From mid-September to mid-October, companies acknowledge their Hispanic employees, classrooms highlight brown icons from Frida Kahlo to Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez and t-shirts with Spanish phrases are sold in stores. Beyond these half-hearted attributes, what does Hispanic Heritage Month really do for the Latinx community, and why is it still a necessary celebration?
Recently, the Hispanic community has been a subject of heated debate within the media. Topics such as immigration and crime rates don’t outwardly need to mention Hispanic people for others to know that’s what’s being insinuated.
As a Latina myself, it sometimes feels like an alternate universe we have been thrust into. Never before have I felt my community become so demonized and alienated, simplified down into things that we are not.Â
“Uneducated” is a word that seems to be thrown around a lot recently when talking about Hispanic individuals. This has always confused me, because when I look around, some of the most educated people I know are Hispanic.
My father earned his Master’s degree and has built businesses from the ground up. My favorite professor is fluent in four languages and conducts countless research projects on campus. My older sister is applying for law school and has interned with several prestigious political campaigns.
We are people who work hard and provide so much for this country, yet it feels like we, as a community, bear the weight of blame for any issue occurring in the United States.
It angers me to encounter such slander and hate thrown around so commonly. Sometimes I find myself slipping into these stereotypes, wondering if they’re true, wondering if the only opinion people have about the Latinx community is a negative one.
For this reason, Hispanic Heritage Month this year feels extra important. It is a time to show the beautiful and intricate layers of Hispanic people. We are artists, politicians, family members, scholars, business owners and so much more.
We don’t fit into a box, and I think that is the most important and special part about us. We are everything, we are everywhere and we deserve the respect that everyone else in this country is given.Â
I am the person I am today because of my heritage. I have learned grace, love, dedication and passion through my culture. My worldview is so much larger and better developed because of the interactions I have had with immigrants, those of Hispanic descent and even those whose only tie to Hispanic culture is how they look.
So this month, if you are a part of the community, reflect on what being Hispanic means to you. Try out affirmations, remind yourself of your many accomplishments and acknowledge that you are so much more than what the media portrays you as.Â
If you are not Hispanic, this month should be about education and uplifting voices that may not have as much reach as yours. Check your bias, detach from the news and learn about the multifaceted skills and talents the Latinx community has to offer.Â
All in all, we could all use some more appreciation. We all have room to grow and better ourselves, and Hispanic Heritage Month provides us with a perfect window of opportunity to do so.