By: Kendall Zuniga

This month the journalism staff has chosen to shed light on the people of Latin and Hispanic heritage for Hispanic heritage month! This month honors the cultures and contributions of Hispanic and Latino Americans.

In 1968, Hispanic Heritage month was originally for only a week but was later decided to last a whole month in 1988 celebrating through festivals, art shows, community gatherings, and much more. This month is utilized to celebrate the many independence days in Latin countries such as Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Mexico, and Chile. 

There are more than 60 million Hispanic/ Latino people in America making them the largest minority group in the United States today and their contribution to this country is beyond words of explanation. Hispanic and Latino Americans especially made an impact in our government. As of 2017, a total of 178,215 members of our government are of Hispanic and Latin descent and the number is only getting bigger. Catherine Cortez Masto was the first elected Latina to serve as a U.S. Senator from Nevada and Ted Cruz became the first Latino to serve as a U.S Senator from the state of Texas as well as a running candidate in the 2016 presidential election. These influential figures put a much deserved spotlight on all Hispanic and Latino Americans in the united states. 

Hispanic and Latino heritage has also impacted our pop culture. Movies such as Encanto, Coco, The Book Of Life, and Elena Of Avalor became some of the first movies to represent Latinos everywhere. Elena Of Avalor was actually the very first Hispanic princess to ever be showcased on the Disney channel, bringing joy to children everywhere because they finally had seen a Disney princess who looked like them, they no longer felt like an outsider.

With new generations to come, it’s important to inform those of how important their heritage really is and to be proud of who they are. ¡Feliz Mes de la Herencia Hispana!