Exile, assimilation, broken roots, and lack of cultural identity-these words aren’t known to everybody. Sure, you can look them up in your Oxford, but to those fortunate enough to be born in this country the experience of these ideas will forever go unknown. These were the themes discussed at Segundas Lenguas, translated as Second Tongues: a literary event that went down at the Toronto Women’s Bookstore as a part of Salvador Allende Arts Festival for Peace. The goal of the event was to promote marginalized artists and cultures. Proceeds went to the Latin American Coalition Against Racism and the Latin American Artists organization.

     The Festival committee was put together last year by four Chilean-Rodrigo Barreda, Tamara Toledo, Lautaro Fuentes, and Leonel Leiva--to remember the 30th anniversary of the violent coup d’etat that occurred in Chile in 1973. The coup marked the death of Salvador Allende, Chile’s socialist president, as well as the death of what some have considered the only socialist government to win power within a democratic country.

     To this day, it is still debated how much responsibility the American government and the CIA had in the coup. With Allende having connections to Cuba and Castro, it seems fair to suggest that the US would have probably been more than willing to help Allende’s opponents.

     Those who stood behind Allende fled in exile after the coup, and one of the countries they fled to was Canada. So, a big part of what the festival is celebrating is home--both home in Canada and that of the homeland.

     Last year the festival consisted of a concert featuring plays, films, and musical performances. This year, however, Segundas Lenguas was added because one of the things Allende is remembered for is promoting literacy and the artistic voice of his people.

     The evening consisted of spoken poetry, a small play, and music by female artists. Despite the political connection to Allende, the evening was practically free of political or socialist driven ideas. Instead it was filled with powerful messages speaking on the hardships of being a minority and being heard.

     Some of the highlights included a play by three women who called themselves Lengua Latina, the music of Ana Raquel Ramirez and Oriana Barbato, and the inspiring spoken poetry of Nah-ee-lah. The play touched on topics such as “the need to bend, the need to blend” and questioning the meaning of a “successfully adapted immigrant.”

     Part of the amusement in the musical performance was that the women were dressed in complete contrast; one in jeans and a maroon top, the other in a brown flowing skirt that went to her feet and an olive-green, gold collared shirt with a white lace going around the sleeveless ends. A perfect blend of two worlds.

     Living in one of the most diverse countries in the world and attending a diverse school like UTSC, it is curious to see how little of the Latin culture is present in Canada, at UTSC, and in the media. And just to clarify, J. Lo is NOT Latin culture. To fix this dilemma, I propose this: Latino or not, everybody pick up a pen, musical instrument, camera, anything, and go represent. Find your cultural identity and show it off to the world.