“Mega 101, Latino and proud, proud, proud, proud!” Growing up, hearing that tagline echo from the radio speakers brought a sense of pride to a young boy figuring out where he belonged.
Born a Mexican-American in 1993, I spent my childhood singing “Bidi Bidi Bom Bom” by Selena at the top of my lungs, eating pan dulce (sweet bread) nearly everyday at grandma’s house, and understanding more or less what my relatives were saying in Spanish, even though I didn’t speak it myself.
Being Latino and proud is something that has always been ingrained in me. The culture, the art, the music, the language and even the superstitions have always made me feel like who I am and where my ancestry comes from matters.
As a young boy in school, I was never fully taught about Hispanic Heritage Month or even notable trailblazers in history such as Dolores Huerta, Cesar Chavez, Sylvia Mendez and Hector Garcia. A border wall of textbooks and educators oftentimes separate Hispanic contributions to America from the stories they would rather, or are forced to, teach.
Hispanic Heritage Month is celebrated from Sept. 15 through Oct. 15, in honor of the eight Latin America countries who won their independence: Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua on Sept. 15, 1821; Mexico on Sept. 16 1810; Chile on Sept. 18, 1810; and Belize on Sept. 21, 1981.
Hispanics are the largest ethnic or racial minority in the United States; yet, they tend to be overlooked in the eyes of American history educators and decision makers. However, Hispanic Heritage Month 2018 should continue to build up the awareness brought to Latin contributions that began back in 1968, when what is now a month-long celebration was only a week.
This isn’t a month just for those in the Latinx community. It should be a time for all those living in the U.S. to recognize and celebrate the diversity that has always made America great — the diversity that continues to open minds and bring about acceptance of other cultures.
Also published on Medium.