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ICS 8A Hispanic Heritage essay

Hispanic Heritage: Why should we keep it alive?

There are more than 54 million Hispanics in the United States. That is 54 million people whose origin and cultures have greatly impacted the U.S. Without Hispanic heritage, we would lack so many of the great things making us the “great melting pot”. We would not have the diversity in languages, food, dances, fashion, and many more things. (crs.org)

Food- food is something everyone enjoys and needs. Many foods that we have today are from Hispanic origin. Tortillas, salsa, enchiladas, and Hispanic restaurants are all of Hispanic heritage. Today, salsa is “overtaking ketchup” and many would prefer a tortilla over a hot dog or a burger any day- exhibiting the rise in popularity these foods have had. Hispanic food and drinks, in 2012, was an $8,000,000,000 market and in the next couple years reach $11 billion.many restaurants have been adding Hispanic foods to their menus, from fajitas to quesadillas to tacos. Chipotle had become incredibly popular recently, another Mexican restaurant that has emerged. The point is, these restaurants would not become so popular if the people of the united states did not enjoy the food being served there- brought into this country through Hispanic heritage. (NBC Latino)

Diversity in language. Something that may or may not shock you is, there are multiple types of Spanish. Latin American Spanish, also known as “highland” because it is spoken mainly in mountainous areas in Latin American countries, is the most common Spanish dialect. Another type of Spanish dialect is Castilian. Castilian is generally spoken throughout Madrid and part of Spain but this dialect never actually made it to America. The third is known as “trade winds Spanish”. Spoken in the Caribbean and parts of Latin America and Spain. The fourth type is actually influenced by the Italians. Located in parts of Buenos Aires and Uruguay, this Spanish is accompanied by Italian pronunciation and out of date grammar. One example of a common change made was, instead of saying “Tu” they say “vos”. (Fact monster)

Many different types of dances are of Hispanic descent as well; such as the rumba, meringue, and the quite popular, tango, and the salsa. The rumba is a combination of many dances originating in Cuba, including guaracha, the Cuban son, the Cuban bolero, and the rural rumba. The rumba is known as the dance of love.Rumba is recognized as a dance of arts. It is slow and sensual with a "touch of Latin beat" and certain hip movements. The merengue is from Latin American music and generally has a set of two dancing to a two-step beat. Partners step side to side with their partner, or will circle each other; there are many complex turns in this advanced dance style.The tango is a very well- known dance in the United states, originating In Hispanic countries such as Argentina. It has "sharp movements, head snaps, and a cat-like and stealthy foot action." The salsa, one of the more popular dances, originates in Puerto Rico, Cuba, Dominican Republic, and other Hispanic countries. Featuring "break steps, spins, showy performance moves, and drops" this dance will keep everyone entertained and on their feet. (Dance lovers Dance History)

Lastly, but certainly not least, we need Hispanic heritage because, without it, we would not have fashion the way it is today.All of the Latin American designers, stores, products, etc. form the fashion industry we have today. When looking online or in magazines, there are many, many famous hispanic\ latin American fashion designers- they have dresses in places ranging from the common clothing store at the mall, to celebrities on the red carpet.

In conclusion, no matter what happens to the United States, we will always be the "melting pot". Hispanic heritage has grown to become a major part of society and population. Without Latino heritage, we would not be the advanced country we are today. So, after knowing everything Hispanic heritage has to offer and why we SHOULD keep it alive, I think it is obvious to all the importance of hispanic heritage in the United States.

__**Works Cited**__

"Latino, Other Ethnic Influences Changing America’s Food choices." // NBC Latino //. N.p., 17 Oct. 2013. Web. 21 Apr. 2015. @http://nbclatino.com/2013/10/17/latino-other-ethnic-influences-changing-americas-food-choices/

"Latin American Music and Dance." // Latin American Music and Dance //. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Apr. 2015. __ @http://users.wpi.edu/~arivera/music.html __

"Latin American Fashion." // LoveToKnow //. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Apr. 2015. @http://fashion-history.lovetoknow.com/clothing-around-world/latin-american-fashion

RUMBA HISTORY | Dancelovers Dance History." //Rumba_history//. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 May 2015. __ [] __

Rumba Ballroom Dance Academy. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 May 2015 __ [] __

"Spanish Language Varieties." //Spanish Language Varieties//. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 May 2015. []