AUBURN - Coming to this country with only their heritage as company, immigrant and refugee youth sang and danced with their arms around their history at the Schweinfurth Memorial Art Center on Saturday.

Like apples, pears, and peaches swaying from different branches of the same tree, the African, Chinese and Spanish performers gathered together to treat visitors, and one another, to the fresh tastes of musical diversity.

Whether it was Kwasi sending notes like smoke rings from the depths of his drums as the Mandingo-Liberian youth were singing and dancing like birds on the wing, or the Chinese skipping with happiness as red ribbons trailed in the air; or the Latinos' hands swimming and elbows snapping their hips, the message was the same: this country is about being different.

“I'm here with my granddaughter. I thought I should introduce her to all the different dancers,” said Rose Ammerman, of Sennett. “I've seen it all, on and off, through the years. But this is wonderful.”

Granddaughter Maria Rose Schillace, 9, of Auburn, shyly agreed.

“It's good,” she said, sitting hands held together between her knees.

“We are so happy to have all the cultures together in one nation,” Jose Miguel Hernandez of the Spanish Action League of Onondaga County told the audience.

“I'm proud, very proud,” said the Latino Theater Youth Troupe director, who came from Cuba nine years ago. “In the beginning, when they come here - we come isolated. If it was not for this group, we can not express ourselves.”

Assistant director Rita Paniagua explained the performance group served as a learning tool in integration, as well as staying in touch with heritage.

“It includes their skills in reading and writing, through the stories of the scripts,” she said. “Little by little they get better.”

Traditional salsa and mambo are performer Gleydis Merino's favorite dance. She came to the United States from Cuba two years ago last November, with her parents. She loves it here but, yes, there are things to miss.

“We want to get a better life, but I miss the rest of my family. It's sunny and we can always go outside, even at 12 a.m. at night and not be scared,” the Jameville-Dewitt eighth-grader said. “I started dancing in Cuba. When I came here I didn't have anything to do. I joined the Latino Theater. We won seven awards!”

But what of the new Reggaton music, that blends together Spanish with hip-hop?

“My mom likes it sometimes. But my step dad doesn't like,” a smiling Merino said.

Demonstrations of African musical instruments, Chinese paper cutting and calligraphy, and Mexican paper cutting and pinata making were also offered at the Folk Arts Series presentation, sponsored by the New York State Council on the Arts.