[ COMMUNITY IMPACT ]
For over 5 decades Los Lupeños de San José and its sister programs have made a profound impact in the lives of the San José community. Founders Susan Cashion and Ramón Morones believed that folklórico dance should be performed by anyone that can dedicate the time to learn and portray Mexican traditional culture at its best. And that it should be enjoyed and respected by everyone else!
[ CULTURAL PRESERVATION ]
"Dance is more than what we see on stage. It carries memory, identity, and responsibility. Through folklórico, we are not only sharing beauty and tradition—we are honoring the communities, histories, and cultural voices behind every movement. Cultural preservation requires care, respect, and proper representation, and that commitment is at the heart of everything we do."
— Samuel Cortez
Publications Project
Every dance artist, choreographer, director, or instructor keeps reference notes, music, or video on their craft. The Cashion Cultural Legacy has begun to collect and curate materials that reference the Mexican folk dance movement in México and the United States with the hope of some day having them available for the general public.
Founder Susan Cashion wrote extensively about ethnic dance in Latin America. Her contribution to Encyclopedia Britannica summarized folk dance in el cono sur (Argentina, Chile, Uruguay and parts of Paraguay, Bolivia, Brazil).
Our Publications Project is still in its early stages, but some basic first steps have been taken, including the publication of two books that speak to the early days of folklórico in California.
Testimonials and Stories
