Hispanic & Latine Heritage Month

The concept of “Hispanic Heritage Month'' has always been strange to me, maybe because for me, Hispanic heritage is a year-long event. There isn’t a single day that goes by that I am not Latina, and while some days I might feel more connected to my culture, whether I’m conscious of it or not, I celebrate my heritage with every breath I take, through the Latin artists I love to listen to, to occasional trips to my local Hispanic grocer, to the simple act of adding a pinch of sal to my mangoes. But while my heritage is constantly present in my life and the lives of other Hispanic people, not everyone has the opportunity to interact with Latin culture on a regular basis. 

This to me is the importance of Hispanic/Latino Heritage Month. It’s the opportunity for our heritage to be shared with the wider American public, to celebrate all that this community has achieved, to truly show the world who we are. While I hope that the attention to my community won’t be confined to a single 30-day period, I appreciate this month and how it creates a platform for the voices of Latinos across the country. I love being able to scroll through social media and see brands promoting the voices and businesses of Latino people and raising money and awareness about important issues within our community. I encourage everyone to celebrate Hispanic culture during this time, and all year round! Consider shopping at Latine-owned businesses, donating to organizations that support the Hispanic community, and checking out some Spanish media (the telenovelas will have you on the edge of your seat!).

My heritage has always been an important part of my life. I feel most connected to my culture in Canada of all places. We always visit my mom’s side of the family in Ontario during the winter holidays, and for two weeks, I’m fully immersed in my culture. Whether it’s making pan de bono with my Colombian uncle, eating an array of Nicaraguan dishes, or speaking broken Spanish with my relatives, I always treasure the times I’m able to embrace my heritage.

The Hispanic people are an incredibly diverse, talented, and accomplished group, tied together by Latinidad. For anyone who doesn’t know, Latinidad is the idea of unity between Latin American countries and people with Hispanic Heritage, a vast, multi-racial, and multicultural people united by the Spanish language. Hispanic people have done so much for our world, with writers like Isabel Allende and Gabriel Garcia Marquez contributing to the advancement of literature, artists like Frida Kahlo revolutionizing the field of visual art, and musicians like Selena leaving their marks on the world of music. Even in our government, people like Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor contribute to the bettering of our nation and the advancement of the Hispanic community.