Revolución 2024 Festival took over Downey this past weekend. Here is what you missed

This past weekend, the City of Downey hosted the annual Revolución Hispanic Heritage Month Festival at the Embassy Suites on Firestone Blvd. The three-day event had approximately 15 seminars and educational workshops featuring numerous Latino speakers, panelists, creators and artists who showcased the cultural contributions of Latinos and their experiences. 

The event, which took place September 20 through 22, kicked off National Hispanic American Heritage Month and was organized by TodoWafi, a digital media and news company uplifting and supporting Latino talent. 

One of the event's more popular seminars and panels was “Colorism vs. Racism,” which talked about the effects of colorism in the Latino community and its impact on media representation, social relationships and professional opportunities. The panel discussed ways in which inclusivity and visibility can dismantle colorism and build a more just and equitable society. 

“Beyond Language, Redefining Latine Identity,” a panel that discussed how Latino identity is often shaped by one's culture and personal experiences not just by speaking Spanish, was one of the most popular throughout the weekend. The panel highlighted and uplifted Latinos who are not the most fluent in Spanish or who have a diverse understanding and proficiency of the language. 

One of the most acclaimed and anticipated featured artists present at this year's Revolución was Jon Huertas, the Latino actor and writer known for “This Is Us,” “Castle” and “Generation Kill,” among other things. Huerta, who is a Marine Corps veteran, is one of a few Latinx actors who've broken the ceiling in mainstream television portraying characters who transcend not only Latino audiences but also internationally.  He was the moderator of the “Beyond Language” panel discussion. “A panel like this speaks to people who are looking for their success, their own voice and their own place in the community,” Huertas told CALÒ News. 

Huertas said that what drove him to support the Revolución Hispanic Heritage Month Festival was his community and the vision of projects like Revolución that carry a message of unity. “I had to be here. I hope that others are encouraged to feel the same way that as long as Latinos continue to support each other, and if one of us is successful, all of us will be successful,” he said. 

In attendance were also high school students from different schools in Downey, many of whom attended Huerta’s facilitated and moderated discussion on identity. Huerta said he was inspired to see that young people are attending festivals and events like this, especially as they will be the future trailblazers of communities like Downey and other places in South East Los Angeles. 

“A lot of times right now, the term Latino, Latinx or Hispanic gets thrown around and used almost as a tool in politics and in policy. Many people who use it like that don't realize it [they’re] talking about a group of people that are trying to find their place in the world, that [they’re] talking about a group of people with Indigenous roots who have been here longer than anybody else who's stalling us around in public policy and politics,” he said. “My advice to people would be to embrace that. Embrace your history; embrace your ancestry and understand that we are of this soil and this land and that we are in control of our own destiny. As long as you take that to heart and let that inspire you and let that give you power, then you will overcome any questions you have about identity.”

Rafael Fernandez Jr., founder of TodoWafi and the Revolución Hispanic Heritage Month Festival, was there all three days, welcoming and talking to attendees and families from Downey. He told CALÒ News the inspiration to create an in-person event stemmed from the festival being an online success in 2022 and 2023. “We spend a lot of time trying to take the vision that we had online and make it into an in-person perspective and event,” he said. “We decided to choose Downey because it's [a place] that's 67% Latino and has surrounding cities that are filled with our cultures.” 

The event, which was open to all ages, brought together multigenerational families on both days, something that Fernandez Jr. hoped to do when he first thought of organizing the festival. “It's important for me because the only way to kind of bring in the different generations is just to put them in the same room,” he said. “I think high schoolers spend a lot of time with their own children and the elderly, who also spend a lot of time on their own. It's important to make spaces for the different generations and having a conversation will open up the doors to the things that people didn't think they could talk about.” 

The event also hosted a community vendor village, which served as the heart of Revolución 2024. Over 30 Latino-owned small businesses showcased the entrepreneurial spirit of the Latino community, featuring vendors offering unique products and services, including books, health plan sign-ups, face painting and Latino-inspired clothes, desserts, art, sculptures and miniatures. 

One of the many vendors present at last week's Revolución Hispanic Heritage Month Festival was Chelly XiCali, owner and founder of XiCali Products, an all-natural skin and hair CBD products such as creams, tinctures, toners, serums and cleansers. “I was really excited about this opportunity to be a vendor. Just to be in this conference where it's about celebrating all these different diverse identities of Latinos and just to be in one space here in L.A. with other vendors, it’s really special,” she said. 

XiCali began making remedies specifically for her mother to help her with the diabetic nerve damage that she had acquired throughout her life. “My mom was being prescribed morphine and codeine for the pain that was not really helping her. My mom was telling me this could lead to her leg being amputated,” she said. “That's when I taught myself how to make remedies that were actually helping her with her pains and her feet.” 

XiCali has been growing her small business throughout the years. When asked if she had any words of wisdom for new entrepreneurs, she said, “¡Echale ganas! Sometimes it gets really hard and it's important to keep going; those are the moments where you grow the most. Celebrate all your victories, but don't rest on your royals.” 

Mother and daughter duo Sylvia Cruz and Emma Cruz were also present at this weekend's festival. Sylvia Cruz began Xuc Clothing, a Latino clothing brand, in 2019. “Our jackets are what we call culture jackets for everyday wear. They are bedazzled and they're blinged out,” Sylvia Cruz told CALÒ News. Each of the denim jackets has logos from different Central American countries like El Salvador, as well as Mexico. “I wanted to make something that represented our culture but that was cute to wear and a little bit more fashionable than a simple jersey,” she said. 

 Sylvia Cruz said when the opportunity to vend at this year’s Revolución Hispanic Heritage Month Festival, she took it right away. “Vendings really help small businesses by bringing exposure and building community among other vendors,” Sylvia Cruz said. “A lot of the news only highlights the ugly in what some Latinos do, and I think these events are important because they highlight the good; there's also a lot, so much good that is not highlighted.”

 To learn more about TodoWafi and to stay updated about next year's festival, please visit: https://todowafi.com/.