workshops, and community projects.  This dedication continues today.  The TCLMAW…
Started in 2005, Grupo Folklórico Juan Colorado offers free Mexican folkórico (folk dance) instruction to students of Planada Elementary School in Planada, California.  The group is voluntarily taught and directed by committed community member Carolina Arceo. A grant from ACTA’s Living Cultures Grants Program in 2015…
Proyecto Purépecha was created with the mission to create an extensive and vibrant Purépecha (a native people of Michoacán, Mexico) community in the San Joaquin Valley and California at large.  Proyecto Purépecha works to restore and flourish Purépecha food, language, music, and dance in the Mexicano/Michoacano community residing in the San Joaquin…
Salvador Ramírez learned how to play the guitar and violin from an aunt in his hometown of San Juan Mixtepec, Oaxaca, Mexico.  He has been playing Mixtec (indigenous Oaxacan) chilena music for over twenty years, and is often invited to play at baptisms, weddings, and community festivals throughout Central California.
Fresno-based United Cultures exists to educate, promote, and disseminate the arts, culture, and gastronomy of all the Latino world.  Their mission is to create and encourage economic opportunities and new avenues of expression for all Latino art forms. In 2012, ACTA’s Development Program supported United Cultures’ consultancy with CPA Emmett…
Filipino American arts, culture, and advocacy
The Modesto Cambodian Buddhist Society is a beacon for the Khmer community, preserving the cultural and spiritual heritage of the Cambodian people and supporting sustainable progress for growth and prosperity. With its support, the Cambodian classical dance troupe grew from six beginners to 40 trained dancers.
Deshilado (des-ē-lah’-do), or Mexican openwork embroidery, is traditionally used on household items such as tablecloths, napkins, and linens.  Openwork embroidery is the art of removing threads from a fabric to create a design over which embroidery is made. Patricia Zavala de Arias learned deshilado from her mother in her hometown…
In 2013, the Asociation de la Pelota Mixteca de California Central received funding from ACTA’s Living Cultures Grants Program for the Festival de la Pelota Mixteca, taking place each weekend between May and June.  The Oaxcan game of pelota is played by men utilizing an ornate…
Grupo Cultura Yoso Nuu Viko was formed in 2008 by parents and youth interested in preserving and transmitting indigenous Mixtec traditions and culture, specifically traditional sones and chilenas of the San Juan Mixtepec region of Oaxaca.  Played on violins and guitars, this music plays a crucial role during social events such…