A rich heritage to celebrate
From September 15 to October 15, Hispanic Heritage Month is celebrated in the United States, a holiday that seeks to honor the different contributions of Hispanics to US society, history, and culture.
Why celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month or Hispanic Pride Day? Are there real reasons to celebrate? Well, the answer is a happy and resounding yes. And it is that Hispanics are undoubtedly and by far one of the minority populations in the country, whose contribution has been notable in the different areas of the economy, society and its culture, which has been impregnated with color, flavor, color and magic that characterizes us so much. For more than a century, Hispanics have had a forceful presence in this beautiful and powerful nation, which represents a historical fact, whose recognition has been made official for some years.
In this way, National Hispanic Heritage Month began to be celebrated, which was proclaimed for the first time by President George Bush on September 14, 1989, by decree number 6021. Since then, from September 15 to October 15, it has been celebrate this beautiful holiday, whose purpose seeks to honor the different contributions of the Hispanic community to society and history of the United States.
Our importance as a minority in the US
Beyond the official acknowledgment made by some presidents such as Bush Sr. or B. Obama, or even the acknowledgments in debt, among which the long-awaited immigration reform can be mentioned, the truth is that Hispanics contribute to the progress of the nation , in extraordinary ways, such as: the service provided in the armed forces or the government, as well as in strategic areas of the economy, among which are: agriculture, construction, the automotive industry, services and commerce. In addition, the number of Latinos who successfully enter strategic positions and positions in important, non-traditional companies and sectors is growing, such as: finance, technology, telecommunications or even robotics, aerospace sciences or applied artificial intelligence.
Quick numbers about Hispanic heritage
According to the Census published in 2010, the population of Hispanic origin reached the figure of 50.5 million people in the United States, which translated into 16% of the population. This figure registered a significant increase from the year 2000, when official data for Hispanics in the United States amounted to 35.3 million, or 13% of the country’s total population. By the first decade of the millennium, and despite the fact that almost 17% of the US population was Latino, less than 2% held important positions in large companies, according to the Hispanic Association for Corporate Responsibility.
Today, the Hispanic population amounts to 132.8 million or 30.2% of the total. This represents exponential growth, the impact of which has begun to change the previous organizational trend, so marked until a decade ago, which translates into notable examples such as that of the president of the well-known company ‘Kodak’, the Hispanic Antonio M. Pérez, who runs the multinational dedicated to the design, production and marketing of photographic equipment.
However, the rich Hispanic heritage in the US transcends numbers and statistics, symbolizing an extraordinary legacy, whose momentum continues to consolidate a nation that grows stronger day after day and despite the immense global challenges that it overcomes with great sustained success. A legacy that undoubtedly translates into ancestral rhythms, accents, aromas and flavors that blend with the roots of a prosperous democracy, based on dreams that can come true. Dreams that become possible, just having the unwavering desire to fight and improve; desire that today characterizes Latinos in this country; dreams fulfilled and to be fulfilled that deserve to be celebrated with a lot of Hispanic pride, today and in the great future.