Hispanic+heritage+essay+Cm

Spanish  Why should we keep Spanish Heritage alive, a better question would be, how would it hurt us as a country if we let Spanish heritage die? Hispanic culture and influence has been part of America longer than the United States has existed. Spanish culture runs deep in North America. Many states have Spanish names, Florida, California, Nevada, Colorado, Montana, Texas, New Mexico, Utah and Arizona. All these states were part of New Spain and then Mexico until the United States took them over in the mid-19th Century. Many cities in America also have Spanish names and themes.  Spanish heritage must be kept alive or the United States will lose a big part of its own culture and history. When the United States expanded west of the Mississippi River and South of the Carolinas, this country immediately became part of the Hispanic heritage with the traditions and cultures of the Spanish. The oldest written records of explorers and settlers to the United States were written in Spanish. St Augustine, Florida was established by the Spanish in 1565, this was 42 years before Jamestown was founded (Krogstad, 2014).  The United States has to help keep this important heritage alive. The United States Hispanic population is over 54.1 million people (Passet, 2011)). Latinos are this nation’s second largest ethnic group. This makes them a very important part of this country and the world. Mexicans account for 34 million of the nation’s Latinos, followed by Puerto Ricans, Cubans, Salvadorans,

Dominicans, Guatemalans, and Colombians. Latinos are the youngest members of any ethnic group in the United States. The average age is 27 years old ,so they will be offering their talents for many years to come (Passet, 2011). The Spanish adult community is about 55% Catholic which makes them important to the church and the community (Passet, 2011). How can we not keep this heritage going, look at what could be lost. The Spanish culture has so much to offer us. They are Americans who bring a lot of ideas, workmanship, talent and leadership to the world along with their Spanish cultures and traditions that hundreds and hundreds years old. The foods, and spices they offer us are amazing.  This country celebrates Spanish Heritage week every September. The Spanish culture is very diverse. It has many different traditions but all the cultures honor their heritage. The Cuban people have lived through leaving their country and everything they own to come to America for better lives for themselves and their families. They did this to get away from Fidel Castro and his Communist ways. Many Cubans came to Florida because it is close to Cuba. Cuban Americans own 25% of all businesses in Miami (Krogstad, 2014). Cubans are one of the most educated ethnic groups in the United States. The number of Cuban American doctors is very high in this country. Hispanics in general are devoted to family and church and carry on this tradition passing it on to their own children.  Hispanics have given the world and especially America so much talent. We have many singers like Christina Aguilera, Ricky Martin and Marc Anthony. We have watched Jennifer Lopez and Selma Gomez in movies and on television. George Lopez has made everyone laugh (www.sparkenthusism).

The Hispanic community has given the world so many athletes that there are too many to mention. Luiz Alvarez won the Nobel Prize in Physic in 1968 showing the world his scientific Talents. (www.sparkenthusism) Edward Hidalgo was the Secretary of the Navy in 1979 and Sonia Sotomayer is the third woman to become a U.S. Supreme Court justice (www.sparkenthusism).  The growing Spanish community has so many talents to give to the world. They are hard workers. They want to have better lives for their families. They have strong family relationships and they want education for themselves and their families. They are friends, neighbors and class-mates. They are the doctors and dentist who treat us. They are the chefs who make the delicious foods from their heritage. They are the police who protect us and the firemen who save us. They service are cars and take care of things that break in our homes. They are the teachers who teach us. Keeping the Spanish Heritage alive will only help all of us.  Spanish heritage has been important to the world for centuries. The influence of the Spanish has been seen in American language, the building of this country and America’s own economic history. The United States government even uses the Spanish carving of Castillian Monarch Alfonso X in the House of Representatives (Nadeau, 2012). Spanish Heritage has helped the cultural diversity that has made life better for everyone. Hispanics are a big part of this country because above all they are Americans making this a better country with their heritage.

 CITES Krogstad, Jens Manuel. Pew Research Center, “How Many Hispanics in the US”. March 15, 2011. Web accessed 4/10.15.

Nadeau, Jean Benoit. USA Today. Hispanic Heritage Runs Deep in the US. October 11, 2012.

Passet, Jeffery. How Many Hispanics in the U.S.? March 15, 2011. Web accessed 4/10/2015

www.sparkenthusism.co/hispanicinfluence-english-pdf.