Inkwatu

(Image credits for above posters:
SPIFFS; left — right)

SPIFFS, or the St. Petersburg International Folk Fair Society, just concluded its highly successful International Folk Fair (poster above on left). Earlier this year, I attended the Asia Pacific rim Festival (poster above on right), which is under the aegis of SPIFFS. That was such a pleasurable event I knew I didn’t want to miss the SPIFFS’ International Folk Fair. SPIFFS is comprised of at least 30 different ethnic/cultural groups (see their member list). They describe themselves as “the only independent multiethnic organization of its kind in the United States… founded in 1975 as an umbrella organization of ethnic groups who joined together to present a festival during the US Bicentennial Celebration.”

Their efforts extend far beyond just presenting the Folk Fair; they provide valuable services to the entire community including a “Speakers Bureau - Folk Artists and ethnic resource volunteers [who] visit area schools and other community venues to discuss the heritage of their ethnic group, share their music, dance, arts and crafts, and sometimes demonstrate ethnic food specialties” and a “Language Bank - More than 100 individuals handling more than 30 different languages and dialects [who] serve as translators and interpreters for the community in courts, hospitals and schools and assist local city and county officials with translations for visiting dignitaries.” (Above quotes from their website.)

SONG AND DANCE

The fair featured a concert stage with a continuously playing show of a wide variety of ethnic performing arts that extended from the Native American Iron Horse Singers and Dancers through representation from Indian Bollywood to various Celtic pipes and drums soloists and groups. I admit that one of my favorite instruments is bagpipes. I also enjoy accordions…so many may consider my taste suspect. The instant the pipes first start to play, my blood roars and, quite literally, tears of joy come to my eyes.

Fittingly, my favorite article of clothing is the kilt! Fashion, music, and dancing were colorfully constant on the stage with a fashion show of models in traditional ethnic attire. Singers, musicians and dancers swirled and clogged away from many cultures: Greek, Italian, Spanish, Chinese, Indian, Filipino, Thai, Hmong, Finnish, Laotian, Russian, Ukrainian, Polish, Serbian, Slavic, Scott, Irish, Dundu-dole African…and some I’ve probably overlooked! There was even a German Oompah-pah Polka Band with dancers polka-ing and waltzing. That brought back memories of childhood when my father was one of the first English speaking Methodist pastors in the German-American community of Belleville, Illinois, where most of the “top 40” tunes on the local AM radio were polkas.

There were some strictly musical performances, which included songs of Europe, Eastern musical ensembles, Asian drummers, reggae, Italian, Vietnamese, Portuguese performers, and Hispanic highlights. Just walking around the fair one facet of immigrant life warms the heart: seeing the original cultures being passed down from generation to generation. Grandparents, parents, and children were all there with varying degrees of “Americanization” apparent in each generation, yet respect for, and continuation of, important cultural traditions are not being lost. An example was the performance at the fair of SPICE (the St. Petersburg International Children’s Ensemble).

As you can tell, if you’ve read any of my other postings, I have a special fondness for things Asian. SPIFFS doesn’t disappoint: there were Asian Martial Arts from the highly energetic to serene Taoist Tai-chi; the colorful Dragon Dance (the picture below case part of that costume), exotic Eastern dances, and Polynesian, Tongan, Fijian, and Samoan performances including a Fire Dance.

POLITICS

Many thoughts cross one’s mind wandering around an event such as this. One, in particular—given current events—is that politics is never far from any aspect of human life, especially geographical boundaries and identities.

A case in point was the beautiful and expansive Native American display. These were the first Americans. ALL the rest of us are the descendents of–if I may say so–“illegal,” immigrants! The Native Americans’ forefathers may have come from somewhere else also, but they were definitely here first. It was good to see Native Americans represented at the fair! Florida has a thriving Native American population with a culture far beyond the Hard Rock Casino! You might check out these links to Florida Pow-wows here and here.

Another case in point is the Hmong people, a brave people without a country of their own who now mostly live in Laos where they are persecuted and killed. They are people who our government abandoned to this fate after the Hmong assisted the US during the Indochina conflict. Regardless of one’s attitude about that–or any–war, doesn’t our government have a responsibility to give refuge to those, such as the Hmong, who suffer because of us? I was very glad to see the Hmong represented at both the Pacific Rim festival and the Folk Fair. I heard many visitors ask them (as I did), “Who are you…?” Then the Hmong were able to tell their story.

I also find it heartening that, within the secular crucible of the American experience, groups that, perhaps, in their original homelands are at odds, seem to coexist (love that bumper sticker) and flourish side by side here. I believe America’s single greatest value lies in the cultural mix of its immigrant population…not to mention the wonderful panoply of new recipes immigrants bring to our shores!

FOODS

There were too many wonderful foods to mention (or eat) every item. Here are just a few examples that visually caught my eye. Thai carved melons…

Turkish spinach pies…

…and a Portuguese column of paper flowers and rolls of bread that are carried on “tabuleriros” (trays) on the heads of girls in a yearly procession called “Festa Dos Tabuleriros” (Festival of Trays).

Deciding which culture’s food to have for lunch was an almost impossible task. Eventually, I went with my favorite, Thai. I ate my lunch not far from these Theravada monks enjoying their lunch under the shade of a tree beside the Thai pavilion.

It’s easy to see why school kids are bused in for Thursday and Friday of the International Folk Fair every year. This is an event that will broaden the perspective of any child…and, hopefully, any adult.

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