English

Paso Robles has a large population of people who come from San Juan Nuevo Parangaricutiro, Michoacán, Mexico who are connected to Purépecha roots.

Purépecha is an indigenous group that is located in Michoacán, Mexico.

Purépecha roots but normally identifies as Mexican.

“I usually don’t identify as indigenous because several people tell me I’m not indigenous and that I’m just Mexican,” Aguilar said.

Aguilar’s grandmother grew up practicing all the indigenous traditions of the Purépecha culture. With each new generation the connection to the Purépecha traditions has slowly been lost.

“In Paso Robles the population of San Juan is high so I feel very connected to my culture,” Aguilar said.

In San Juan Nuevo there are young girls who are palmeras that take care of the Virgin Concepción. The people of San Juan Nuevo have brought this tradition to Paso Robles and Aguilar is a palmera this year along with other young girls.

Purépecha roots. Rodriguez has ancestral roots that come from San Juan Nuevo.

“In Michoacán there are several cultural traditions that are practiced, but in San Juan there is a particular tradition where there is a saint called El Señor de los Milagros that is celebrated every 14th of each month. People dance to him and we wear our traditional clothes with gratitude for all the miracles he has done for us,” Rodriguez said.

It can be said that many of the traditions that the community of San Juan Nuevo practices in Paso Robles are centered on Catholicism

“Living in Paso Robles and being from San Juan in my opinion is something very nice because I feel included since there are hundreds of people who come from the same town as my family, so I grew up in a town surrounded by my culture and traditions,” Martinez said.