Hispanos Mano a Mano President Cristina Mateo, center, stands with two other people at last year’s annual Festival de Orange. This year’s event will be on Saturday, Sept. 22, and Sunday, Sept. 23, from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. on South Day Street.
ORANGE, NJ — The 10th annual Festival de Orange will be held on Saturday, Sept. 22, and Sunday, Sept. 23, from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. on South Day Street, hosted by Orange Board of Education member and Hispanos Mano a Mano President Cristina Mateo along with El Gavilan LLC and El Salvador Restaurant.
According to Mateo, the lineup of artists for this year’s event includes: K-Paz de la Sierra, Sonora Dinamita, Banda Feroz, Jose Lora, La Flama de Mexico, Grupo Halley, Grupo Coherencia, Impacto Positivo, Los Infieles de Linares, K3 de Mexico, Javier Monthiel, Grupo Kontacto, Grupo Truendo, DJ Joshi and DJ Kenny. She also said this year’s event is significant because it’s the first Festival de Orange since the end of Temporary Protection Status for 200,000 El Salvadorans, who have been allowed to live and work in the United States since two devastating earthquakes ravaged their home country.
In 2017, the Trump administration revoked the TPS protections for 58,000 Haitians living and working in the United States, after the earthquake that devastated their Caribbean island country in 2010. And U.S. Congress has not yet come up with a legislative replacement for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals policy, which allows children of illegal immigrants to remain here legally. So, the fate of the thousands of immigrant children brought to this country by their parents is still up in the air.
“We are trying our best to make sure our families stay informed and united,” said Mateo on Sunday, Sept. 16. “In our community, it is very easy for families to be confused or even misguided. However, education is the key and, if we keep them informed, united and strong, we can ensure them that, even if many of us do not vote, we — our children — have the power to change even presidential elections.”
Mateo said the annual Festival de Orange’s timing on the calendar has always been important but, in light of the ongoing issues regarding immigration, DACA recipients and immigrant access to the American dream, this year’s festival will have added significance.
“September is Hispanic Heritage Month and this is the period of time where we come together to celebrate one of the greatest contributions of our community and our people and our culture to this great nation,” Mateo said. “We will continue to contribute to the growth of the nation, because we believe that this is the land of all. Please join us this weekend.”
For more information about Hispanos Mano a Mano and the annual Festival de Orange, call 908-502-8344 or 973-449-3701.
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