Taylor Saniel dances during a Hispanic Heritage Month celebration at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan, Oct. 13, 2023. (Jonathan Snyder/Stars and Stripes)
MARINE CORPS AIR STATION IWAKUNI, Japan — Food, music and dancing — from traditional folk steps to salsa — highlighted a Hispanic Heritage Month celebration that drew scores of people at this base south of Hiroshima.
Hispanic Heritage Month, observed annually between Sept. 15 and Oct. 15, honors the cultures and contributions of both Hispanic and Latino Americans.
“It’s a good opportunity to let the community know and the little kids know where their parents come from,” event coordinator and Department of Defense employee Arsenio Pabon told Stars and Stripes during Friday’s celebration.
The event, held on MCAS Iwakuni’s northside track and field, placed a special emphasis on dancing, including salsa, a Latin American dance associated with music of the same name; bachata, from the Dominican Republic; and bomba, from Puerto Rico.
“We like food, music and dance,” Pabon said. “So, that’s our top three things we do as Latinos.”
Middle school art teacher Emilio Baez hangs a Puerto Rican flag during a Hispanic Heritage Month celebraton at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan, Oct. 13, 2023. (Jonathan Snyder/Stars and Stripes)
People decorate a Dia De Los Muertos mask during the Hispanic Heritage Month celebration at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan, Oct. 13, 2023. (Jonathan Snyder/Stars and Stripes)
Yarelis Coss and Aaron Ferguson perform a dance demonstration during a Hispanic Heritage Month celebration at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan, Oct. 13, 2023. (Jonathan Snyder/Stars and Stripes)
And those famished from dancing could reenergize with a variety of cuisine, including arroz con gandules, which is considered Puerto Rico’s national dish.
The Marine Corps has the largest percentage of Hispanic active-duty service members of all the military branches, according to a Department of Defense demographics report from 2020.
Among those is Sgt. Maj. Jorge Cedeno-Tulloch, who was born in Santa Maria, Panama.
The Headquarters and Headquarters Squadron sergeant major said his family left Panama for New York when he was 4 years old looking for better opportunities.
“Eventually, I joined the Marine Corps and went off to boot camp,” he told eventgoers. “And if it wasn’t for that experience, I would not have formed the relationships that I have today.”
Musicians and dancers celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan, Oct. 13, 2023. (Jonathan Snyder/Stars and Stripes)
Yarelis Coss and Aaron Ferguson perform a dance demonstration during a Hispanic Heritage Month celebration at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan, Oct. 13, 2023. (Jonathan Snyder/Stars and Stripes)
