Barelas Mi Amor
Barelas Mi Amor
Orlando Lujan Martinez IWAA
In memory of Adela Martinez a New Mexican woman.
There comes a time in the lives of certain individuals when circumstances beyond their control forces them to stand up and be counted. it would be impossible to do otherwise.
In October 22, 2000 , the first institute of its kind in the United States, the forty million dollar national Hispanic center opened Its doors. It is located in the old historical district of Barales, in Albuquerque New Mexico.
His royal highness, Prince Felipe de burbon y Grecis of Spain, Vice president Al Gore, the mayor of Albuquerque, and many state and city officials attended the event. They were there to honor and respect the center and the Hispanic people of the United States and New Mexico.
Expressions Dance legacy, Los Lobos, Al Hurricane Sr. and Jr,, Cipriano Vigil and Los Folkloristas de Neevo Mexico, entertained the crowds of people of people attending the historical event. Plus a parade, Ehecati Aztec Dancers, and a photo essay of the people and the places of old Barelas were displayed in one of the galleries in the Center. Everyone was having a good time.
The Hispanic Cultural center is built on the land where fifty families, living on Manual Avenue Southwest, were removed by a court order that said move or we will move you. All but one person obeyed the order.
In the mid 1920s, Adela Martinez and her family moved into the house on manual avenue southwest in Barelas, The raven haired Adela had a happy childhood in the loving arms of La Familia on Manual Avenue Southwest where everyone was a good neighbor and they took care of each other.
Adela got married and happily lived in a house, close to her parents, on a tree shaded street. it was a wonderful place to live and to gather good memories
In the 1970s a part of Barelas was torn down to build an industrial park, compliments of the politicians and the business leaders, all in the name of progress. And no one stood up to the machine to say this land is endowed with memories.
In 1994 the powerful though they could move mountains. They told the people living on Manual Avenue southwest "We want to build a National Hispanic Cultural Center on this site and they had a court order for them to move. The families went like sheep with the money the city paid them to move but not Adela. When they asked her, a woman who could still hear the gentle whispers of that long-ago wonderful time, to move she said no.
We'll give you 119,000 dollars they said if you move. And there words " We want to build a National Hispanic Cultural Center the whole world will admire" meant nothing to Adela. Because there were those sweet memories in her head that she sometimes dreamed about as if they were just yesterday. No, a million dollars would not be enough, Not now not ever she said I won't move.
But your living in a bad neighborhood and the money will buy you a house in a safe place and if you don't move we will move you, they threatened. Not now not ever, Adela repeated from the castle of her memories.
The newspapers said Adela did not want to move because she had been living in the same house all her life. But they missed the point completely because it wasn't the house alone that was behind her determination not to move. It was something more powerful and gentle. It was the memories of her children playing in the yard, and the Mexicans/Hispanic Culture of Manual Avenue Southwest that had found a loving home in the heart, soul and mind of Adela.
Adela could not find the words to tell the powerful, the people that came to move her out of her house, about walking with her first boy friend pass the scent of lilac bushes under a beautiful moon. The thrill and the happiness she felt at the sight of her first baby, her children in the kitchen laughing before going to school or the loving arms of her husband on a cold winter night in the house on Manual Avenue Southwest.
Memories so beautiful that she could still see and feel on the day they ask her to move. Even if she had found the words to tell them. How could they understand. They were from a different world, another time. Don't you understand this is my home, was all she could say.
After the celebration the royal prince went back to Spain. Al Gore continued on he Campaign trial and the powerful went back to plotting the next section of Barelas that will be torn down in the name of progress.
Adelas' house of memories is still there surrounded by a huge parking lot. The national Hispanic Cultural center sits beyond a six foot adobe wall that surrounds the house.
Adela died in January 29, 2000, in the house she loved and in the arms of her beautiful memories. She is admired by many for standing up to the power of money. Government and the courts met their equal in Adela because they did not know that God was on her side.
Her son said, "My mom put her faith in God... God told her that, "don't worry you are not going to move. God bless my mother may she rest in peace."
Orlando Lujan Martinez IWAA
In memory of Adela Martinez a New Mexican woman.
There comes a time in the lives of certain individuals when circumstances beyond their control forces them to stand up and be counted. it would be impossible to do otherwise.
In October 22, 2000 , the first institute of its kind in the United States, the forty million dollar national Hispanic center opened Its doors. It is located in the old historical district of Barales, in Albuquerque New Mexico.
His royal highness, Prince Felipe de burbon y Grecis of Spain, Vice president Al Gore, the mayor of Albuquerque, and many state and city officials attended the event. They were there to honor and respect the center and the Hispanic people of the United States and New Mexico.
Expressions Dance legacy, Los Lobos, Al Hurricane Sr. and Jr,, Cipriano Vigil and Los Folkloristas de Neevo Mexico, entertained the crowds of people of people attending the historical event. Plus a parade, Ehecati Aztec Dancers, and a photo essay of the people and the places of old Barelas were displayed in one of the galleries in the Center. Everyone was having a good time.
The Hispanic Cultural center is built on the land where fifty families, living on Manual Avenue Southwest, were removed by a court order that said move or we will move you. All but one person obeyed the order.
In the mid 1920s, Adela Martinez and her family moved into the house on manual avenue southwest in Barelas, The raven haired Adela had a happy childhood in the loving arms of La Familia on Manual Avenue Southwest where everyone was a good neighbor and they took care of each other.
Adela got married and happily lived in a house, close to her parents, on a tree shaded street. it was a wonderful place to live and to gather good memories
In the 1970s a part of Barelas was torn down to build an industrial park, compliments of the politicians and the business leaders, all in the name of progress. And no one stood up to the machine to say this land is endowed with memories.
In 1994 the powerful though they could move mountains. They told the people living on Manual Avenue southwest "We want to build a National Hispanic Cultural Center on this site and they had a court order for them to move. The families went like sheep with the money the city paid them to move but not Adela. When they asked her, a woman who could still hear the gentle whispers of that long-ago wonderful time, to move she said no.
We'll give you 119,000 dollars they said if you move. And there words " We want to build a National Hispanic Cultural Center the whole world will admire" meant nothing to Adela. Because there were those sweet memories in her head that she sometimes dreamed about as if they were just yesterday. No, a million dollars would not be enough, Not now not ever she said I won't move.
But your living in a bad neighborhood and the money will buy you a house in a safe place and if you don't move we will move you, they threatened. Not now not ever, Adela repeated from the castle of her memories.
The newspapers said Adela did not want to move because she had been living in the same house all her life. But they missed the point completely because it wasn't the house alone that was behind her determination not to move. It was something more powerful and gentle. It was the memories of her children playing in the yard, and the Mexicans/Hispanic Culture of Manual Avenue Southwest that had found a loving home in the heart, soul and mind of Adela.
Adela could not find the words to tell the powerful, the people that came to move her out of her house, about walking with her first boy friend pass the scent of lilac bushes under a beautiful moon. The thrill and the happiness she felt at the sight of her first baby, her children in the kitchen laughing before going to school or the loving arms of her husband on a cold winter night in the house on Manual Avenue Southwest.
Memories so beautiful that she could still see and feel on the day they ask her to move. Even if she had found the words to tell them. How could they understand. They were from a different world, another time. Don't you understand this is my home, was all she could say.
After the celebration the royal prince went back to Spain. Al Gore continued on he Campaign trial and the powerful went back to plotting the next section of Barelas that will be torn down in the name of progress.
Adelas' house of memories is still there surrounded by a huge parking lot. The national Hispanic Cultural center sits beyond a six foot adobe wall that surrounds the house.
Adela died in January 29, 2000, in the house she loved and in the arms of her beautiful memories. She is admired by many for standing up to the power of money. Government and the courts met their equal in Adela because they did not know that God was on her side.
Her son said, "My mom put her faith in God... God told her that, "don't worry you are not going to move. God bless my mother may she rest in peace."