Latino seniors celebrate culture and connection at Sacramento’s Hart Senior Center
Club Los Manitos gathers nearly 90 Latino seniors every Wednesday at the Hart Senior Center in Sacramento to celebrate life, preserve culture, and build meaningful connections
SACRAMENTO, Calif. —
Every Wednesday, nearly 90 Latino seniors gather at the Hart Senior Center in Sacramento for “Club Los Manitos,” a weekly celebration of life, culture, and community that has been thriving for nearly three decades.
“Don’t make me a doctor’s appointment cause Wednesday is my day here at Manitos,” said Martha Hernández Salazar, a member of the group.
The club began with just 10 members and has grown significantly over the years.
“When it started, it was like 10 people when my mother-in-law was here, but now it’s like 100. It grew throughout the years,” Salazar said.
The group has become a vital source of connection and support for its members.
“It brought us all together, we’re concerned of each other. We call each other especially during COVID,” Salazar said.
The gathering fosters a shared culture that extends beyond nationality and age.
“It’s very important in my opinion to be with people where you totally identify with,” said Galo Tovar, another member of the group. “In this case, older adults. We share a culture, it’s not the Latin culture – it’s culture related to age, experience, to health.”
Members also embrace their cultural heritage, often blending languages and traditions. “Puedo verte y decir ‘ay, que bonita se ve’ or I can say, ‘oh how, pretty,’ I can switch like that. {snaps fingers} Hablo Spanglish,” Mauri Murillo said.
Tovar added, “I personally appreciate these opportunities for Latino adults to speak Spanish.”
For many, the group offers a rare chance to form new connections later in life.
“In this society, we’re compartmentalized by age, right, we separate it,” Tovar said. “It’s hard to meet adults in a coffee shop or a concert or something like that.”
Salazar noted that the group provides something unique compared to family relationships.
“It’s something different. Family members, well they’re not there yet, they’re not elderly as myself,” she said.
For some, the community also brings a sense of spirituality.
“I’m with my family, of course I love my family but it’s a different relationship. This to me is like going to church because it’s very spiritual, you know,” Tovar said.
This story was produced as part of our 2026 Project CommUNITY special for Hispanic Heritage Month.
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