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Tucson High Magnet School’s annual Unity Festival returned Saturday as a living tribute to cultural identity, community resilience and the activist spirit of its late founder, Consuelo Aguilar.

A Tucson High and University of Arizona alumna remembered as a fierce advocate for immigrant rights and social justice, Aguilar helped lead efforts to protect ethnic studies in Tucson, speaking out during a time when Arizona lawmakers moved to dismantle the district’s Mexican American Studies program.

The first Unity Festival was held in 2007, two years before Aguilar died after a battle with cancer and a year before then-Gov. Jan Brewer signed HB 2281 into law, championed by State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne.

The law banned ethnic studies classes that were perceived to “promote resentment.”

Aguilar and many others believed these courses gave students of color a chance to see themselves in history and feel pride in their identities.

The festival is held every April in honor of her birthday, a celebration of the cultural richness of Tucson’s Hispanic and Chicano communities.

This year’s festival featured vibrant performances, including traditional danza from Xochipilli Centeotl and mariachi from Mariachi Rayos del Sol, and closed with a lowrider ceremony.

Student Xochitla Zepeda, president of Tucson High’s chapter of Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlán, said she followed in her mother’s footsteps by joining the student group.

After transferring from Salpointe Catholic High School to Tucson High her sophomore year, Zepeda said she felt a stronger sense of belonging.

“What drew me to Tucson High was MEChA and all the different student clubs they have,” she said.

During meetings, students learn about the Mexica people, the Indigenous ancestors of modern-day Mexico, and study the Chicano Movement. The national student organization focuses on building cultural awareness and leadership among Chicano youth.

Zepeda, who was elected MEChA president her sophomore year and re-elected her junior year, said the group is often misunderstood.

“A lot of people don’t know what MEChA is and are intimidated by it being political,” she said. “But we never put students in harm’s way. I think it’s important for our students to feel welcome and like they belong.”

She said she didn't feel that Salpointe offerred the same kind of support for students of color.

“Being open-minded here at Tucson High has helped me a lot,” Zepeda said.

The festival also brought in local community groups.

Tucson High alumna Isabel Aguirre was on hand with her mother to represent the nonprofit Southwest Leadership Initiative, which funds the Southwest Ivy League Project. The program provides college readiness resources to local students, including an East Coast tour of Ivy League schools like Harvard, Brown and Yale.

“I graduated from Tucson High in 2019 and I was part of MEChA and helped organize the Unity Fest when I was here,” Aguirre said. “It’s important to be back in the community as a resource for students.”

Aguirre wasn’t the only recent graduate on hand for the event.

Alum and photographer Orlando Chavez helped co-direct the 2025 Unity Festival car show, saying his involvement with the event was deeply personal.

“I was born and raised in the car scene. My dad was a member of a car club called Old Memories back in the ’90s and 2000s. I got the opportunity to start going out to car shows and representing my culture through photography,” Chavez said. “I think my photography kind of captures what I feel my culture is, and I try to make that a part of the car show too.”

Chavez credited MEChA for bringing the community together.

“MEChA has done an amazing job bringing people together—different graffiti artists, local performers—as well as coordinating with TUSD,” Chavez said. “It teaches students about skills, organization, leadership and about how different cultures can unite into one show.”

Isabela Gamez is a University of Arizona alum and Tucson Spotlight reporter. Contact her at gamezi@arizona.edu.

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