 Hispanic
Heritage Month ... Honoring Our
Culture
Hispanic Heritage Month, celebrated
from September 15 through October 15
each year, commemorates the cultural
contributions Latinos have made in
the U.S. In 1968, Congress
authorized President Johnson to
proclaim Hispanic Heritage Week and
twenty years later, the celebration
was expanded to Hispanic Heritage
Month. Today, the events begin
earlier in September and end later
in October, but the original dates
were selected because they are
significant in many Latin American
countries. September 15 is the
Independence Day for Costa Rica, El
Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and
Nicaragua; Mexico and Chile
celebrate their independence on
September 16 and September 18
respectively.
Hispanic Heritage Awards Honor
Leaders
In addition to many local events,
the Hispanic Heritage Awards
Foundation has recognized the
achievements of leaders and raised
public awareness of Hispanic
contributions since 1987. The 2004
Hispanic Heritage Awards ceremony
will be held at the John F. Kennedy
Center for Performing Arts in
Washington, D.C. on September 10th
and broadcast later on NBC and
Telemundo. Honorees are: Sandra
Benítez (Literature), John Leguizamo
(Arts), Andres Cantor (Sports),
Narciso Rodriguez (Vision), Juan D.
González (Leadership) and Gloría
Rodriguez (Education). Seven Youth
Award winners will also be honored.
Current and past honorees represent
the aspirations and accomplishments
of Latinos in various fields. Lazos
Latinos would like to highlight
three of honorees.
Sandra Benítez - Hispanic
Heritage Award Winner (Literature)
Sandra Benítez is the author of four
novels: A Place Where the Sea
Remembers, which won the first
Barnes & Noble Discover Award and a
Minnesota book award; Bitter
Grounds, which won an American
Book award; The Weight of All
Things; and Night of the
Radishes. She also recently
completed her first non-fiction
book, Bag Lady. Denise Chávez
describes Sandra's characters as,
"magnificent, merciful, soul-routed,
creatures clinging to the shore."
Filmed scenes from A Place Where
the Sea Remembers will be
broadcast during the awards
ceremony. This honoree is the first
cousin of Lazos Latinos president,
Cristina Benítez.
Literature Gives a Voice to Latino
Writers
The written word has allowed many
Hispanic writers to
 share
their culture and viewpoints with
the world. In 2004, the Association
of American Publishers declared June
as Latino Book Month, when
booksellers, librarians and others
in the industry promote reading
books by and for Hispanics. The
Chicago Public Library, one of the
largest library systems in the
United States, has selected Julia
Alvarez as the first Hispanic author
for its successful community reading
program One Book, One Chicago. Her
book In the Time of the
Butterflies is the fall 2004
selection.
John Leguizamo - Hispanic Heritage
Award Winner (Arts)
John Leguizamo an actor widely
recognized for his film, television
and theater performances, was the
lead in the movies Empire and
Summer of Sam. He also
received a Golden Globe nomination
for his role in To Wong Foo
Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar.
Mr. Leguizamo has appeared in many
other films, including Moulin
Rouge and Romeo and Juliet.
He directed and starred in HBO's
Infamous. Additionally, Mr.
Leguizamo received an OBIE, an Outer
Critics Award and a Vanguardia Award
for Mambo Mouth, which he
wrote and performed. Recently, this
honoree has been involved in the
Latino film Crónicas.
The Screen & Stage Open Doors to
Latino Culture
Latinos are increasingly assuming
visible roles both on
 and
behind the scenes in film,
television and theater. Noteworthy
successes exemplify their
importance, such as Benicio Del Toro
winning a 2000 Academy Award for
supporting actor in the movie
Traffic and being nominated in
2003 for 21 Grams. The
talented playwright Nilo Cruz
received a Pulitzer Prize for Drama
for Anna in the Tropics in
2003. Hispanic-focused television
series, such as The George Lopez
Show (ABC) and American
Family (PBS), demonstrate the
crossover appeal to wider audiences.
Currently, Latino film festivals in
Chicago, Miami and other cities
honor significant works and make
them available to the general
public.
Andres Cantor - Hispanic Heritage
Award Winner (Sports)
Andres Cantor, "Sr. Gooooaaal," is a
sportscaster who is credited with
increasing awareness of soccer in
the U.S. He covered the 2000 and
2004 Olympics for NBC Sports and has
covered several World Cup
tournaments. In 1994, Mr. Cantor was
named Sports Personality of the Year
by the American Sportscaster
Association and also won an Emmy
award for individual achievement for
his coverage of the World Cup. He
has a syndicated radio program,
Fútbol de Primera, which is
broadcast in over 40 U.S. markets.
Sports are a Field of Dreams for
Latinos
Latinos have also left their mark in
sports. There are
 195
Hispanic players in Major League
Baseball, representing 23% of the
league. Notables like Alexander
Rodriguez, the 2003 Most Valuable
Player (MVP) for the American
League, and Cubs slugger Sammy Sosa,
the 1998 National League MVP, draw
fans. In a historic fight for four
titles, Oscar De La Hoya, the World
Boxing Organization middleweight
champion, faces Bernard Hopkins,
holder of three titles, on September
18 in Las Vegas. Recently, Hispanic
athletes on the 2004 U.S. Olympic
team have taken gold, silver and
bronze medals including:
-
Jessica Mendoza, Lisa Fernandez
and Crystl Bustos won gold for
the women's softball team
-
Annia Hatch won a silver medal
in gymnastics-vault
-
Stephen Lopez won his second
gold medal in tae kwon do
-
Patricia Miranda won a bronze
medal in women's wrestling
(freestyle)
-
Brenda Villa was on the women's
water polo team that won a
bronze medal
The Importance of Hispanic Heritage
Hispanic Heritage Month highlights
the significant contributions of
Latinos to our society. As companies
create programs targeting the
Hispanic market, it is important to
honor the cultural heritage of
Latino people. Recognizing their
aspirations and successes, while
taking into account unique
traditions, sends a strong message
that an organization cares. Those
who truly demonstrate an
understanding of Hispanics are more
likely to attract this substantial
and growing population. |
