CITY HEIGHTS - Community members banded together to promote unity and inclusivity outside the Copley-Price Family YMCA Saturday.
"United City Heights," hosted by the Community Advocacy Network, brought residents together for music, food, art, and conversation about the community.
Organizations, including the Employee Rights Center, International Rescue Committee, NAACP San Diego Youth Council, and others were also on hand to connect attendees to community resources and help them address any family- or health-related needs.
Mario Aquilar, from the dance group Danza Mexicayotl, which teaches and preserves Native American heritage of Mexico, said he believes the event offers an opportunity to promote diversity and pride in tradition.
"The more you know about yourself, the more you can understand about other people," Aquilar said. "You can see the similarities, the differences, and it helps you understand that we all come from the same human roots."
#CityHeights unity event now, 44th & El Cajon; this is Mother Earth dance. pic.twitter.com/JAR6qHFsDQ
— Michael Dean Gold (@10newsGold) January 28, 2017
The event was held amid recent national news regarding Pres. Trump's policies on immigration, according to a release for the event.
"While Executive Actions and hateful rhetoric may have communities like ours uncertain of what the future will hold, in City Heights we are sure we will remain #united," an event release stated. "Many partner community organizations in San Diego have come together to promote unity, inclusivity, and provide resources and support to the families that find themselves vulnerable as a result of the new administration."
