Negrete 1 Javier Negrete Jr Mrs.

Fuentes English 1101-08 06, November, 2013 The Party Aspect of Communities Celebration is a large detail in the Latino community and serves as a cultural unifier among the twenty different countries of Central America and South America. It is of no surprise that the immigrants would bring their customs and ways of life to America in particular to North Carolinas Piedmonts. The surge of Latinos into the Carolinas sparked a focus on a once overlooked market has the potential to become a specialization in the foothill counties of North Carolina. Celebration has saved the doomed economic fate of Catawba County and is an important community of practice among the Latino population. More importantly their celebration-community of practice houses a whole new language system in relation to the products and a discourse community uniquely found among the culture of this ethnic group. A credible authority in this community of practice was used to explain what can be observed in the ways a Latino would be involved in this newly focused industry. Javier Negrete (my father), the Mexican immigrant and pioneer behind this celebration industry, has seen the way this community of practice has emerged and developed over a ten year time frame. His business (established in 2004 in Newton) is a party service provider that rents party supplies to the Latin American community for the many types of celebrations that exist. He states that there is a common language (lexis) that he must manage very delicately between his customers for the sake of his market. He says that

Negrete 2 that the celebration lexis consists of terms such as brincolin (the mixture of the Spanish word brincar and trampolin and inflatable castle), carpa (term for canopy), sonido (sound system), video (video recording service), and paquete (term for a combination packet). Javier says that making a strict and consistent lexis ensures that his business holds authority and seniority in comparison to the younger competition that came about a mile away from his. According to Javier, he corrects customers who mushfake and use the wrong terminology for an inflatable castle. For example, he had a customer call and ask for a brinca brinca. In that instant, he knew what she wanted and corrected her by asking if she wanted a brincolin. He is also very diligent of how the competition tries to make their own lexis to single themselves out among many related firms. He stated that he ensures that competition does not change the lexis by constantly reminding customers what his own business has to offer through posters and images in his business cards with the adequate names. Based on his marketing strategies, the Mushfakers of this community of practice are those who really do not host parties often and competition in search of a strategy to pull down Javiers regime over the celebration market. These potential dangers to his market also have a contrast. Javier says that he loves working with customers who speak and work within the community of practice. The old timers of this particular community of practice usually are parents and those who work in the community of practice. Javier enjoys working with parents, not because they are more responsible, but because parents are generally more knowledgeable of the lexis and the way services are to be cared for and handled. For example, customers who know what a brincolin is and how it is to be cared for in the duration of the lease, generally have fewer to no damages to the motor of the

Negrete 3 inflatables blower or the vinyl. Javier also says that parents are more likely to be better party planners; therefore, making his equipment appear more enjoyable to his customers. Another example of a good old timer customer is when a customer knows how to ask for a certain type of decoration and is aware of the process of arrangement. According to Javier, these customers are effective to work with because they understand how much effort is required to decorate and can share compassion and patients as he encounters problems or issues with his equipment. He extends the title old timers to those who work for him. According to Javier, his workers are able to understand the lexis of working materials such as , patas ( the legs of the canopies), bongies (bungee cords for the canopy tarps) codos ( the fitting pieces for the canopies, estacas ( spanishized word for stake), remolque (trailer), and diablito (for the weight hauler) without any struggle nor delay during busy days. Javier, in his ten years of experience, is more appreciative of the hard work of his workers and how they understand the new discourse community of working for a celebration service provider. Javier tries to adapt his policies on a discourse community much older than the community of practice that he developed for this Latino community. He yields policies and terms to adapt to specific and celebration that date back to Mexican colonial times. The quinceanera is a celebration of a girls fifteenth birthday. More importantly and relative to the community of practice, it is a discourse community that is active year round and more important in the celebration industry of North Carolinas Piedmont. Mothers, fellow friends of the birthday girls are the old timers of this discourse community because mothers are the typical veterans in planning the event, and the friends of the birthday girl know what was in for a quinceanera and what is in now.

Negrete 4 This is reported by Javier and his workers who cooperate with mothers and sisters who know what it is like host a quiceanera. Javier noticed that there is also a lexis that emerged over the generations of quinceaneras. Terms such as salon (party chamber), padrino( sponsor), chambelan( escort), baile de sorpresa( surprise choreographed dance), and damas ( maids) are popular and were no created by Javier. According to the mothers and veteran planners, these terms are universal for the twenty Latin American countries. Mothers also report that conflicts between the common languages is not large. The largest conflicts are within this discourse community is usually between the mother and the birthday girls in what is to be included in the party and what will be excluded. For example, Marina Carballos (Vanessas mother and planner for her quinceanera) wants her daughter to wear the traditional dress and her tiara. Vanesssa only wants her dress. According to Marina and Javier, these conflicts are usually about what the mother never had and wants her daughter to. Another issue identified by Javier is the mode of communication between those invited and those managing the event. The way this discourse community has changed is through its evolution of communication. Facebook invites have become fairly popular because of how free and how quick it is to use. According to mothers such as Marina, the discourse community has reached the point where technology far exceeds the development of the culture. Marina states that technology over looks those who do not speak the language and has a way of breaking the tradition of a formal paper invitation. Therefore, mothers make themselves the authorities of this discourse community because they strive to keep tradition of the quinceanera and logic throughout the event planning and celebration.

Negrete 5 Mothers would rather keep the traditions instead of straying away soley because they want to feel like they have a belonging to their culture and heritage. More importantly, they wish that their daughters would do the same for their own daughters. The Latino Community is strong to find a sense of belonging and union in their celebrations. Their culture and customs have provided a growing market for pioneers such as Javier Negrete. The community of practice is better explained through the words of the authority who also holds a regime in the local celebration market. It is more evident in the influence of the competition dynamics of the market. Javiers also lies on the local Latino community with his strategies to keep his lexis and to ensure that he is the main authority in the community of practice. Javier believes that a firm control of his community of practice should make it easier for those who want discourse community to remain strong in the lives of the youth. A discourse community such as the quinceanera, is a more established discourse community and has its authority be those who wish to maintain culture throughout the generations.