We Sang So the World Would Hear Us
On Saturday, June 14th, 2025, something extraordinary happened at Portland’s Community Music Center. Every seat was filled. Every voice was lifted. Every heart cracked open and glowing. A sold-out crowd of 140 gathered to witness 45 singers and 2 masterful guitarists take the stage with the Latinx Choral Project. But this was not just a concert—it was a moment of collective resistance, mourning, joy, and healing.
Earlier that same day, we marched. “No Kings” rallies surged through the streets in protest of the growing wave of unchecked kidnappings—government-sanctioned disappearances under the guise of immigration enforcement. Families are being torn apart without due process. Even U.S. citizens of Latino heritage are not safe from this sweeping cruelty. Fear has seeped into our homes, our schools, our daily lives. And yet—we sang.
We opened the concert with Gracias a la vida, not because it is soothing or straightforward, but because it tells the truth. Life, in all its aching beauty, is still worth thanking. This was our offering: to embrace the bittersweet, the mourning, and the music, and hold each other through it all.
The program celebrated the richness of our Latin American heritage—from the intimate laments and communal joy of Mexican folk traditions to the resilient rhythms of Son Jarocho. One of the evening’s most personal moments was the debut of an original composition I wrote, rooted firmly in the traditional Son Jarocho style, with its vibrant melodies and rhythmic vitality. As both composer and cultural bridge, I wove together the sounds of my ancestral home in Veracruz, Mexico, with the lived realities of life here in Oregon. It’s a song born from both memory and presence, where tradition meets the voices of today.
Throughout the evening, our stage shone with the brilliance of Latine soloists—sopranos, baritones, tenors, and altos—who each brought stories of struggle and brilliance that cannot be denied. These are the voices America needs to hear. These are the artists who will not be erased.
We are not asking permission to belong. We are declaring it, in song.
What’s Next
The Latinx Choral Project is just getting started. We’re raising $5,000 to cover the legal and filing fees to become our own 501(c)(3) nonprofit, which will enable us to apply for grants, expand our programs, and share this message throughout Oregon. Our goal? To perform in schools, community centers, prisons, festivals, and rural towns—anywhere people are told they don’t belong. We’ll bring them music that says otherwise.
In the face of dehumanizing rhetoric about so-called "illegal immigrants," we are offering an undeniable truth: our people are radiant with culture, compassion, and resilience. We have always been here. We will always be here. And we will keep singing.
If you were moved by what you heard—or by what you read—please consider supporting us. Donate. Share. Sing with us. Please stand with us. We are stronger together.
Con corazón y fuego,
Lynn Mendoza-Khan
Artistic Director
The Latinx Choral Project