e-culture: WE'RE MOVING, The Grapefruit, Asian Americans, Accordion Kings
May 26, 2005


IN THIS ISSUE

We're Moving - to the Rice Village
Young Scholars Travel to Arizona
Hard Road to America for Asians
The Grapefruit by Loida Casares Ruiz
Nuestra Musica at the Smithsonian
Accordion Kings Return June 5
More Houston Events


In our newsletter we promote interest in Houston events and regional activities that offer cultural and social interest. Along the way we mention events and conferences we organize. But we want to briefly let you know about some big changes and about some of our other programs.

Houston Institute for Culture is moving to 5555 Morningside in the Rice Village. Our new facility will serve as a visitor center for Houstonians and culture-seeking tourists to learn about opportunities for cultural education and greater community involvement in our region.

For individuals the new center may be a place to pick up free passes for independent film screenings, find out about interesting opportunities, or donate to our effort to deliver health care and comfort items to Texas-Mexico border communities.

For organizations the new center will help them distribute tickets for events when they are not sold through commercial outlets, and it will be available for meetings for non-profit organizations with educational missions.

For writers and musicians the center will sell locally produced music and books that explore the cultural history and diversity of our region.

Central to many Houston communities, as well as the Museum District, Texas Medical Center, Hermann Park, Miller Outdoor Theatre, Rice University, and more, the visitor center will be a convenient location for Houstonians and travelers to pick up information about our region, from Houston's diverse and eclectic traditions to regional historic sites, like the newly designated El Camino Real National Historic Trail north of the city.

The main focus of the new space is cultural education activities, including a planned cultural awareness exhibit on Sikh Americans and a dia de los muertos altar in October. We will keep you informed about opportunities to visit us in the upcoming months and the resources we hope to make available to the community with this new outreach facility.

There is a great deal more to let you know about, but we will save some of the excitement for future newsletters.

Learn more about our visitor center:
http://www.cultural-crossroads.com

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Young Scholars Travel to Arizona

A group of young scholars leave on Saturday morning, May 28, for Camp Dos Cabezas, where they will learn how a volcanic eruption 1,000 times greater than Mount St. Helens created the unique geological formations found in the Chiricahua National Monument. The Pilgrim Elementary students will explore the tall spires and pinnacles of the Chiricahua Apache homeland, called the "Land of Standing Up Rocks," and visit Jesuit missions in the Pimeria Alta.

The camp will take place from May 28 - June 5, 2005 in three southeast Arizona counties. As they hike and tour museums in fifteen national, state and local parks, participants in the educational adventure camp will discover the histories of many cultures in the United States, from Serbian and Chinese miners to African American Buffalo Soldiers, through their roles in the Western and Mexican frontiers.

Camp Dos Cabezas is organized by Houston Institute for Culture to help children develop interests in academic subjects and offer them the experience of a lifetime to achieve success in their lives. Children who participate in the camp will have the opportunity to take part in additional educational programs when they return to Houston. The educational activities will prepare the children to give presentations about their camp experience for peer groups and educators who will value their knowledge. The activities will be facilitated by the LITE Lab (Laboratory for Innovative Technology in Education) at the University of Houston, and the Houston Institute for Culture.

By staying active in the continuing program, and by remaining involved in school, children who have attended Camp Dos Cabezas will be eligible to attend another education camp after they turn 14 years old. Camp Chaco is planned to take place in the four corners region of Arizona, Colorado and New Mexico. From painted deserts to the large prehistoric dwelling, Cliff Palace, in Mesa Verde National Park, the camp will develop the children's interests in areas of anthropology and geology, and many more subjects.

We look forward to letting you know more about the success of this pilot program and things you can do to make this phenomenal experience available to more children by being a mentor or supporter when we return to Houston in early June.

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Hard Road to America for Asians

Michelle Ong provides us with an overview of the paths many Asians followed in coming to the United States, and the hardships, prejudice and persecution many faced along the way.

Read more Asian-Pacific American History by Michelle Ong:
http://www.houstonculture.org/cultures/asian.html

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The Grapefruit by Loida Casares Ruiz

Loida Casares Ruiz, a Houston writer who has been heard on KPFT's Nuestra Palabra, offers us a great story for the summer from her father's memories of the Rio Grand Valley.

THE GRAPEFRUIT - A Short Story by Loida Casares Ruiz:
http://www.houstonculture.org/hispanic/grapefruit.html

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Accordion Kings Return June 5

Austin-based Texas Foklife Resources returns to Houston with the 16th Annual Accordion Kings concert at Miller Outdoor Theatre on June 4. The free concert, which has for many years offered an outstanding showcase of our region's diverse music history, will feature Texas legend Flaco Jimenez and Santiago Jimenez Jr. In addition to Tejano and Conjunto, Ed Poullard and Les Amis Creole and Vrazel's Polka Band will highlight the Czech, German and Creole heritage of southeast Texas.

As one of Texas' most influential and recognized musicians, Flaco Jimenez began his recording career in the mid 1950s in San Antonio, and worked with Henry Zimmerle, Freddie Fender and the Texas Tornados along the way. He has recorded with legendary peers in other musical genres, including John Hiatt, Dwight Yoakum and Willie Nelson.

All of the musicians on this year's Accordion Kings lineup are worth braving the Houston humidity for, but an appearance by one of Texas' highest caliber musicians, Flaco Jimenez is a "don't miss" opportunity.

Free
Saturday, June 4, 7:00 - 11:00pm
Miller Outdoor Theatre in Hermann Park
512-441-9255

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Nuestra Musica at the Smithsonian

We will enjoy two weekends in Washington, DC during the Smithsonian Folklife Festival Latino Music Initiative, visit the National Museum of the American Indian, and celebrate Caribbean Carnival in the nation's capitol. In addition to Latino music, the Folklife Festival will also feature the nation of "Oman: Desert, Oasis, and Sea", "Food Culture USA", and "Forest Service, Culture and Community". Taking the Amtrak to New York for an optional side adventure, we will tour the historic Lower East Side, enjoy international restaurants and traditional delis, hear Puerto Rican plena and bomba music in the parks, and enjoy some Italian traditions on Staten Island. All local transportation in the two cities will use the inexpensive rail systems and most of the events and museums we will visit offer free admission.

SMITHSONIAN FOLKLIFE FESTIVAL and NYC ADVENTURE, June 25 - July 4, 2005
($550 for lodging; transportation and meals not included.)


On a tour of the culturally rich landscape of New Mexico and Arizona, we will enjoy the Gallup Intertribal Ceremonial and attend Matachines dances commemorating the Fiesta de San Lorenzo, on the anniversary of the Pueblo Revolt, at area pueblos. We will also visit Museum of International Folk Art and other units of the Museum of New Mexico, and enjoy great southwestern food.

LAND OF ENCHANTMENT and LAKE POWELL PHOTO WORKSHOP, August 6 - 14, 2005
($680 for lodging and transportation; meals not included.)


In addition to great fun and educational opportunities, very low cost is always a characteristic of our travel programs. Even our New York City and Washington DC trips are reasonable, with lodging under $50.00 per night and minutes from the National Mall in DC and in Gramercy Park adjacent to NYC's Union Square (a real bargain for anyone familiar with the usually high prices in these touristy destinations). We've always said these adventures are great for students, or anyone on a student budget.

Contact us at 713-521-3686, or info@houstonculture,org, to learn more about these and future trips.

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More Houston Events

KAL-KE-KALAAKAAR
Talent Extraordinaire - the next generation of dancers and musicians from India Presented by SAMSKRITI Society for Indian Performing Arts

The artists:

RANJANI RAMACHANDRAN, disciple of renowned gurus Ulhas Kashalkar & Veena Sahasrabuddhe, and a rising star in the world of Hindustani vocal music, is all set to capture audiences in the US on her maiden tour of this country.

PT. SHANTILAL SHAH, disciple of the great Pt. Suresh Talwalkar, is a tabla maestro par excellence, and has accompanied many of the best known Hindustani vocalists in the world. He currently lives and teaches Tabla in Houston.

SHAMBHAVI VAZE & PARIMAL PHADKE, Kathak and Bharatanatyam artists in their own right, have come together to present an unusual blend of the North & South in classical dance, SANGAM is their latest artistic esperiment.

UPASANA UPADHYAY is a disciple of Padma Sree Alarmel Valli and equally at home at Yoga or Bharatanatyam. She is presently here at the invitation of AAPI, to teach Yoga and perform at their forthcoming convention in Houston.

Saturday, June 4, 2005, 4:00pm
Heinnen Theater, Houston Community College
3517 Austin at Holman
Tickets: $25 & $15 (3 Programs for the price of 1)
Anjali Center: 281-265-ARTS (2787)
http://www.samskritihouston.org



Thank you for supporting great educational and cultural activities.

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M  a  r  k @houstonculture.org


Traditions of Mexico:
http://www.houstonculture.org/mexico

Latino Music Initiative:
http://www.houstonculture.org/musica

Texas-Mexico Border Issues:
http://www.houstonculture.org/border