By 2050, more than a quarter of the country's population will be individuals who self?identify as Hispanic or Latino, according to the United States Census Bureau. Despite the demographic's sizable presence in the United States, some feel that the contributions of Latinos in America are not widely recognized and that their history, culture and academic and political achievements are underappreciated - which is why this month, the country is celebrating its 22nd National Hispanic Heritage Month (NHHM).
Established by Congress and President Ronald Reagan in 1988, NHHM - the 30 days between Sept. 15 and Oct. 15 - provides Americans with an opportunity to celebrate Latino heritage and, perhaps more importantly, educate citizens about the accomplishments of Latino individuals.
Freshman Kenia Estevez, a frequent visitor to the Latino Center, feels that the effort to highlight the history of the largest minority group in the United States is central to the country's education and also to the sense of camaraderie that connects many American Latinos with one another.
"The celebration of Latino Heritage Month is very important because all 45 million of us here in the United States can share our Latino heritage and culture with others," she said.
At Tufts, the month is celebrated with a variety of events, including a poetry caf?©, dance party, music recital with many other activities sponsored by the Latino Center and the Association of Latin American Students (ALAS). These events, open to all members of the Tufts community, will provide both Latinos and non?Latinos the chance to explore and experience some elements of Latino culture, Estevez said.
"It's very important to celebrate it here at Tufts so that students of other ethnic backgrounds can participate and learn about our culture," she said.
Associate Professor of Art History Adriana Zavala, director of the Latino Studies program, believes that NHHM provides Latinos with the opportunity to take pride in their Latin American heritage - and for others to realize Latinos as a major component of the United States.
"[It's] important from both a celebratory and a didactic standpoint," she said. "You can feel passionately American and still feel very proud of your community. ... The point is that the United States is extremely heterogeneous and has been almost from the beginning. We need to be committed to teaching students about that history."
And Zavala pointed out that national recognition should not be limited to the realm of American popular culture - one of the few cultural areas in which Latinos are prominently recognized.
Rub?©n Salinas Stern, director of the Latino Center, explained that while some feel that creating an "awareness month" limits the appreciation of a group's history and culture to a short period of time, it is critical to bring awareness of Hispanic achievement to mainstream America by whatever method possible.
"We do it because we have to," Stern said. "We are doing it because, if not, no one would know about Latinos."
Stern said that NHHM is a good opportunity to share ethnic food and art, but education should be the primary focus of the month. Latino studies are either entirely missing from or only minimally included in most academic settings, he said, and Latin American literature is rarely taught, while the history of Latinos in America is typically left unexplored. As a result, few are aware of the significant historical, literary, political and scientific contributions that individuals of Latin American origin or descent have made in the United States, he said.
"Latino students are very visible on campus; I want to let the school know what the Latino community is about," Stern said.
But, most importantly, he said, people should take care to realize that there exist differences within Latino communities and that even members of Hispanic cultures have much to learn from one another.
"Latinos are multicultural and multiracial," Stern said.
Most, but not all, Latinos speak Spanish, Estevez reminded.
"Latino Heritage Month gives the Latino students the opportunity to learn about each other and the countries they come from," Estevez said.
