McFarland’s Migrant Families Celebrate Culture, Unity, and Hope at Annual Event

Families filled the McFarland High School campus with laughter, music, and pride on Saturday for the 3rd annual Migrant Family Day — a celebration that honors the learning, culture, and resilience of students in the Kern County Superintendent of Schools (KCSOS) Migrant Education Program (MEP) and their families.

The event brought together dozens of families for a day packed with art, dance, food, and community. With roughly 324 migrant families living in McFarland — about a third of whom have children in the program — the day offered a powerful moment of togetherness and recognition.

“It’s really bridging those gaps,” said Claudia Medrano Maldonado​​​​, a program leader and event organizer. “It represents their culture, who they are, and where they come from.”

In a hands-on activity, families crafted clay pieces representing their roots and identity. The art became a medium for connection, as parents from places like Oaxaca, Peru, Sinaloa, and Mexico City shared stories and learned from each other.

“That’s something I’m very proud to see. Not only the art component but the conversations that they’re having with each other,” Maldonado said.

A centerpiece of the event’s decor included an art installation led by Victoria Olmos, an art teacher for the migrant program. Students collaborated to create a massive, vibrant Mexican flag using the children’s handprints on the red side and personalized messages on the green side.

“Green represents hope,” Olmos explained. “So for that section, we created our little stars of hope — children wrote down things that bring them hope and help them through dark times.”

Migrant Day’s main event featured a series of four student dance performances from each of the grade levels. Each dance came from a different region of Central and South America where the families originated from, and representing diverse histories and cultures. Maldonado says it’s not just about learning to dance, it’s about keeping culture alive.

“I love seeing the kids perform, how excited they get showing their parents what they’ve learned,” Maldonado said.

The festive spirit continued with a community-sponsored raffle, giving away donated items like toasters, coffee makers, and blenders. Families were treated to a full breakfast and lunch, surrounded by music and decorations that created a true fiesta atmosphere.

“I like to pamper them a little,” Maldonado said. “I’m very proud to say our community is very, very generous. We’ve been very fortunate.”

Migrant Family Day is about more than just celebration — it’s honoring heritage, building community, and planting seeds of hope for the next generation.

“I love seeing the smiles,” Maldonado said. “I think this is the reason why I do this over and over again.”