Since September 15 to October 15, all the cities across the United States stage cultural performances, parades, and schedule special events to celebrate the Hispanic Heritage Month. These dates, which have become part of the national calendar for more than two decades, are a sign of the importance that Spanish-ness is acquiring within the American culture.

The festivities begin with the anniversary of the independence of the Central American countries and ends on Columbus Day, which remembers the fusion of the Indigenous and Spaniard cultures. This is the time during which the Latino community unites to honor its roots and its diversity. The day has also become an acknowledgement to the contribution of the Latinos to the American society.
According to the lasts census, the number Hispanics reaches more than 30 million people and it is the ethnic group experiencing the fastest growth in the U.S. In the last few years, thanks to a buying power of over $452.000, the Hispanic community has become a generating factor creating wealth for many industries in the country. Latinos have arrived from every corner of Latin America. And, even though we come from different countries and we don’t have the same skin color, we are united by a common tongue and an identical cultural heritage that differentiates us from other races.

Hispanics arrived to the U.S. with a shared motivation: to improve ourselves and get ahead in life. But we don’t come empty handed. We bring our millennial culture, our beautiful traditions, our family values, our delicious-typical dishes, the music of our land. And all this contributions have impacted and are enriching the American culture and spirit.

The Hispanization of the U.S. is a phenomenon that no one can deny. We are influencing the Anglo-American culture and the politics. Likewise, the Americanization of our youth is a fact we accept as part of our process of incorporation into this society.

The progress reached by the Latinos in the last decades is outstanding. In recent years, millions of Hispanics have acquired American citizenship and their massive participation in the electoral processes has began to change the electoral landscape of the country, particularly in the cities with large concentration of Latinos.

Despite these achievements, we still have battles to fight and win. Presently, education is one of the greatest challenges facing the Latino community and it will be crucial, in the next few years, for this ethnic group to reach the level where it belongs within a society as competitive and multicultural as the American society.

At the political level, we have experienced growth in the number of votes, but not in leadership and national representation. We are absent in the great decisions of the state and national life. That’s the reason why laws that punish immigrants, like English Only and other anti-immigrant laws, continue to be approved.

Hispanics, inclined to be emotional, continue to give away our votes. The political parties know it and do not assume any responsibilities toward the needs of the Latino community.

This has to change. Hispanics have to begin to demand from our leaders respect and compromise. We have to make use of our worth and importance as a financial and electoral force. Understanding this sooner, rather than later, is the best way to celebrate our race.