8 GROUNDCOVER NEWS HERITAGE The theme for this year’s celebration of Hispanic and Latino heritage history month is “Pioneers of Change: Shaping the Future Together.” For a long time, Hispanic and Latino Americans have celebrated their cultural heritage and history in California, Texas and other regions of the country. In the late 1960s, U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson signed a federal law which initiated Hispanic Heritage Week. It became a national celebration which was observed in every state, city and town in America. In the 1980s, U.S. President Ronald W. Reagan signed legislation which changed the weeklong celebration to a month-long celebration (September 15 to October 15). In Washtenaw County, the Hispanic and Latinx Heritage month is celebrated in many public schools, colleges and universities. It is also celebrated in city halls, county buildings, churches and some workplaces. At the University of Michigan, the Office of Multi-Ethnic Student Affairs and the Office of Academic Multicultural Initiatives work with groups of students, staff and faculty to design programs and schedule events which capture the interest of the campus and off-campus communities. "The Michigan Daily" student newspaper publishes lists of events from September to October and beyond. At Eastern Michigan University, events which celebrate Hispanic and Latino heritage are posted in the University’s student newspaper, “The Eastern Echo.” Across the nation, there are celebrations in public institutions such as libraries and the Smithsonian Museums. They feature guest speakers and some motif of cultural expressions which include art, movies, music, salsa dancing, cultural foods and story-telling, to mention a few. More recently, Hollywood actors and comedians of Hispanic and Latino ancestry have started to challenge the younger population to learn more about their Latino history. They want the young folks to appreciate the sacrifices made by “the pioneers of change.” Actor and comedian John Leguizamo said that young Hispanic and Latino Americans should take pride in the ancient civilizations of the Mayans, the Aztecs, the Incas, Olmecs and other indigenous peoples of Meso-America. Young Hispanic and Latino Americans are also reminded that they will inherit the future, and that they have the responsibilility to work hard and use today’s technology to help shape the future of their community and their nation. They are challenged to make meaningful contributions to American society, just as their parents, their grandparents and WILL SHAKESPEARE Groundcover vendor No. 258 their great-grandparents have done over many generations. This is a presidential election year. Presidential candidates of the two major parties, Democrat and Republican, are campaigning for all ethnic votes, including the Latino vote. With rapid demographic transition, Americans of Hispanic and Latino ancestry have gained enormous political power. The U.S. census records show that in 1960, Americans who identified as Hispanic or Latino were 6.7 million and accounted for about 6.5% of the national population. Today, it is estimated that the population of Hispanic and Latino Americans is about 67.5 million and they account for about 19.7% of the national population. Approximately 66% of the Hispanic and Latino population in America are eligible to vote. Their votes can make a difference in presidential, congressional, gubernatorial and down-ballot elections in November. Recent poll data show a tight race between the Republican and Democratic nominees for president. The Latino vote will be vital in the battleground states, especially Arizona and Nevada. The Smithsonian Institution in Washington D.C. now has a National Museum of the American Latino. The museum curators want Americans to celebrate the achievements and contributions of Hispanic and Latino Americans in all fields of human endeavors. However, it is also important to embrace the civic knowledge and historiography of the Hispanic or Latino American experience. What are the costs and consequences of the Spanish colonization of Latin America and the Caribbean? What happened after the Spanish-American war? Why did Spanish Texas declare independence from Mexico and opt to join the Union? What caused the Mexican-American war? Why was the border changed in 1848? Who benefitted from the boundary change? Who lost territories and population? Educational Consultant E.D. Hirsch wrote the bestseller, “Cultural Literacy: What Every American Needs to Know.” He implores every American, including Latino Americans, to open up our minds and make a commitment to a lifetime of learning and reflection. When we learn, we can boldly and courageously engage in conversations, dialogues and debates on a wide range of topics. If we are able to answer the questions outlined before, we may begin to maximize our cultural literacy, harness our multicultural excellence and make members of our Latino community very proud. Gracias Amigo! Gracias Amiga! Finally, I asked six Latino Americans from Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti how they celebrate Hispanic and Latino Heritage Month. They started their answers with extra spicy Mexican or Caribbean food, some drinks, some music and some dancing. Most of them prefer house parties and two of them would like to celebrate at the Frita Batidos restaurant in downtown Ann Arbor. Right: Activist and civil rights leader Cesar Chavez worked with the famous Dolores Huerta to organize farm workers in California for fair wages and working conditions. Above: Supreme Court Justice Sonya Sotomayor is the first Latina American to become a member of SCOTUS. She grew up in a public housing neighborhood of New York City and graduated from Yale Law School. OCTOBER 18, 2024 Celebrating 2024 National Hispanic Heritage Month Left: Salma Hayek is a famous Oscar-nominated Mexican American actress in Hollywood. Her movie credits include "Bandidas," "Wild Wild West" and "Only Fools Rush In." She once said that Hispanic representation improved when she arrived in Hollywood.
9 Publizr Home