HispanicHeritageEssayRT15

Why we should keep Hispanic Heritage alive? We should keep Hispanic Heritage alive because of the culture it brought to the United States. People of Hispanic heritage brought sports, recreation, clothing, family, education, and religion.

Both sets of my grandparents were born in Cuba and moved to the United States after communism took over. This makes my parents first generation American and my sister and I second generation American. Cubans such as my grandparents brought a lot of Hispanic heritage with them adding to the diversity in America. A lot of the heritage brought by immigrants, like my grandparents, is seen and loved in America, such as baseball and other recreational activities. In Cuba they play many sports. Unlike other Hispanic countries Cubans play more baseball than soccer. Cubans also enjoy dancing, watching t.v., playing music or dominoes, and going to baseball games and boxing matches. Cuba is a sporting nation whose achievements far surpass what one would expect based on the size of the island nation and its economy. Cuba has for years competed in several sports and often won or at least brought home a few medals. The secret of Cuba’s success must be partly attributed to the fact that Cubans try to there best so that Cuba is known for who have invested heavily in the promotion of sports in Cuba. Today, millions of young people in Cuba actively participate in sports which mean when it comes time to the selecting of the national sports teams, the sports officials in Cuba have a wider pool to choose. Here are just a few of the sports in which Cuba has won over the years: baseball and boxing.

If you go to West Tampa then you could see old Cuban men wearing guayabera. They wear casual dress and slacks during the day with more of a formal wear in the evenings. Shorts are popular to wear at the beach but shorts aren't allowed at night in public places. Very little new homes have been built in Cuba since the early sixties, therefore it is not unusual for three generations to live in one apartment. In the countryside, some people still live in traditional Cuban "bohios." They live in palm wood huts with roofs made of palm leaves. With the help of child-care centers, as well as maternity benefits, many women have entered the work force. In 1974, the Family Code was passed, which set out the responsibilities of married couples. The Family Code gave men and women equal rights and responsibilities for housework, child rearing, and education.

Even though Fidel Castro made Cuba a communist country people still have their own Religious beliefs. 85% of Cuban people are Roman Catholic. Priests help Santeria believers find solutions to problems relating to health, money, love or the legal system. The practice of Santería may involve dancing, wearing a special charm or beads or sacrificing a pigeon or a chicken. Santería festivals are celebrated with dances, drumming, songs and offerings that are specific to each ceremony. During these festivals, the santeros dance. A believer goes into a trance represents the orisha for the group and delivers messages, advice and wisdom to other believers. Cuba is a multiracial society with a population of mainly Spanish and African origins. The largest organized religion is the Roman Catholic Church, but evangelical protestant denominations continue to grow rapidly. Afro-Cuban religions, a blend of native African religions and Roman Catholicism, are widely practiced in Cuba. Officially, Cuba has been an atheist state for most of the Castro era. In 1962, the government of Fidel Castro seized and shut down more than 400 Catholic schools, charging that they spread dangerous beliefs among the people. In 1991 the Communist Party lifted its prohibition against religious believers seeking membership, and a year later the constitution was amended to characterize the state as secular instead of atheist.

We should keep Hispanic Heritage alive because of the culture it brought to the United States. People of Hispanic heritage brought sports, recreation, clothing, family, education, and religion. You now know what the people of Hispanic heritage brought with them when they came to the United States and how important it is to not only them but the rest of the country. My grandparents just like other grandparents have brought Hispanic heritage from the country they came from to the United States. They have brought the unique clothes they wear and how they spend their free time. They brought their language and their faith in Christ or any other religion that they might have participated in. So now you know why we should keep Hispanic heritage alive. I hope that you have learned a lot on why we should keep Hispanic heritage alive. I hope you have a great rest of your day and I hope what you have learned can now help you.

"Hispanic Heritage Facts." Cuba Facts, Culture, Recipes, Language, Government, Eating, Geography, Maps, History, Weather, News, Economy, Family, Fashion, Events. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Apr. 2015. .
 * Work Cited:**

"Hispanic Heritage Facts." Cuba. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Apr. 2015. .