As a first-generation Mexican-American, Spanish was my first language. But like many Latinos trying to assimilate, it became my second language. As a result, I lost some footing in my own culture.

Regaining and rejoicing in cultural identity was one of the many themes revisited in over 50 performances, talks, musical presentations, and art-making sessions during the Feria del Libro y Mexicano Chicago 2009 (Mexican and Latino Book Fair) held at NEIU from May 13 to 17. Northeastern Illinois University's Chicago Teachers' Center (CTC) and Mexico-based Cámara Nacional de la Industria Editorial Mexicana (CANIEM) collaborated for a second time in an event that emphasized bilingualism and biculturalism, affirming the depth and power of bilingual literature and literacy.

The importance of staying in touch with our culture is a gentle reminder that was woven throughout the Feria. Two performance artists in particular stood out in the Thursday session. In "Scenes from the MeX Files," written and performed by Michael Villarreal and Josie Dykas, the artists wove personal experiences to bring to life the rich characters that populate their blended tales. They sifted through performance pieces originally written independently and then pieced together those that resonated with the same message. Their nostalgic and bittersweet stories were told with humor and compassion and inspired us to remember where we come from.

One of the skits portrayed a grandson seeking out his grandmother's stories of oppression in her early years so that he can go back to school and retell her tales. "After all these years," she said sternly, "now you want to hear the stories? What about the time you wouldn't let us talk because you were too embarrassed of us, or the time you told your friends we were Italian Moors?" She continued to cite examples and had so many that she confused her life with someone else's: "What about the time you put us in the attic and told us to be quiet and not to talk?"  "Abuelita," he answered, "that was Anne Frank!"

Storytelling with humor strikes a powerful chord with me. My mother was a gifted storyteller who taught me the art of listening and story. In watching those actors I was reminded that it isn't just the language but the culture that I miss, and that to pick up that thread again between my cultures is to begin to regain and maintain their fragile balance.