Tuesday, January 14, 2025
Maribel Canestro, the founder of the Valley Stream Latino Society, actively looks for opportunities to celebrate the achievements, traditions, diversity, and vibrant culture of Hispanic and Latin Americans.
This month’s observance of Hispanic Heritage Month is a celebration of deep cultural roots and inspired the second annual Dia de Domin earlier this month, which combined competition and camaraderie, complete with traditional food, music, and mingling.
Canestro, a 20-year resident of Valley Stream, grew up in Brooklyn and fondly remembers her father and uncles engaging in this all-time favorite cultural game and pastime, and stresses the importance of keeping this part of the culture alive for generations to come.
“They were old-school players,” she said, “and we need to make it cool again for the kids.”
While she enjoyed attending the many community events in Valley Stream over the years, she started the Valley Stream Latino Society, a grass-roots organization that relies on volunteers, to fill what she felt was a void.
“There’s a large Hispanic community here in Valley Stream, and there was a strong desire to connect with our neighbors,” Canestro said. “And it’s all about collaboration, of reaching out and finding a sense of belonging with other groups.”
Those other groups include Long Island organizations and fellow sponsors Latina Moms Connect, Puerto Rican Coalition for a Better Community, and the Valley Stream VFW, which also donated the space for the event.
Angel Roldan, a member of Latino Society, produced the idea for the event while looking for fellow domino players.
“I wanted other people to experience what I did growing up: hearing the click-click movement of the game at parties and get-togethers,” Roldan said.
“It’s those childhood memories and love for the game that led me to suggest this event. It brings a bit of happiness, and it’s something positive that can be passed down to the kids.”
Candido Crestco, president of the Puerto Rican Coalition, which also provides scholarships for high school students, agrees that the game is “in our homes, and in our blood.”
Both Roldan and Crestco were there to teach the children how to play. The game consists of four players that make up two teams, and is a game of “strategy, memory, and teamwork.” Originating in China in the 13th century, dominos made its way to the western world, where it became a significant part of the Hispanic and Caribbean culture, particularly in Puerto Rico and Cuba, as well as Jamaica and Ghana, ethnicities that were also in attendance that day as players seated at the colorful domino tables.
Dorothy Santana, president of Latin Moms Connect, looks to create these immersive types of experiences for children.
“They may have heard their parents and grandparents talk about dominos, and now they have an opportunity to learn the game and experience it for themselves and engage in some of these traditions,” Santana said. “It enriches us, and it nurtures our kids’ identity and pride as Hispanic Americans.”
Have an opinion on this article? Send an email to jlasso@liherald.com.
