Since 2021, the bi-monthly print zine has unified and celebrated the 黑料新闻 art scene with its issues and its events, like zine fairs and club nights. Now, co-editors Zoe Jensen and Mariana Pelaez are helping bring New Haven residents together to celebrate another community: immigrant families.
is hosting an all-ages dance party fundraiser called 鈥淣ew Haven Dances Together鈥� on Saturday, July 19, to support families that have been separated due to ICE detainments.
鈥淚n New Haven, we've had so many people disappearing,鈥� Jensen said. 鈥淚t's obviously so disheartening and really challenging for the entire community.鈥�
Immigrant advocates in New Haven rallied in June with over a dozen local organizations to support its immigrant neighbors and to denounce the actions of federal immigration agents.
Jensen said their dance party fundraiser is an effort to show their support in a different way.
鈥淲hen you make protest a party and you make these moments of such painful separation, when you do something to actually bring everyone together and be in community and have it be joyful,鈥� Jensen said, 鈥渕ore people are just more likely to come out and see each other as neighbors.鈥�
Jensen said they鈥檙e collaborating with local groups , and to host, for the first time, a daytime event that is open to all ages.
鈥淎s long as you're okay with maybe explicit language,鈥� Jensen said, 鈥渢hen please, everyone is welcome.鈥�
Bringing joy and reality to the dancefloor
Mariana Pelaez will be one of the DJs at the event. She said she wants to dispel the negative image being placed on immigrants by celebrating her Latino culture.
鈥淔or those of us that are the children of immigrants or immigrants themselves, you know that it's not just music and it's not just dancing, it's so much more than that,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t's what raised us. It's what we grew up on.鈥�
However, Pelaez said she also wants to encourage people to remember why this kind of celebration is needed.
鈥淵ou can't lean into that joy element without, at the same time, also taking a second to acknowledge why we're here,鈥� Pelaez said. 鈥淵ou don't get bright joy [and] happiness without also taking a second to realize what we're going through is really serious and it's horrible and it's ugly and it's evil.鈥�
For that reason, Pelaez said it鈥檚 possible that among all the dancing and laughter, there may be some people getting emotional.
鈥淚 hope folks are ready to hold each other. It's going to be harder for some people than it is for others. I'm a very emotional person, so I can foresee myself being emotional just thinking about it,鈥� Pelaez said. 鈥淚 think folks should be ready to laugh, have a good time, make new friends, raise some money. But also, I think folks should be ready for the possibility that it's gonna be bittersweet for a lot of people.鈥�
All the funds will go to the New Haven Immigrants Coalition for their legal aid funds and other mutual aid that support local families that have been impacted by ICE detainments.
Learn more
The fundraiser will be held on Saturday, July 19, from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the St. James Unity Holiness Church parking lot at 79 Lawrence St., otherwise known as The Congregation.
There will be a $5 entry fee. The party will also have veggie and meat hot dogs with lemonade for sale. They will also have pamphlets with information about the .
