National Hispanic Heritage Month

September 15 through October 15 marks in the U.S. what has become known as National Hispanic Heritage Month. Every year, Hispanics have the chance to celebrate and reminisce about our heritage and what makes us unique, without being arrogant, in this country.

But what is the month about? What do we celebrate? This month should be a time to look inward and to express gratitude for all we have and for all we can offer this country. It is a time to celebrate the best of what Latinos have to offer this great nation.

On September 25 CNN aired “Latino in America 2: In Her Corner”. It is an inspirational documentary about Marlen Esparza, a young Latina boxer that portrays what Latinas and Hispanics in this country are, fighters. This documentary will air again in October 1st and hopefully it will later be available through different means as it is an important piece of history worth seeing.  

This documentary makes me reflect upon about what it means to be a Latino in America. And watching it I realize it does not just mean being of Hispanic descent or speaking Spanish, the Latino History in America is one of struggling and achieving, one of resilience and strong will, of vision to fight for what you want.   

Like Marlen Esparza, we all have obstacles to overcome. Our families are not perfect. We may not know who to go to for help, but like in her case, there are lots of people in our corner. People who can help us succeed, not by giving us what we want, but by teaching us how to achieve and be successful and by testing us to make sure we are ready. It’s like training for the fight of life.  

Being Latino in America is a great challenge these days. As a community we are being pulled in many different directions. We have great role models and there are opportunities for success like never before, yet we struggle for dear life with a broken immigration system that keeps criminalizing innocent people, and our communities struggle to have a dignified life.

National Hispanic Heritage Month is a time to celebrate the best of what we have to offer, but it is also a challenge to become the best that we can be; a time to refocus on something worth living for, finding the ways to achieve and to keep fighting. 

What does National Hispanic Heritage Month mean to you? What does it mean for you to be a Latino in America?
   
 

6Oct2011
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08 Oct15:36

Being Latina has a very deep

By Astrid

Being Latina has a very deep meaning in who I am. It is my identity. I am currently an aerospace engineering student in a predominantly anglo-American university and I must admit it's quite honorable to not only represent the women at my campus, but also the Mexican-American women of this country.

I am a daughter of Mexican immigrants and I am so proud of my culture. We come from a long line of people who are family centered, humble, and most of all LUCHADORES! In these three years of my undergrad education there have been moments that I have felt like throwing the towel but every time God reminds why He has brought me so far.

It's not more or less because of me, but because of all the beautiful people that have come before me who have only imagined to do what I have been blessed in doing with my life thus far. Furthermore, it inspires me to know that I may be laying the foundation for the future of another younger brother or sister of mine who will aspire to be a great son or daughter of God through their vocation and career goals. May we always remember where we have come from and honor those who have laid their lives with their hard work and sacrifices for us and may we always be witnesses of Christ to the younger generations.

 

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