Online cooking class celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month

A new online event combines a celebration of the area’s diversity and cooking in one virtual room.

This weekend, the Diversity & Inclusion Committee, along with La Luz Centro Cultural, will host the Fiesta FUNdraiser, a cooking class to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month while raising money to help with legal fees for local Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) Dreamers.

On October 17 beginning at 12:30 p.m., guests who register are invited to join a Zoom video conference and learn how to make guacamole, margaritas and salsa. The class is $10 to register and an additional $10 for an ingredients kit, if desired. Alcoholic ingredients will not be available in the ingredients kit.

Amanda Fender, Diversity and Inclusion Committee member, said that the group decided a cooking event would provide valuable kitchen skills while celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month and allowing Latino members in the community a chance to share their stories and culture.

“It’s important for us to all learn and understand the basic ideas of their culture because we can’t embrace others without understanding where they come from,” Fender said.

Diversity and Inclusion Committee member Joslyn Stock added that the event is for everyone and encourages people from all walks of life to participate. She said events that combine cultural lessons and allow people to talk and collaborate with one another are important to the fabric of small town communities.

“From our perspective, we’re trying to help Iowans learn more about different cultures,” she said.

Fender, as well as group member Lili Velasco and Janette Flores will lead the lessons. Along with local voices come local ingredients. Avocados from El Valle will be used for the guacamole and tortilla chips from Restaurant La Amigita will be used. The rest of the ingredients will be purchased from local grocery stores.

Fender said the online format can’t fully replace the experience of meeting in person, but is an adequate compromise for a time where in person gatherings aren’t possible.

“It’s so important to be able to do this online because it’s one way have a celebration and give people something to do while celebrating the cultures we have here,” Fender said.

To register, visit tinyurl.com/laluzfiestafundraiser.