Cultural Separation

* As a founder of two emerging intercultural arts organizations as well as recent past president of the San Fernando Valley Arts Council, I was most impressed by Joe R. Hicks’ “The Changing Face of America,” July 7. . . . As a longtime resident, I know the Valley’s face has already changed.

Curiously, despite endeavors by educational institutions, the Latino community (with few notable exceptions) has not yet accepted the value of fine arts as a means to facilitate their assimilation into the American cultural mainstream.

I know major arts groups and other organizations in the Valley that have made and continue to make serious attempts to reach out to Latino residents, particularly youth. No one I know has been successful in attracting the inclusive Latino community to arts performances (with one exception--the Hansen Dam Latino festival).

While this ethnic celebration of music and dance is strongly supported by many in the Valley Latino community, the dilemma of cultural separation augers future problems for the acceptance of fine arts education, arts organizations, fine arts performers and groups and theater construction and development. Will our arts future be ethnocentric or based on traditional American values? Will both forces find a rewarding interactive meeting ground?

I bet on the latter, as resurging values of intercultural collaboration and inclusion become more acceptable and necessary to more Americans of all races, colors and creeds. Particularly as programs such as the Northeast Valley Magnet School PSA Project, Los Angeles Jazz Society youth outreach and People to People Via Arts demonstrate their social value.

J. JERRY DOMINE

Greater Los Angeles Valley

Arts Council

Winnetka