Nov. 7, 2024

WHAT: Hawthorne Academy students are in for a treat – literally. They will learn how to carry on a beloved holiday tradition that has been passed down from generation to generation. As part of Trinity University’s Festival of the Arts, students will participate in a tamalada with their parents and grandparents where they will learn from expert tamalera and author Dr. Ellen Riojas Clark about the history of tamales and its cultural value.  

WHO:    Hawthorne Academy Students
Dr. Ellen Riojas Clark, author of Tamales, Comadres, and the Meaning of Civilization
Las Abuelitas de Oro, Folklorico Group of remarkable women aged 72 to 85

WHEN:    Friday, Nov. 8, 2024, 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

• 10:30 – 10:50 a.m., Book Reading, Un Monton de Tamales/Camilla la Magica Makes Tamales
• 11 – 11:20 a.m., Dr. Riojas Clark leads Tamal-Making Demonstration
• 11:20 – 12:10 p.m., Tamal Workshop: Students make tamales in small groups guided by Las Abuelitas de Oro and Trinity University community members
• 12:10 – 12:30 p.m., Distribution of tamales and champurrado
• 12:30 – 1 p.m., Performance by Las Abuelitas de Oro

WHERE:  Trinity University, Mabee Dining Hall, One Trinity Place, 78212

MORE: A tamalada is a social gathering where people make and enjoy tamales together. They are a tradition in many Hispanic families, especially during the Christmas holidays. Tamales are made with masa (corn flour) and steamed in either a corn husk or a banana leaf, and filled with beans, meats, and/or other flavors.

The tamalada instructor at this event, Dr. Ellen Riojas Clark, has lived her entire life in San Antonio. She attended Woodrow Wilson Elementary, Whittier Junior High, and graduated from Edison High School, all SAISD schools. She began her postsecondary journey at San Antonio College and went on to pursue a degree in education from Trinity University. Upon graduating from Trinity, she immediately started her master’s program in bilingual education at UTSA and obtained her Ph.D. from The University of Texas. Over her 42-year tenure at UTSA, she mentored countless students, colleagues, and faculty. UTSA honored her by establishing the Ellen Riojas Clark, Ph.D. Endowed Chair, the first chair in the United States in Bicultural-Bilingual Studies named for a Latina scholar. Most recently, the SAISD Foundation honored her with the prestigious Inspire Award which is bestowed upon distinguished San Antonio ISD alumni who have contributed significantly to the school district.