Central Minnesota Celebrates Hispanic Heritage Through Two Immigrant Family Stories
SAUK RAPIDS (WJON News) -- A joint project is focusing on Hispanic immigration to Central Minnesota. Hispanic Heritage Month runs from September 15th through October 15th.
"Reina - A New Musical" is this Saturday at 3:00 p.m. at the Paramount Center for the Arts. As part of the event, it will feature a joint display with the Stearns History Museum and the Benton County Historical Society & Museum.
Benton County Executive Director Lacey Fontaine says she focused on two families with long ties to the county. Jose Alvero Saldana immigrated to the United States from Mexico in 1905 by himself when he was 12 years old.
He worked on farms, working his way up in the United States until eventually he settled in North Dakota. Then he got into an accident, fell off a train, and lost his arm. While recovering in the hospital, he met Ann Marie Heim, who happened to be from Benton County.
Jose and Anna married and moved to Rice, where they raised their family.
Another family featured in the display is the current Manea family, whose immigration story is different than the Saldana family.
The Cosgtallano family, in contrast, came later in the 1970s when Fidel Castro came to power in Cuba. Castro had seized their meat shop there, so they immigrated to the United States. I believe Connecticut first and then Minnesota.
Rolando and Aleida Castellanos immigrated to the United States from Cuba. Alina, their daughter, married Sauk Rapids native Don Manea in 1972 and settled in the US. Alina and Don came to Sauk Rapids in 1974, and Rolando and the rest of the family came in 1975. That is the year that Maneas Meats opened.
The event on Saturday is free to attend, but a ticket is required. You can reserve your ticket on the Paramount website.
Once a month, Fontaine is on the News @ Noon Show on WJON and talks about the forgotten history of Benton County.
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Gallery Credit: Stephen Lenz
