Gabriel Escobedo

Learning from other cultures—and your own

Gabriel, a Ph.D. student in anthropology of dance, is starting his third year as a graduate assistant at La Casa. When he walks through the door, he is hit by the bright colors and the aroma of food. He asks, “Is someone making tortillas?”

There are smiling faces, people yelling and poking fun, then laughing hysterically. There are desks and chairs, but quickly you learn this isn’t a place for work. This is a place for community.

It’s also a place for learning—and that word is used broadly at La Casa. It could mean free tutoring and other academic support. Or, it could mean educational outreach, sharing Latin culture and social issues with the IU community and beyond. Gabriel says he’s learned a lot about his own culture and what it means to be a Latino in the United States. Most importantly, he’s learned how to share that with others.

“I’m Mexican-American, but I never knew what that meant. I’ve never been Mexican enough or American enough. I always felt like the hyphen in between. It took me a long time to realize that the hyphen in between could either keep the two words apart or bridge them together. The difference is how I choose to use my identity. That’s why I do all this. I want to be the bridge.”

One of the many ways Gabriel is bridging that gap is through dance.

Gabriel, whose Ph.D. specialization is in Latin dance, began using La Casa’s space to teach some friends a few moves. La Casa’s administrators were so impressed with his passion and appreciation for dance and Latin culture that they asked him to create a cultural dance series that would cover a variety of Latin dances.

That evolved into Paso a Paso, a series of community salsa workshops he hosts throughout the year. The program offers a comprehensive cultural approach to first understanding the history and mindset behind the dances, then learning the steps. Gabriel invites Latino students to get in touch with their roots, but also encourages IU students and the public at large to learn about Latin culture and embrace the way of life and community that comes with the dances.

The program is not only meant to bring Latino students or the Latino community together, but also to share with non-Latinos what it means to be Latino. Some community members come to the workshops, but stay on the periphery.

“It shows that they are curious,” said Gabriel. “The community is accepting, but they might not understand it yet. I’m working to show them that Paso a Paso is not just a workshop. It’s a cultural experience open to everyone.”