Hispanic Heritage Month Kicks Off

September 17, 12:12 AMImmigrant Community ExaminerWilfredo Rodriguez-Padilla

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Photo by Paul S

From September 15 to October 15, across the United States people will be honoring their Hispanic heritage. And this year in particular, there will be a lot to celebrate.

Obviously the appointment of Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court will be a major source of pride for the community. Even in this year’s presidential proclamation her accomplishments got center stage and became a poignant example of the contributions Latinos make to the US.

“[Hispanics] lead corporations and not-for-profits, and social movements and places of learning. They serve in government at every level from school boards to statehouses, and from city councils to Congress. And for the first time in our Nation's history, a Latina is seated among the nine Justices of the Supreme Court of the United States,” said President Barack Obama in a proclamation on Tuesday.

Throughout the country there will be a series of events that will showcase those contributions made by Latinos. The celebrations range from art gallery exhibits to official government galas. There’s even a unique event called “Muestra Tu Herencia” (Show Your Heritage), sponsored by Kodak and Yahoo! En Español, in which people will upload pictures of their unique culture or traditions. These photos will be part of an interactive online photo-sharing program. Plus both companies will donate $2 each per picture to the Hispanic College Fun.

“Hispanic Heritage Month is a time to celebrate our nation's diversity and to highlight the accomplishments of Hispanic Americans in all walks of life from business and education to government and the arts. It is also a time to pause and reflect on the many challenges facing our Hispanic community, challenges we must all come together to solve,” said Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi on a statement this Tuesday.

The month long festivity coincides with the anniversary of independence for five Latin American countries: Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. In addition, Mexico and Chile also declared independence on September 16 and 18 respectively.