Photo: Chaiel Schaffel/WBZ NewsRadio
BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — With National Hispanic Heritage Month underway, the Veronica Robles Cultural Center in East Boston is slammed.
The arts and culture organization hosts events year-round in the Greater Boston area. The month runs from Sept. 15 until Oct. 15., which coincides with the independence days of numerous Latin American and South American countries.
“We have shows every day, food and entertainment,” Veronica Robles, the owner of the culture center, told WBZ NewsRadio.
However, she said that with the recent surge in ICE raids on immigrant communities in Greater Boston has deterred more people from attending these public festivities this year.
Read more: City Of Everett Cancels Fourth Annual Fiesta Del Rio Citing ICE Raids
“So many people are afraid,” she explained. “They don’t want to go out. The just want to go do their work and come back to their houses which is understandable.”
Robles said that the organization’s recent Viva Mexico Festival in Boston was a testament to the declining engagement.
“Last year, we had like 10,000 people, and this year we only had 2,000,” she said. Another festival, in Everett, was cancelled last week for fear of further ICE raids.
For Robles, the best way to combat the ongoing tension is to not give in to that fear. She hopes that her events will paint a different story and inspire people to come out.
“We want the community to understand that we’re not bringing danger to the community,” she said. “We are bringing economy, culture, and love.”
For a full list of upcoming events, visit their website here.
WBZ NewsRadio's Chaiel Schaffel (@CSchaffelWBZ) reports.