What is Hispanic Heritage month?
Hispanic Heritage month starts on September 15th and ends October 15th. This started in 1968, originally a week long, then expanded to a month long in 1988 (Hispanic Heritage Month). In the 1960s, with the peak of the Civil Rights movement, multicultural communities were trying to be celebrated. This was of thanks to Representative, Esteban E. Torres, who realized a week is too short and wanted more time to celebrate properly (History). The reason September 15th is important is that it is the day of independence for several Latin American countries from Spain. These countries include; Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. Following that on the 16th are Mexico and Chile’s Independence Day. Even though Thursday is the last day, it is important to support all year long and recognize the contributions from Hispanic and Latin American communities. Living in Chicago, I have been very lucky to be able to celebrate all types of cultures in one area. It is has broadened my perspective of what Hispanic and Latinx culture can be. Despite the ways we think we are different from each other, we actually are quite similar.
The best way that I believe you can learn a culture is through the food. Below are some Chicago recommendations:
El Salvador Restaurant: 6107 W. Addison St.
Panaderia Nuevo León: 1634 W 18th St
Carnitas Uruapan: 1725 W. 18TH. ST.
Lunas Empanadas: 6011 West Irving Park Road
Yvolina’s tamales: 814 W 18th St
The Jibarito Stop: 1646 W 18th St
Punta Cana: 2200 N Kimball Ave
Instructions Not Included: When a womanizer turns suddenly into a father. This movie captures the relationship that a father and daughter build, while growing up together.
Gentefied: Gentrification is an issue that is affecting cities all over America. One of those cities is in L.A., specifically, the location of the Morales’ grandfather’s taco shop. This Netflix tv series takes you on their family struggle of keeping their culture while adjusting to the times.
Vida: After the death of their mother, these two sisters move back to their childhood city. Their estranged relationships causes tension and these two learn to cope with their very different personalities.
East Side Sushi: Helping her father with his fruit cart while balancing being a single mom, Juana decides to embark on a journey to become more than that. While facing discrimination in the restaurant industry, this movie emphasizes her willpower to succeed.
Selena: Selena Quintanilla-Pérez is an iconic singer who was tragically murdered. This movie is beautifully portrayed by Jennifer Lopez showcasing, the life of a rising star.
Pan’s Labyrinth: Guillermo Del Toro is the genius writer/director of this eerie movie about a young step-daughter of an army officer who escapes into her own fantasy. The visuals in this movie are insane and his work is amazing so I highly recommend checking out his extensive list of other movies.
Besides food and movies, learning about culture from the people themselves is important. This is a list of brands/influencers that I enjoy following on Instagram:
Rizos Curls: This brand has saved my curls and I think the owner, Julissa Prado, is very inspiring starting a company from scratch. Find her products online or at Target
PinkPastelBakery: She posts the cutest desserts and is known for her concha cakes. Also, everything is completely vegan! Again, not sure why I love following Vegan influencers but with the way her desserts look, you would never know the difference. Aida (the owner) does not have a physical bakery but you can order online or find her at farmer’s markets.
Marthas_themed_cakes: A Her Campus former member, Lili, started this cake business with her mom, and every time they post a new cake I am just blown away by the details they put into it. Any cake you can imagine, they are able to create it!
Sweet Simple Vegan: While I am not vegan, I enjoy Jasmine’s content because it can easily be adjusted. She recently featured some other Hispanic creators for Hispanic Heritage month, so go check it out.
La Comida Jeremie: Again, I am not vegan, but I love the content that Jeremie puts out. His work ethic is inspiring and you can find a wide variety of daily content: from YouTube videos, recipes, or drawings.
Better Now Therapy: A licensed psychotherapist who posts content about psychology that I find interesting to learn about. She also has a book called “12 Ways to Cope With Your Latina Mom“.
Camillejcollazo: Based in Chicago (which makes her automatically cooler), Camille provides financial advice for those wanting to stick to a budget. She posts daily content on Instagram but you can find her tips on YouTube. Her videos are very helpful and will probably make you regret eating out to any of the restaurants I listed above (but it’s ok!).
Latina Owned Brand: The name pretty much sums up what their Instagram content is about. They post small latina businesses or entrepreneurs.
UIC Latino Cultural Center: At our very own University of Illinois at Chicago, we have a Latino Cultural Center. They host a lot of events throughout the year, such as screen-printing with a local artist or mural tours. Virtually, they have also been raising awareness of social issues going on.