About This Project
Bien Juntitos is a community-based art project that shines light on Manitos y Manitas, a social group of Spanish speaking elders that was founded in 1998 by Maria Lueras in Sacramento, California. Now in her late 80’s, this lifelong community organizer is one of the main collaborators in this project. Manitos are self-organized, without email or social media. This is a beautiful example of grass roots community organizing. The majority of group members are Mexican-born, and their ages range from 50 to over 100 years old.
Bien Juntitos touches on universal themes and is bilingual in Spanish and English for wide accessibility. This is a visual storytelling and oral history art project that includes a short documentary film and a book.
A visual storytelling and oral history art project
Manitos y Manitas
Manitos y Manitas provides a safe space for Latinos ages 50+ to gather in community, speak their native Spanish language, share information and resources, cultivate cultural traditions, and enjoy time together. The purpose of the group is to foster the health and wellbeing of individuals and the community. They want to provide a communal space for elders to gather and prevent isolation, which is the largest problem faced by seniors today. Isolation leads to mental and physical health problems and the decay of wellbeing for individuals and society. Manitos was created in direct response to this troubling reality.
This is a lively bunch who sing and dance, laugh and cry together, hold space for each other at times of sorrow and honor their traditions collectively. There are hundreds of members that meet weekly at three community centers in Sacramento: Ethel MacLeod Hart Senior Center, Sam and Bonnie Pannell Community Center, and La Familia.
Manitos y Manitas del Sur is the chapter of Manitos y Manitas that meets in the Meadowview neighborhood in South Sacramento, at zip code 95832. Bien Juntitos focuses on this chapter of Manitos. Created in the year 2000, the group meets weekly on Fridays from 9am to 1pm at the Sam and Bonnie Pannell Community Center. Group activities include: prayer, movement and exercise, singing, performing music, dancing, lotería game playing, sharing meals, field trips, fundraising auctions, cultural celebrations and poetry readings.