We are smack dab in the middle of Hispanic Heritage Month, which is celebrated annually every September 15-October 15. This observation is federally sanctioned, having begun as a week-long celebration in 1968 by President Lyndon Johnson. In 1988, President Ronald Reagan expanded the week to 30 days. Compared to other month-long celebrations, such as African American History Month (February) or Women’s History Month (March), this might seem like an odd time frame; however, the beginning of this 30 day celebration on September 15, coincides with the anniversary of 5 Hispanic nations: Costa Rica, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala. Additionally, Mexico celebrates independence on September 16, and Chile celebrates on September 18. This month also encompasses the October 12 celebration of Dia de la Raza (an alternate to Columbus Day), which celebrates the mixture of indigenous and European heritage in Mexico.
This year’s theme for Hispanic Heritage Month is “Esperanza: A Celebration of Hispanic Heritage and Hope.” In Spanish, “Esperanza” means “hope.” The objective is to acknowledge the achievements and contributions of Hispanic Americans from the past who have inspired others, and who will continue to inspire others, to achieve more success in the future.
Hispanics account for 18.7% of the total U.S. population, and in 2020 the U.S. Census Bureau indicated that the Hispanic population accounts for 62.1 million people (total US total population in 2020 was calculated to be 331,449,281). According to the Pew Research Center, the U.S. Hispanic population is the nation’s second-fastest-growing ethnic group. Hispanic heritage is quickly becoming part of the everyday American experience, whether we are aware of it or not. The goal of Hispanic Heritage Month is to draw all of our attention, regardless of cultural background, to the rich contributions of Hispanic Americans to our world.
While we whole-heartedly support dining-out at all of our many delicious local Hispanic restaurants, embracing Hispanic heritage is about a lot more than eating Mexican food. What else can we do to dive deeper into celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month? Here are a few ideas that all of us at F.C. Tucker Emge are embracing:
- Read books by hispanic authors, both fiction and nonfiction.
- Local libraries, such as the Evansville Vanderburgh Public Library are running special programs this month to pay tribute to Hispanic Heritage Month.
- Learn how to cook a new Hispanic dish: there is no shortage of recipes on the web, and this includes specialties from Latin American countries and beyond. Spend a few hours getting lost in the rabbit hole of Hispanic food blogs and find some dishes you can cook at home. You might start here.
- If you are going to try your hand at some new Hispanic dishes, you may need to visit a local Hispanic market:
- El Paisano @ 225 S. Green River Road (812-602-3536)
- La Mexicana International Market @ 324 E. Riverside Drive (812-422-7861)
- Las Americas Store and Restaurant @1016 S. Weinbach Ave. #A (812-475-3483)
- In Jasper: El Llano Market @ 109 W. 28th St. (812-556-5223)
- In Vincennes: Tienda hispana adonai @ 1500 Willow St. (502-471-1837)
- Explore Latin music for your playlist…and dare we say learn some new dance moves?
- Learn about the contributions of Hispanic artists: start with these
- Discover the contributions of Hispanic scientists: start here
- Learn to play a game that is well beloved by Hispanic cultures: dominoes, loteria, and more.
- Check out some beloved Spanish-language movies
- Patronize local Hispanic owned businesses
- Make a monetary donation to a local Latin American non-profit
All of us here at F.C. Tucker Emge REALTORS® embrace the diverse fabric of our community. Our agents advocate for the priorities of all of their clients, whether they are buying or selling, to ensure fair-housing. We have bilingual agents, our website is available in multiple languages, and we are dedicated to fair-housing for all. Let’s Talk.
This month, open your eyes with us to the deep and complex Hispanic culture in our community.
