The Cross-Culture Program kids gather in the Anderson Manor mansion dining room for tamales on Nov. 11, 2023. They took turns sharing anecdotes about Thanksgiving traditions at their homes. (Photo by Amaya Lobato Rivas/PublicSource).
Casa San José and the Iota Phi Foundation start with “a clear division” and end with youthful friendships.
by Lajja Mistry, PublicSource
On a recent Saturday morning, the stately Anderson Manor mansion in Pittsburgh’s Manchester neighborhood was abuzz with the animated chatter of around 30 kids.
Beechview Points of Pride
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On the ground floor, around a dozen students stood around the kitchen as chef Jolando Hinton gave instructions on how to prepare the day’s culinary masterpiece: chicken alfredo. A week before, the students had prepared loaded potatoes and chili.
“Let me cook!” a student said, grabbing the spatula from Hinton’s hands and taking over the alfredo sauce. Other students were engrossed in their own duties, chopping parsley, or keeping an eye on the chicken.
Upstairs, other groups occupied three rooms, each a space for a different course: playwriting, visual arts and video production.
The students were part of the Cross-Culture Program, a joint initiative by Beechview-based Casa San José and Manchester’s Iota Phi Foundation. The program, now in its second year, is an effort to bring together the African American and Latino communities that the organizations each predominantly serve. This year’s cohort comprises groups of 20 Latino and 20 African American students aged 12 to 17 years.
The programs run for 8 to 12 weeks during the fall. Students immerse themselves in a hands-on learning experience within their chosen course for the initial weeks.
Most importantly, they get to know each other in ways that might not otherwise occur.
“Some of our kids immigrated from a different country. Some of them were born here to immigrant parents,” said Lizbeth Garcia, lead youth coordinator at Casa San José. “So part of that is what we want to achieve is for them to understand their own culture and how they are implementing it living here in America.”
Building bridges between communities
Tyanne Torbert, a 15-year-old who goes to Montour High School, joined the program as a volunteer, and initially didn’t know anyone. Once there, she met Nia Hart, another volunteer who attends Plum Senior High School. Torbert and Hart became best friends and hope to remain in touch long after the program ends.
“I just think it’s really fun. You make a lot of friends, you learn a lot of new stuff,” Torbert said.
Rahmon Hart, CEO of the Iota Phi Foundation, conceptualized the program with Monica Ruiz, the executive director of Casa San José, as a way to bridge gaps between the two communities.
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