The Pollera: A Symbol of Pride and Tradition

By Charlotte Sandler '21

Sitting on my dad’s shoulders, I watched mesmerizingly at the sea of vibrant colors making their way down Franklin Avenue. Dressed in my own pollera and adorned with jewelry my Abuela gave to me, I waited for my mom and Tia to come by in their festive dresses. The moment I saw them, I was filled with excitement and a sense of pride for my Panamanian culture and heritage, even at the mere age of four. This is my first memory of realizing the beauty and significance of the pollera.

While my family always continued to foster an appreciation for my culture, the great sense of admiration I had for my heritage was constantly challenged by an unfair choice I felt inclined to make. At times, I felt forced to express one side of my identity, my white side, over the other, my Latina side, in order to “fit in” at my predominantly white elementary school. Because of this forced choice, I ended up missing out on several Panamanian Day Parades. It wasn’t until I reached middle school that I realized how destructive this was to my Hispanic identity and that I did not have to choose.

When I approached my mom and told her I wanted to perform a dance in my pollera for my school’s talent show alongside my friend Khara, she was surprised because it was very out of character for me, a timid sixth grader, to put myself out there like this. Nevertheless, she made sure she was able to offer me all the resources to display our culture with beauty and tradition. Every Saturday for a month leading up to the show, my mom and Khara’s dad, a fellow Brooklyn-Panamanian, alternately drove the two of us to a church where we learned Panamanian folk dances, such as the Tamborito. Despite the challenge and long hours of practice, we were eager to learn and put in a lot of effort and dedication.

By the day of the talent show, we were more than prepared. We performed our dance perfectly, in our matching white polleras and tembleques. While there were no declared winners of this middle school talent show, I felt in my heart that I had won my ties to my culture back, and that I had ensured that I would never feel as far-removed from my heritage like I once felt. And one day, I hope to be in the Panamanian Day Parade again, perhaps inspiring pride in another little girl.

Editor: Cecilia Fiorindo.

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