Pachamama Peruvian Arts was the Center’s first long-term project to focus on a South American community. Pachamama Peruvian Arts seeks to strengthen the practice of traditional Peruvian music and dance through youth education and collaborative community presentations throughout the New York metropolitan area.
Peruvians living in the New York region reflect the vibrant tapestry of ethnic diversity that is Peru. Criollos from Peru’s capital of Lima, mestizos from the Andes town of Cuzco, and Afro-Peruvians from the coastal region all have made a new home in New York while fewer Indigenous people from the Amazon region have emigrated. This community of over 200,000 has settled throughout the New York area, especially in Jackson Heights, as well as sections of Long Island, West Chester and Paterson, New Jersey.
