Cultural Conservation and Languages: America's Many Voices

America's Many Voices - the third in a series of Cultural Conservation programs that began in 1985 - addressed the importance of language in the preservation of cultural traditions. Spanish speakers from Texas, Chinese speakers from New York, Lao speakers from Virginia and Maryland, and English speakers from North Carolina challenged Festival audiences to hear the beauty of their voices, to understand the social significance of their languages, and to grasp meanings sometimes not easily translated. The theme was chosen to coincide with the Bicentennial of the U.S. Constitution, and looked back in part to the wisdom of the early patriots for guidance concerning present-day social problems and issues. In 1987, as in 1787, America's linguistic diversity and cultural variety were seen by some as threats to national unity and by others as a primary resource for national strength; the Festival advocated the latter approach. In addition to musical performances from several of the featured communities and a full program of narrative sessions, ongoing demonstrations included (in the Mexican American area) saddle making, barbacoa cookery, toymaking, quilting, and a sacred procession each day of the Matachines group from Laredo, Texas, through the Cultural Conservation area; (in the Appalachian American area), the skills and lore of tobacco farming and the stories of hunters and their dogs; (in the Chinese American area), toymaking, face painting, and occupation lore of laundry operatators. The Lao American area included floral arts, weaving, wood carving, basket making, rocket making, and, on Sunday June 28, an all day celebration of Boun Bang Fai, the Lao Rocket Festival, which included religious ceremonies, sports, music, dance, and a rocket competition. Frank Proschan was Curator of the Cultural Conservation program and Todd DeGarmo was Program Coordinator.

Fieldworkers Norma Cantú, Fay Chiang, Glenn Hinson, Mary Anne McDonald, Mario Montaño, Kingsavanh Pathammavong, Frank Proschan Research Assistance Charles Camp, Carol Kulig, Susan Levitas, Mary Scherbatskoy, John Kuo Wei Tchen, Margaret Yuen

Charles Camp, Norma Cantú, Fay Chiang, Carol Compton, Mary Greene, Glenn Hinson, Suzi Jones, Susan Levitas, Alfred Lui, Tim Lloyd, Mario Montaño, Phouratsamy Naughton, Kingsavanh Pathammavong, Suzanne Seriff, Mary Scherbatskoy, John Kuo Wei Tchen, Wang Chang Wei

Appalachian Americans Bessie Mae Eldreth, 1913-, ballad singer, cook, Boone, North Carolina Colonel Francis, tobacco farmer, Crumpler, North Carolina Laura Milton Hodges, teacher, tobacco farmer, cultural spokesperson, Vilas, North Carolina Roy Lee Hodges, Jr., tobacco farmer, Vilas, North Carolina Jack Lawrence, Sr., fox hunter, Boone, North Carolina Arvie Miller, 1930-, storekeeper, tobacco farmer¬, Boone, North Carolina Judy Norris, 1939-, tobacco farmer, Sugar Grove, North Carolina R. Dudley Norris, 1938-, tobacco farmer, Sugar Grove, North Carolina Jean Reid, 1961-, ballad singer, Lenoir, North Carolina Arvill Scott, 1953-, tobacco farmer, musician, Lansing, North Carolina Rita Francis Scott, 1953-, tobacco farmer, musician, Lansing, North Carolina Joseph Spencer Stephens, 1936-, storekeeper, tobacco farmer, Creston, North Carolina R. Howard Woodring, 1937-, coon hunter, Boone, North Carolina Chinese Americans Danny Chang, cook, New York, New York Kui Wu Chen, 1943-, calligrapher, face and palm reader, New York, New York Chinatown Senior Center Orchestra, musicians, New York, New York -- Chinatown Senior Center Orchestra, musicians, New York, New YorkJ.L. Jong Olmos Chan, musician, New York, NYLeong Nan Li, musician, New York, NYTon P. Hom, 1916-, musician¬, New York, NYPeter S. Lee, musician, New York, NYChing To Hau, musician¬, New York, NYPan Sau Chan, musician¬, New York, NYHon Cheung Tsang, musi¬cian, New York, NY Shu-Min Fung, 1941-, dancer, Brooklyn, New York Mei-Jiun Mai, dancer, Scotch Plains, New Jersey Gum Wong Troy, 1923-, laundry worker, Rockville, Maryland May King Troy, 1924-, cook, Rockville, Maryland Ngan Hang Tung, 1923-, Peking Opera master, New York, New York Yung-ching Yeh, 1942-, children's games, New York, New York Chan Shek Yu, shopkeeper, Scotch Plains, New Jersey Margaret Yuen, 1952-, dancer, cultural spokesperson, New York, New York Lao Americans Soulisack Bannavong, 1965-, woodcarver, Silver Spring, Maryland Bout Chanthavilay, 1930-, weaver, Alexandria, Virginia Khamvay Insixiengmay, 1939-, weaver, Woodbridge, Virginia Phouangphaka Khamvongsa, 1942-, cook, candle maker, Springfield, Virginia So Khamvongsa, 1919-, musician, Springfield, Virginia Bounmy Kittiphanh, 1937-, Buddhist monk, Catlett, Virginia Onechanh Luthongchak, 1945-, mohlam singer, Takoma Park, Maryland Chandaphone Mingsisouphanh, 1954-, Buddhist monk, Catlett, Virginia Thinat Nachampasack, 1950-, musician, Springfield, Virginia Sangvane Pathammavong, floral arts, Arlington, Virginia Vath Phimmakaysone, 1940-, basket maker, cultural spokesperson, Hyattsville, Maryland Khampiang Simmanakhot, 1952-, musician, Walkersville, Maryland Bounsavath Soulamany, 1930-, rocket maker, Alexandria, Virginia Sing Soulamany, 1942-, weaver, Alexandria, Virginia Thongtanh Souvannaphanh, 1937-, musician, Springfield, Virginia Mexican Americans Cipriano Cedillo, 1915-, toymaker, -- barbacoa -- cook, Laredo, Texas Los Matachines de Ladrillero, -- sacred processional dancers, Laredo, Texas -- Los Matachines de Ladrillero, sacred processional dancers, Laredo, TexasFlorencio Ortiz, Jr., Matachines musician, Laredo, TexasTeresita Gonzales, Matachines dancer, Laredo, TexasGuadalupe Ortiz, Matachines dancer, Laredo, TexasJavier Castillo, Matachines dancer, Laredo, TexasJuan Castillo, Matachines dancer, Laredo, TexasAlonzo Ortiz, Matachines dancer, Laredo, TexasMaximo Morales, Matachines dancer, Laredo, TexasPete Ortiz, Matachines dancer, Laredo, TexasViviano Solano, Matachines dancer, Laredo, TexasLeticia Layton, Matachines dancer, Laredo, TexasMelissa Gonzales, Matachines dancer, Laredo, TexasErica Velasquez, Matachines dancer, Laredo, TexasCarlo Ortiz, Matachines dancer, Laredo, Texas José Martinez-Coronado, 1923-, saddle maker, leather worker, Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, Mexico Cecilio Santos, 1950-, -- banisteria -- , woodcarver, Laredo, Texas Maria Paredes Solis, 1923-, quilt maker, San Ygnacio, Texas