Dalton honors woman who keeps Mexican culture alive

photo Gladys Marroquin, left, hugs longtime Dalton, Ga., resident Teresa Sosa during a program at the Morris Innovative High School on Tuesday in Dalton honoring Sosa for her years of service in the Hispanic community.

DALTON, Ga. - Teresa Sosa moved to Dalton more than 40 years ago, long before waves of immigrants flooded here for carpet mill jobs.

A native of Mexico, she watched as Dalton's Hispanic population boomed in the 1980s and 1990s until now, when about half the community is Hispanic, according to census figures.

Over the decades, Sosa has become a matriarch of the local Hispanic community, working to cherish and protect its culture and history. She organized the annual Mexican Independence Day parade. She taught lessons in traditional Mexican dance. And she's collected more than 8,000 traditional Mexican dresses.

On Tuesday, students at Morris Innovative High School and Dalton city officials honored Sosa's longtime efforts to keep the art and culture of Mexico alive in Dalton.

Sosa, 86, was overwhelmed by the recognition. She shook her head in disbelief as hundreds of students -- many of them with Mexican roots of their own -- gave her a standing ovation. Wiping away tears, she said she hopes a new generation will embrace Mexican culture to help keep the art, music and dance alive in the United States. New immigrants aren't often worried with preserving their culture, she said.

"As adults, we need to know things and show things to the younger generation," she said through an interpreter. "It's not too late to learn."

New immigrants to the community are often preoccupied with work and raising families, said Esther Familia-Cabrera, a project director at the Northwest Georgia Healthcare Partnership.

"They don't have time to introduce or reintroduce their children back to the culture of Mexico," she said. "She [Sosa] takes care of that."

But Sosa's influence extends beyond just the Latino community. Familia-Cabrera said Sosa has helped unite the entire community, taking pieces of Mexican culture to all corners of Dalton.

"People like her keep this family, this community, balanced," she said. "Because they introduce both worlds to each other. She has united the community."

Sosa is a pillar of information, too.

"She really has been here through the absolute change of this community," Familia-Cabrera said. "She has seen it all."

Students at Morris Innovative High School met Sosa through the school's translation academy, which allows Spanish-speaking students to use their language skills translating for others in the community. The school is 70 percent Hispanic and houses a newcomers academy for students who are new to the United States.

During Tuesday's assembly, several students donned a few of Sosa's brightly colored dresses. Berenice Hernandez, a senior at Morris who participated in this weekend's parade, said Sosa's legacy in the Latino community is unparalleled.

"She's really made her mark here in the community," Hernandez said. "Everybody knows how involved she's been keeping our culture going."

Contact staff writer Kevin Hardy at khardy@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6249.

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