Upon arriving in the Pacific Northwest in the U.S., I realized that many people did not know about a history of slavary in Peru. People were surprised to learn about an African heritage among us Peruvians, in our blood, in our food, our language, dance, music and beyond. After receiving my Ph.D. in cultural anthropology from the University of Washington, I decided to begin a new journey. Fueled by a genuine desire to combat racism, in 2009 I combined my artistic experience as a dancer and musician with my academic studies to launch DE CAJóN Project. Deeply aware of the historic roots and contemporary manifestations of Afro Peruvian arts and culture, DE CAJóN strives to offer a vibrant reclamation of this tradition by creating consciousness about the presence and historical resilience of people of African descent in Peru. We do this work through our educational events as well as our music and dance performances for young and adult audiences throughout the Pacific Northwest.

~Monica Rojas-Stewart.