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Culture Club

Uncovering Aztec roots helps Latinos cope with the present.

Edited by Thomas K. Arnold

JUAN CARLOS MACEDA’S FATHER died when he was 6, leaving him—like a lot of boys in his neighborhood—without a positive male role model.

“I didn’t know what ‘being a man’ was,” he says.

That changed when, as a seventh-grader, Maceda joined Izcalli, a nonprofit organization that promotes positive self-image by teaching San Diego’s Chicano community about Aztec culture, history and art. Izcalli—the name means “house of reawakening” in the Aztec language of Nahuatl—was founded in 1993 by a group of local activists who believe knowledge of one’s roots provides the foundation for strength, self-empowerment and success.

“Learning about our people, our culture, where we come from—it was powerful,” Maceda says. His two younger brothers noticed the positive influence Izcalli had on Maceda and also joined.

Now 21, Maceda works at the Logan Heights Health Center as a health educator and attends San Diego City College. He’s a mentor with Izcalli’s men’s group, Circulo de Hombres, which hosts its eighth annual Men’s Gathering September 2-4 in Campo.

The Circulo de Hombres number around 300, divided into small groups around the county that meet weekly. The annual gathering promotes dialogue among members, who come from all ages and walks of life— from lawyers and professors to construction workers and mechanics. The gathering gives the men a forum to discuss issues they face and share their feelings, shattering machismo stereotypes.

“Now I know it’s okay for a guy to cry; it’s okay to show feelings,” Maceda says.

Izcalli also offers a program for women called Cihua Ollin; Teatro Izcalli, a theater group that performs original plays raising awareness of social issues; and a summer program. Still in the works: an Aztec dance program, Danza Izcalli.

Run by volunteers, the organization just wrapped up its free summer program at the MAAC Community Charter School in Chula Vista. More than 500 children and adults from all over the southland have participated in the program.

“Everyone who has gone through [Izcalli] has gone on to do better things,” Maceda says.

Like Edith Saldivar. Growing up in a single-parent household, she was torn between her hard-working mom and her trouble-making cousins. Headed down a path toward incarceration, Saldivar took a turn for the better. She credits Izcalli: “I learned about positive life choices.” She just earned a master’s degree from UCSD and is working as a Girl Scout camp director in Vista.

Izcalli’s programs are free. Participants are expected to give back to the group by mentoring, teaching younger members about their trades or giving them a shot at a job. More info: izcalli.org or 619-907-7030. —ANGELIQUE FLORES

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