HispanicHeritageRJ

HispanicHeritageRJ

Why we should keep Hispanic Heritage alive?

Each year f rom September 15 to October 15 Americans observe National Hispanic Heritage month. Originally President Lyndon Johnson approved an observation for Hispanic Heritage but it was only for a week. In 1988 President Ronald Reagan expanded the celebration to cover the thirty day period. It is observed in Canada, Latin America and the United States. September 15 is the anniversary of independence of five countries: Latin American Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. Therefore that day was chosen as the starting point of celebrating Hispanic Heritage. We celebrate the history, culture and contributions of American citizens. Their ancestors came from several Hispanic countries. These are Spain, Mexico, The Caribbean and Central and South America. I am Russian and Polish. I ask myself, “Why should we keep Hispanic Heritage alive”?

Good question. Hispanic Heritage Month celebrates Hispanic and Latino Americans in North America. This started with the discovery of America by Christopher Columbus on the morning of October 12, 1492. Hispanics were some of the first settlers in the United States. Today the Hispanic population is about 50.5 million people. This makes it the largest and fastest growing minority group in the country. They play important roles in America. More than 63,000 were on active duty in the Armed Forces according to the U.S. census. Some have held important political positions such as governors or senators such as Mexican born Octaviano Ambrosio Larrazolo who become the first Hispanic American to serve in the U.S. Senate in 1928.

People celebrate Hispanic Heritage month for different reasons. It may be because you are Catholic. Fifty –five percent of Latino’s say they are Catholic. Maybe it’s because you are Hispanic or know someone who is. It could be because you admire a famous Hispanic person like Roberto Clemente who played baseball for the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 1970’s and who was a hall of fame inductee. Mr. Clemente went to the chiropractor that my grandmother worked for. We have an autographed baseball from him. Or maybe you enjoy laughing with the actor/comedian George Lopez. He and my dad have something in common. They both have had kidney transplants. I’m sure those that celebrate Hispanic Heritage month have their own personal reasons. Maybe those of us that don’t celebrate it should!

From sports to government to entertainment and science, Hispanic Americans have played very important roles in America's history, its values, and culture. If you live in Florida you hopefully appreciate the fresh fruits and vegetables that are grown here locally. Do you know who picked that food? Sixty-five percent of Florida’s farm workers are Hispanic. The majority are from Mexico. About sixty-five percent of Hispanic Americans are of Mexican descent. Mexico won its independence from Spain in 1821. Puerto Rico is a U.S. commonwealth. Americans of Puerto Rican origin make up about nine percent of the Hispanic American population. About four percent of Hispanic Americans have a Cuban background and about three percent of Hispanic Americans have roots in the Dominican Republic. The Dominican Republic shares the island of Hispaniola with Haiti. I t’s evident that Hispanics have contributed a great deal to America and continue to do so daily.

Hispanic Heritage Month is celebrated with community festivals, government gatherings, and educational activities in schools. Many schools celebrate the month by learning about contributions of Hispanic Americans. They learn about the past and the present. Often Hispanic Heritage celebratory events are seen on television. We can thank Guillermo González Camarena who invented an early color television system. He received US patent on September 15, 1942 for his "chromscopic adapter for television equipment". Guillermo González Camarena publicly demonstrated his color television with a transmission on August 31, 1946. The color transmission was broadcast direct from his laboratory in Mexico City. While you are watching your color television and realize you need to change the battery in your remote control you can thank Olga D. González-Sanabria who was born in Puerto Rico. She was granted U.S. Patent for the Alkaline Battery. Olga González-Sanabria became the highest ranking Hispanic at NASA's Glenn Research Center in 2002.

Regardless of your heritage it is important to recognize the heritage of others. Mainly to show appreciation of the contributions others have made to both our past and present. Even if you don’t know someone of Hispanic decent, though you probably do, their heritage touches our lives daily from the people you see on television, your teachers and friends at school, the important positions they hold and the great inventions they made that we use daily. When we celebrate Hispanic heritage we are showing our appreciation. We are also reminding ourselves what they have given us. It is also a great way to compare your heritage if you aren’t Hispanic to those that are. Though you may find many differences you may also find some similarities.

Hispanic Hertage

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Activities." Countries in South America: Discover Countries in South America. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Apr. 2015.

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Central Intelligence Agency. Central Intelligence Agency, n.d. Web. 25 Apr. 2015.

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"National Hispanic Heritage Month." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 25 Apr. 2015.