Hispanic Artist Freedom Denied during the Hispanic Heritage Month Event

Hispanic Artist Freedom Denied during the Hispanic Heritage Month Event at the Centro Cultural de la Raza, San Diego. My name is Silvio Nicholas Walters, I am a humanitarian and youth mentor (www.nwyf.org), a fashion/costume designer/ and the director of the Miss Hispanidad International beauty pageant. As a Hispanic/Latino artists I was invited to participate with my (cultural costumes display) and a costume fashion show in homage to the Hispanic Heritage Month at the Centro Cultural de la Raza, San Diego., by a member of the advisory committee and co-curator of the Matices of The Americas project. After installing my presentation on Aug. 25th. Various members of the advisory committee opposed to my presence in this project. I have been verbally attacked, discredit, and they have showed hostility toward me via fb. If I do not remove my display from the center, They plan to demonstrate against me the day of the Artist reception on Sept 12th. at 7:00 pm. Their argument is that my work offends their culture and traditions. My artistic work is not presented as the original costume used by indigenous people. It is an artistic representation inspired by various indigenous cultures and used in fashion, and in events such as the Miss Universe Beauty Pageant in which the contestants parade in cultural costumes inspired attire. They claim that my work is over sexualized, exploitive, degrading to women and conveying the wrong message to woman. I have been called ,colonizer, pimp, disgrace, and so many more derogatory names. First, as an artist and a Citizen of the United States, I have the right to express myself through my creativity. Freedom of expression is a privilege we all have in this country just as they do so to express and promote their cultures as well, without any persecution. It is unlawful to discriminate against me and my form of art expression and deny me the opportunity to be part of the Hispanic Month Heritage presentation for not being 100% native. I have been referred to as the result of the rape from European colonizer to their native woman. ( Latino, Hispanic) As their mission state: «to create, preserve, promote and educate about Chicano, Mexicano, Latino and Indigenous art and culture». The center needs to allow Latino artists the freedom to be themselves and embrace the cultural diversity that exist in the Arts and the communities. I am asking for your support, stand with me to help me and many other Hispanic/Latino artists in my situation and have our American freedom of expression respected and allowed to be voiced. Please help by covering this incident and bring it to the public eye. It is unjust to judge me, slander my name, and deny my artist rights to express my creativity without hearing, reading, or getting to know me for the man that I am and my contribution for a betterment of our young Hispanic/Latino people. Silvio Nicholas Walters 323-899-7870 www.nwyf.org