Project Summary
The Performing Arts Center for African Cultures will use African Dance, Drumming, and Storytelling to engage the communities of African and Hispanic heritage to experience and participate in storytelling sessions through the lens of Sandra Cisneros’s novel The House on Mango Street.
Short description
The proposed project’s title is “We are all in the same soup.” This saying is from Ghana, West Africa, and it means that we all face similar challenges. People of foreign heritage who have made their new home in the US generally face similar challenges in adapting to their new home, whether it’s learning a new language, getting used to the weather, particularly the cold weather (snow), or figuring out how to find a job and earn income, or finding a place to stay and make a home for our family, it is quite a learning curve. An excerpt from the summary of the selected book reads: “During the year, she moves with her family into a house on Mango Street. The house is a huge improvement from the family’s previous apartment, and it is the first home her parents own. However, the house is not what Esperanza has dreamed of because it is run-down and small”. Most people of foreign heritage face a similar challenge; just like Esperanza, we all think that our new home will solve our problems, but although our new home is relatively better than the previous home, the challenges can make us doubt whether our new home was worth coming to. But this is just the beginning of our journey. Just like Esperanza we all will adapt eventually as we find our support groups and community. “We are all in the same soup.”
Theme statement
The chosen title connects with our West African immigrant community and the theme because we left our previous environment – our Nature – to pursue a better life in a New Nature. Our homeland’s climate, geography, and wildlife are very different from the environment in the Washington-Baltimore corridor. Although Esperanza doesn’t have a memory of her first home in Mexico, West Africa, and Latin America are much more rural than this and much less densely populated. Cultural heritage, however, can transcend immigration as we hold onto our musical traditions. Esperanza finds cultural connections in her Chicago neighborhood, as many immigrants do, ultimately realizing that her cultural identity will always be an important part of who she is.
America250 Celebration
To celebrate the 250th anniversary of the United States, the Performing Arts Center for African Cultures (PACAC), in partnership with Arts Midwest’s “Big Read” initiative and the Crofton Library, will present a dynamic, community-driven event that honors America’s diverse cultural heritage through the universal language of music and dance. This event, titled “Community Drumming & Dance Session for All Ages,” will be held on April 4, 2026, from 11:00am to 1:00pm at Crofton Library. Featuring live performances by PACAC’s master drummers and dancers showcasing traditional West African rhythms, vibrant Latin American dance, and Washington, D.C.’s own Go-Go music, it reflects the multicultural fabric of the Crofton community. Audience members of all ages are invited to learn and join in the dances, encouraging intergenerational engagement and cultural exchange in a joyful and inclusive environment. This program also ties directly to the themes of The House on Mango Street, this year’s selected “Big Read” book, which explores the immigrant experience, cultural identity, and the meaning of home. Through this event, we hope to affirm that every individual—regardless of background—contributes to the evolving story of America. By blending literature, live performance, and active community engagement, PACAC’s America250 event will inspire pride and unity as we celebrate the 250th Anniversary of our great country, the United States of America.
