Back in the Reagan Presidency, Hispanic Heritage Month was proclaimed from September 15 to October 15 as a month of celebration and remembrance of Latino/a/e’s. It had been a day-long celebration for several years, then eventually a week but then in 1988 the month-long celebration was enacted into law. The reason it begins in mid-September and ends in mid-October is because it aims to incorporate several Latin American Independence days that occur during that time.
Anyway, enough with the boring stuff. After all, Hispanic Heritage Month is over in 2022, right? Well, technically yes, it is, but the reason I am writing this today is because we do not exist just from September 15 to October 15. Similarly, Women do not just exist during Women’s History Month in March, Black people do not just exist during Black History Month in January, and LGBTQ+ people do not just exist during Pride Month in June, etc. We cannot confine ourselves to only celebrate these communities during their designated month of celebration because these communities exist year-round!
We cannot confine ourselves to only celebrate these communities during their designated month…
For now, I am going to be focusing on Latinx Heritage Month, since it just ended, and also because I identify with the Latinx community. Why is it important to have a month dedicated to a community? The truth is that, unfortunately, it is easy to forget the contributions that certain communities have made to our societies and our country. Latinx communities are the backbone of this country working important jobs that we often take for granted. For example, the next time you eat fruits or vegetables, I encourage you to look at where your produce came from, and who is working those fields. What you will most likely find is that your fruits and vegetables were picked by Latinx Immigrants. We are also everywhere else, for example, this year Katya Echazarrata became the first Mexican woman to travel to space. For more information about this amazing Latina, I recommend Katya Echazarreta by our very own Wendy Carrillo. Also, this year Priscila Coronado became the first Latina woman to be elected as the President of the Harvard Law Review. Of the 135 presidents that came before her, Coronado is the first Latina woman to hold that role.
So many other advocates have come before. For example, we know Cesar Chavez who worked fiercely to protect farmworkers, many of whom were Latinx or Filipino. Yet, let us not forget Dolores Huerta who also worked alongside Chavez and is still alive today at the age of 92 being a bold advocate for marginalized communities.
The reality is that Latino/a/e peoples make up almost 20 percent of the United States population, and our community is only continuing to grow and take up more space in this country. We are students, politicians, writers, musicians, teachers, astronauts, activists, and so much more. Therefore, during the month of celebration reflect on the accomplishments like what Echazarreta and Coronado achieved this year. But also, acknowledge the hardships, sacrifices, and history of Latinx people in this country and abroad like Chavez and Huerta to name a few.
Now, you may be wondering: what can I do to continue celebrating Latinx Heritage Month year-round? Allow me to offer some suggestions, first off, I say this a lot but READ! Reading is so valuable because people share stories through writing, and oftentimes these stories reflect relatable cultural elements that you can empathize with and even relate with. Also, to support Latinx businesses, there are so many local and national businesses owned, operated, and designed by Latinx people, so celebrate their achievements by honoring their businesses. Lastly, listen to those around you who identify with this community, do not expect us to educate you, but make an effort to listen to our frustrations and even our appreciation for our identities, because there will always be a little bit of both.