California | Center for the Humanities at UC Merced

By Martin Ojeda, Staff Research Associate, “Stronger Together, Community-Engaged Research in the San Joaquin Valley” Luce Foundation Grant, UC Merced

In the fall of 2024, the exhibit “Merced Speaks: Language Diversity Past and Present” opened to a lively reception with UC Merced faculty, graduate students, and Merced community members at the Merced County Courthouse Museum. The exhibit included photographs of multilingual signage displaying various aspects of Merced life, from everyday restaurant signs to the Lao New Year Celebration.

The walls of the exhibit wove a rich tapestry of Merced’s diverse populations, languages, and cultures. The exhibit displayed how widely multilingual signage has been used in Merced, such as in cultural parades and the offering of multilingual services, including a banking sign written in Chinese from 1908 and flyers in Spanish posted at the Merced County Library. The exhibit presented a clear picture of how integral multilingual signage has been for immigrant communities in Merced.

Professor Robin DeLugan and Professor Patricia Vergara looking at the exhibit.

Much of the exhibit featured signs in front of local businesses advertising services like haircuts, car sales, and clothing alterations. The poster that caught my attention the most was titled “Navigating Housing, Health, and Food in Merced.” This poster included a Spanish sign for “Grupo Nueva Esperanza” or “New Hope Group” which is an AA group that specializes in supporting people with drug addiction, depression, isolation, and more. The second sign displayed on the poster included the signage written on the “People’s Fridge.” Written on the fridge door was “Toma lo que necesitas, deja lo que no” indicating people facing food insecurity in Merced are free to take what they need from the People’s Fridge.

The exhibit brought the signs to life and highlighted the importance of multilingual signage as a tool of engagement, support, and connection to other languages. Merced community members in attendance reflected on their childhoods in Merced and the broader San Joaquin Valley. One attendee spoke fondly of Merced’s downtown parades and the family tradition of riding on parade floats, now being passed on to their grandchildren.

Attending the exhibit was more than just an exploration of signs and language; it underscored the messages we share despite linguistic differences. The exhibit displayed how Merced communities have sustained their common histories over the years through the public display of signs that guide and support one another. Ultimately, the exhibit’s significance was illustrated by the stories, memories, and experiences conveyed by the community members in attendance.

by Karla Seijas, Graduate Student Researcher, “Our Interwoven Futures” Mellon Foundation Grant, UC Merced

The inaugural Merced LitFest held on September 14th was an experience where words carried us on a journey through themes of music, adventure, migration, and a sense of belonging. Four separate locations throughout downtown Merced were populated with individuals who listened to fifty authors of different genres, voices and talents. The rotation of themes and readings complimented each other.

One theme that emerged in nearly every reading was the complex, multifaceted idea of “home.” Whether it was a woman reflecting on the journey of her migrant farmworker family or a mother speaking on the sacrifices made for her children, the stories echoed a shared experience of longing, loss, and discovery. These narratives held a deep sense of rootedness in Central Valley life, where the challenges of immigration, family, and cultural identity are interwoven with the land itself.

The session “Storying Music in the Cali Central Valley” featured music: jarocho fandango played by Julissa Ruiz Ramirez, Cueponcaxochitl Moreno Sandoval, Gregorio Rocha-Tabera & Jennifer Campos Lopez

A unique part of the festival was how each speaker found a rhythm that was uniquely theirs, yet still connected to the others. Helen Sandoval, who was born and raised in the Central Valley, shared a piece about growing up between cultures “ni de aquí, ni de allá” (not from here, nor there). She spoke of friendships, heartbreaks, and finding her own identity, her words reminded us that belonging is not always easy, but it is always worth the search.

Rebecca Antoine, whose work focused on relationships and the definition of home, captured the tension and tenderness of love with her slow, careful cadence. She described the simple act of two people driving on an adventure to live in a new place, Merced. This allowed for reflection of my own connections, to people and to places.

As the festival came to a close, the sounds of soft guitars and song known as Jarocho told a story of immigration, migration, and the start of a new home. Jarocho has been a way for individuals to feel empowered through music.

The Merced LitFest was more than just a celebration of words. It was a reminder of how stories connect us—how they create spaces where we can explore themes of migration, motherhood, and belonging. The rhythms of each reader, from the soft strum of a guitar to the different sounds of voice, mirrored the ebb and flow of life in the Central Valley. These sounds, these words, are the beats of our collective story, guiding us toward understanding and belonging.

Center for the Humanities at UC Merced

Category Archives: California

Merced Speaks: Exploring Language, Culture, and Community Through Signage

Reflections on the Merced LitFest: Music, Migration, and the Stories That Shape Us