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Feature: Spanish heritage day celebrated at Houston rodeo

Xinhua, March 18, 2015 Adjust font size:

The Spaniards who in the 1500s brought livestock competitions to what became part of South America, Mexico and the western United States could never have imagined that one day in 2015, their work and cultural festivities would be honored during the world's largest rodeo.

More than 155,000 people - 26,406 more visitors than last year - turned out at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo's Go Tejano Day on Sunday, a day set aside in the March 3-22 rodeo to honor Hispanic heritage, which includes the concept of the rodeo itself.

Linda Alonzo-Saenz, 57, an executive member of the Rodeo's Go Tejano Day Committee, said the creation of the special day to encourage people of Hispanic culture to attend the Houston rodeo has proven to be a success in celebrating the heritage of Texas.

"Tejano is translation of Texas in Spanish and Go Tejano Day started in order to get more involvement from the Hispanic community, just as the rodeo started as a Spanish tradition," Alonzo-Saenz said. "Spanish got here and brought longhorn and other cattle - and what would be more obvious than to blend with the native Western culture already here (Native Americans) and then adding all the diverse cultures that now make up Texas."

The Go Tejano Day Committee honors not just Hispanic people, but all the people who support the events that make up the rodeo, including agricultural and scholarship events.

The idea of having a single day to commemorate Hispanic heritage is a misnomer, she said, since the Go Tejano Day Committee works all year long, staging events to help raise funds for student scholarships

"In October, we have the fashion show and dance. In February, a scholarship gala," Alonzo-Saenz said. "The Go Tejano Food booth runs during the 20 days of the rodeo, just like a restaurant...Our main goal is to support the students with scholarships. Last year, we gave away 18,000 (U.S. dollars) in scholarships."

Go Tejano Day festivities also include live entertainment featuring popular recording artists, and the Fiesta Charr, a colorful exhibition of traditional Mexican folk dance, music and horseback riding.

There are two other special days at the rodeo to honor Texas heritage. They include Go Texan Day, which is held before the rodeo even begins. During that day, the rodeo encourages schools, businesses, organizations and clubs to dress in Western clothes and help build pride in Texas and Western heritage.

The other special day is Black Heritage Day, which honors African American cowboy tradition and was held on March 6 this year. Day-long festivities included live entertainment, school bands, choirs and dance teams, and historical displays around the grounds. Endi