Latino Tennessee Voices Live brings storytellers to Plaza Mariachi on Oct. 13

David Plazas, Nashville Tennessean
·2 min read

Hispanic Heritage Month started on Sept. 15 and that also marked the one-year anniversary of the launch of The Tennessean's Latino Tennessee Voices newsletter.

The newsletter, which I curate every week, is about creating a space for representation and fulfilling our mission of changing the narrative from telling stories about communities of color to telling stories for and with them.

The Latino community in Tennessee has grown by 65% since 2010 and is helping change the face and influence life in Nashville and other communities statewide.

This effort started with the launch of the Black Tennessee Voices project in 2020, which includes a newsletter, Facebook group and Instagram presence (@blacktnvoices).

My colleagues Anika Exum and LeBron Hill previously wrote about a Black Tennessee Voices Live storytelling event , which took place at the National Museum of African American Music on Sept. 20.

I want to tell you about a similar event focused on Latino Tennessee Voices storytellers happening at Plaza Mariachi in South Nashville at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 13 — the last week of Hispanic Heritage Month.

You can purchase tickets for $10 at this link. Parking is free.

Latino Tennessee Voices Storytellers 2022: (Clockwise from top left) Judge Ana Escobar, Fabian Bedne, Diana Perez, Miguel Vega and Yenin Miralda Echevarria
Latino Tennessee Voices Storytellers 2022: (Clockwise from top left) Judge Ana Escobar, Fabian Bedne, Diana Perez, Miguel Vega and Yenin Miralda Echevarria

Five members of the community have agreed to share a story about their lives. These are not TED Talks or speeches, but opportunities for these storytellers to be vulnerable and connect with the audience about something personal.

  • Fabián Bedne, originally from Argentina, was the first Latino immigrant member of the Metro Nashville Council.

  • Ana Escobar was just elected to a full eight-year term as a general sessions judge in Davidson County and she has lived in Nashville since she was 3.

  • Yenín Miralda Echeverria, originally of Honduras, is a graduate student, immigrant rights and DACA advocate, and Equal Chance for Education scholar.

  • Diana Pérez, originally from Colombia, is a nonprofit leader now at Conexión Américas and a Metro Arts commissioner.

  • Miguel Vega, who was raised in Mexico, serves as a regional corporate governor for NAHREP - National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals.

I hope to see you at Plaza Mariachi on Oct. 13.

By the way, in September, the Online News Association bestowed its annual international award for Excellence in Newsletters Portfolio for The Tennessean's Black and Latino Tennessee Voices newsletters. Thank you for your support.

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David Plazas is the director of opinion and engagement for the USA TODAY Network Tennessee. He is an editorial board member of The Tennessean. He hosts the Tennessee Voices videocast and curates the Tennessee Voices and Latino Tennessee Voices newsletters. Call him at (615) 259-8063, email him at dplazas@tennessean.com or tweet to him at @davidplazas.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Latino Tennessee Voices Live brings storytellers to Plaza Mariachi