How to Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month

In celebration of many different Latin and Central-American independence days, Hispanic Heritage Month highlights the culture and history of all Hispanic and Latin-American nations. In the United States, from September 15 through October 15 , people are able to recognize and gain a better appreciation of Latino and Hispanic traditions; values and contributions to society; but exactly how can can individuals participate in Hispanic Heritage Month?

Food:

One of the easiest ways to connect with Latin and Hispanic cultures would be through experiencing all of the different food. There are a variety of dishes specific to certain Latin and Hispanic culture, ranging from sweet deserts such as “Alfajor” – enjoyed by many Central and Southern Latin-American nations – to savory dishes such as “Arepas” from both Colombia and Venezuela. Through creating and tasting Latin-American and Hispanic foods, one is able to better see the pride and effort that goes into carrying traditional food through generations.

Music:

Rather than listening to generic American Pop songs this month, people can get lost in Latin-American and Hispanic culture by tuning into Latin Pop or traditional Latin-American music. Artists such as Selena, Gloria Stefan, and Carlos Vives all bring light to Latin-American and Hispanic values through their modern pop lyrics. In addition, one can gain better incite on long established Latina and Hispanic cultures by tuning into genres such as “Ranchera” and “Sones” from Mexico, or Andean music originating from people who lived in the Andes Mountains. By venturing into Latin and Hispanic music, we can grasp the concepts that Latin and Hispanic cultures emphasize through their music and lyrics.

History:

To fully comprehend the extent to which Latin America and Hispanic nations have influenced our society and world, it is important for one to learn about important Latin-American and Hispanic people. Cesar Chavez, Fidel Castro, Bartolomé de Las Casas, Diego Rivera, and many more individuals have impacted our world today in one way or another. Seeing how the effects these important figures have contributed to our history – whether they be positive or negative – helps us see that Latin-American and Hispanic cultures have, in some way, shaped us all.

Being able to participate in Hispanic Heritage Month allows us, as a people, to better understand each other; that each one of us has our own distinct history. We should all keep in mind – even though we each have a heritage unique to our own lives, we are all connected in one way or another as human beings.

For more information over Hispanic Heritage Month, you can visit the link from the Smithsonian Latin Center below.

https://www.hispanicheritagemonth.gov/