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OREM — As Latin American countries go, small landlocked Paraguay doesn't always register top on the radar screen of Americans.
"We are a very small country in South America, so many people don't know about us," said Viviana Figueredo, originally from Asunción, the Paraguayan capital, and now living in American Fork.
A small contingent from the country now calls Utah home, though, and in a bid to bolster the community's profile, Paraguayans in Utah — made up of expatriates from the country — is holding a public festival Saturday to mark the country's independence from Spain. The event, open to the public, goes from 10:30 a.m.-3 p.m. on Saturday and will be held at City Center Park at Center Street and 300 East in Orem.
"We're trying to get people to know more about us and what we're doing," said Figueredo, a leader in the group.
Two other events are also planned along the Wasatch Front to highlight the varied cultures in the area:
- The city of Ogden is hosting a Living Heritage Festival on Friday from 4-8 p.m. and Saturday from noon-8 p.m. at Union Station, 2501 Wall Ave. The aim is to "promote public awareness, understanding and appreciation for the diverse cultural heritage of northern Utah" through dance, food, art, music and vendors, reads the Facebook announcement of the event.
- Historic Trinity African Methodist Episcopal Church of Salt Lake City is hosting an event to collect artifacts, documents and personal remembrances representative of the history of Utah's Black community. It goes from noon-4 p.m. and will be held at the church, 239 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
'A minority among minorities'
Though the Paraguayan community is small, it was the focus of a proposed measure in the 2024 legislative session earlier this year, HJR20, to honor those from the country now living in Utah. The resolution passed in the Utah House 71-0 but stalled as the session came to an end.
"Paraguayan pioneers who have chosen Utah as home may be a minority among minorities," Nicole Laudie Rolón said at a committee hearing on the measure in February. "But they unquestionably play, in my opinion, a unique and indispensable part in preserving and expanding the diversity and good in our state."
Laudie Rolón is co-founder of Paraguayans in Utah and the mother of two Paraguayan American children.
Sebastian Benitez, of Ogden, who moved to Utah from Paraguay in 2000, also addressed HJR20 during the committee hearing, noting his community involvement in Ogden. He has lobbied for sidewalk improvements and ran unsuccessfully for mayor of Ogden in 2015.
"I am fighting for my community in Ogden," he said. "I am grateful to be here in the United States. I am grateful to be American, and we are here to serve this country."
Benitez estimates around 1,000 people of Paraguayan descent now live in Utah, up from 37 when he moved to the state. U.S. Census Bureau estimates from 2022 put the number at 512, among the smallest contingents in the state of all Latin American countries.
Paraguay gained independence from Spain over a two-day period, May 14-15, 1811, and those in the country hold celebrations over the two days. On display at the Orem event on Saturday will be traditional music and dancing, including the bottle dance, which features dancers balancing a bottle on their heads. Traditional Paraguayan food will also be offered — asaditos, similar to kebabs, and yuca (cassava). It must be ordered online ahead of time by Friday, according to Figueredo.
'Ensuring that our voices and stories are heard'
Saturday's event to collect items and remembrances related to Utah's Black history is a follow-up to a similar effort held last March at Hill Air Force Base. The Sema Hadithi African American Heritage and Culture Foundation of West Valley City, the Utah Historical Society and the Utah Black Chamber of Commerce, among other groups, are also involved.
"This is a unique opportunity for you to share your stories and contribute to a legacy that will enlighten future generations. Your participation is crucial in ensuring that our voices and stories are heard and remembered," Daryell Jackson, pastor of the Holy Trinity church in Salt Lake, said in announcing the effort.
