BAILES

UNLIKE OTHER STATES, WHERE THERE ARE DESIGNATED PLACES SUCH AS MERCADOS, TIANGUIS, AND ANTROS FOR THE LATINO COMMUNITY TO CONGREGATE AND ENJOY THEMSELVES, MONTANA LACKS SUCH SPACES. CONSEQUENTLY, IT IS PERTINENT TO ASK WHERE MONTANA'S LATINO POPULATION GOES TO UNWIND AFTER EXTENDED WORK HOURS. ONE KEY ANSWER IS BAILES. BAILES HOLD AN IMPORTANT PLACE IN THE LATINO EXPERIENCE IN MONTANA. THESE EVENTS ARE TYPICALLY ORGANIZED BY LOCAL GROUPS AND OFFER A FAMILY-FRIENDLY ATMOSPHERE, WHERE LATINOS CAN COME TOGETHER AND INDULGE IN DANCING, PARTICULARLY TO MEXICAN MUSIC, DRINKING, AND A CHANCE TO PUT ON A NICE OUTFIT AND SHOWCASE IT AT THE BAILE.

IN "BUILDING LATINO URBANISM," AUTHOR SANDOVAL HIGHLIGHTS SCHOLAR CHRIS WILSON'S EXPLANATION THAT PLACES SUCH AS LAS PLAZAS ARE "WEBS OF MEMORY AND MYTH, OF CELEBRATIONS AND EVERYDAY INTERACTIONS THAT COMBINE WITH THE PHYSICAL SETTING TO CREATE AND SUSTAIN A COMMUNITY’S IDENTITY " BAR TASCO PROVIDES A SIMILAR EXAMPLE BY CREATING A SAFE SPACE FOR INDIVIDUALS TO BE THEIR TRUE SELVES, ALIGNING WITH WILSON'S DESCRIPTION. SUCH SPACES ARE RARE IN OUR NEOLIBERAL CAPITALIST WORLD BUT ARE ESSENTIAL IN CULTIVATING NOT ONLY INDIVIDUAL BUT ALSO A JUST AND HEALTHY NATIONAL IDENTITY.

AUTHOR GAYE JOHNSON, IN HER TEXT "SPACES OF CONFLICT, SOUNDS OF SOLIDARITY: MUSIC, RACE, AND SPATIAL ENTITLEMENT IN LOS ANGELES," ARGUES THAT MUSIC HAS PLAYED A SIGNIFICANT ROLE IN SHAPING THE SOCIAL AND POLITICAL LANDSCAPE OF THE CITY, PARTICULARLY IN THE STRUGGLE FOR RACIAL AND SPATIAL JUSTICE. SIMILARLY, THE BAILES FILLED WITH MUSIC AND DANCE IN MONTANA HIGHLIGHT THE IMPORTANCE OF LATINO PLACE-MAKING, AS THEY SERVE AS SPACES FOR CULTURAL EXPRESSION AND COMMUNITYBUILDING. THESE BAILES OFFER AN SCAPE FOR LATINOS IN MONTANA TO UNWIND AND ESCAPE FROM THE DEMANDS OF THEIR DAILY JOBS.

MEET THE HARDWORKING CLEANING TEAM OF BIG SKY, MONTANA: A GROUP OF HONDURAN WOMEN READY TO TACKLE THE DAY AHEAD