Hispanic Heritage Month Diversities CONTENTS * Hispanic, Latino dont mean Mexican By Marangeli Lopez, The Shorthorn (September 23, 2014) * What Does It Mean To Be Afro Latino? Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month By Learning More By Natalie Roterman, Latin Times (September 23 2014) * Media portrayal of Hispanics undermines the communitys diversity By Jose Alejandro Bastidas, The Daily Reveille (September 23, 2014) Column Hispanic, Latino dont mean Mexican By Marangeli Lopez | @mara_lopez01 The Shorthorn (September 23, 2014) There is a common misconception that if you speak Spanish in the United States you are automatically Mexican. However, this ignorance enrages the Latino community. This misconception has become so deeply rooted that every year when Hispanic Heritage month arrives, I have to roll my eyes. Every place I have been to makes this period of time seem like its just a Mexican celebration. Now, I do not have anything against Mexicans. I am just stating that for the rest of us Latinos - we feel underrepresented during this month. Hispanic Heritage Month was formerly known as Hispanic Heritage Week, it began as an observation of the Hispanic culture in 1968 by President Lyndon Johnson, then expanded to a 30-day period in 1988 by President Ronald Reagan. This 30-day period begins Sept. 15 and ends Oct. 15 because most Latin American countries such as Costa Rica, El Salvador and Guatemala have their independence days within this period of time. Latin America refers to more than Mexico - it is Central America, South America and the Caribbean. A previous Shorthorn article stated that UTA kicked off their Hispanic Heritage Month celebration with a mariachi band and taco plates - not every Latin country listens to mariachi or specializes in tacos. Aside from mariachi, examples of Latin American music include salsa, bachata and reggeaton. Salsa is popular Cuban, Puerto Rican and Colombian dance music that features instruments such as trumpets, conga drums and maracas. Bachata originated in the Dominican Republic as a more romantic style of music. Reggeaton is a music that derives from Panama that has the Dem Bow rhythm, making it Latin American hip-hop. Although tacos may be delicious, they do not fully represent Latin American food. A majority of Mexican food has a spicy base to it and includes foods like tacos, tortillas and beans. Did you know that Latinos eat plantains, yucca (cassava) and they season their meats with spices such as garlic, cumin and other nonspicy peppers? Next time there is an event, why not incorporate other Latin music or traditional foods. They should play a variety of music that represents the whole Latin community or serve a variety of foods like pupusas, a Salvadorean dish, or some tostones, Puerto Rican fried plantains. After all, it is a Hispanic celebration. It is not too late to change this in the UTA [University of Texas at Arlington] community. We have two more weeks to represent other Latin cultures. While I know that this will continue to be a problem in America, Hispanic Heritage Month should represent all of the different Latin countries - not just Mexico. What Does It Mean To Be Afro Latino? Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month By Learning More By Natalie Roterman Latin Times (September 23 2014) It is a common misconception that all Latinos look a certain way and belong to a single race. Within Hispanics, Latinos and African-Americans are a multitude of ethnicities that require more specific recognition in order to be asserted. The short (and correct) definition of the term Afro-Latino would be: people with African descent whose origins are in Latin America and the Caribbean. Note that it is much more about where people and their ancestors came from, than it is about language or where they live. The ethnic group says its a struggle to feel left out of the Hispanic community and are seeking recognition from censuses to get more acceptance from both Latinos and African-Americans. The chief of the Bureaus Racial Statistics Branch, Nicholas Jones says he believes what were hearing from the Afro-Latino community is that they do not believe that those numbers accurately illustrate the Afro-Latino community presence in the United States, and thats the dialogue that were having. The intent to make the Census more accurate is to get a better understanding of the population but some think this might encourage Hispanics to think of themselves as a separate race. Some of the most influential Afro-Latinos include: Singers-songwriters, Mariah Carey and Celia Cruz, actress Zoe Saldana, CNNs Soledad OBrien, Clueless star Stacey Dash, actor Laz Alonso, baseball star Alex Rodriguez (aka A-Rod), NY Giants receiver Victor Cruz, NY Knicks Carmelo Anthony, Glee star Naya Rivera, actress Rosario Dawson, Sammi Davis Jr., Rosie Perez, Esperanza Spalding, actress Tatyana Ali and supermodel Joan Smalls, amongst many others. Opinion Media portrayal of Hispanics undermines the communitys diversity By Jose Alejandro Bastidas The Daily Reveille (September 23, 2014) People must think I am the least Hispanic Latino ever. I speak English 24/7. I despise spicy food. Music like merengue and salsa gives me a headache, and you will never see me willingly playing soccer. Honestly, there were times in my life - even before I moved to the U.S. - when I thought the genetic Sorting Hat had mistakenly placed me in the Hispanic community. And I have the media to blame for that. With Hispanic Heritage Month taking place Sept. 15 to Oct. 15, advertising agencies and news organizations are taking out their box full of stereotypes to celebrate Hispanic culture. As nice as it is that these organizations recognize some of our customs, they fail to paint the community in a realistic light. The Hispanic community is composed of any person who was born or is a descendant of someone born in any Spanish-speaking country in the world. Were not just Mexicans and Cubans. I understand American society is mostly exposed to these countries customs, but the stereotype-filled portrayal of Latinos in the media is whats keeping the everything south of the border is Mexico mentality alive. With the number of Hispanic Americans growing every year, it is imperative that Hispanic culture is portrayed accurately. Weve all had similar experiences assimilating to American culture, and we share the same language, but we are not the same. To celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, celebrities like Perez Hilton and Rosario Dawson - as well as other people not in the public eye - took to social media to spread the #WhatLatinoMeansToMe message. In these messages, the person revealed what being a part of the Hispanic community means to them. Whether its the food, the sense of community or the diversity, these individuals accurately represented themselves on a social platform, which is exactly what news organizations should be doing. One of the things I miss most about Venezuela is the importance of family, a value that is also prevalent in Louisiana culture. On Sundays back then, my family would gather at my grandmas house and have lunch together. The idea of family as the most important part of life is my favorite part of Hispanic culture. I believe this is the reason why, despite how different we may be, people in the Hispanic community tend to stick together. We are raised to prioritize family over anything else. If circumstance separates us from them, we rely on others who share our values, and they become our second family. American society takes Latinos tendency to stay together as a sign that we are all the same, which is how they get away with having white guys in sombreros reporting on holidays like Cinco De Mayo and calling it a celebration of Hispanic culture. The Hispanic community consists of a diverse group of cultures tied together by similar values and experiences that make us a family. The media will properly celebrate our heritage when they let go of stereotypes and embrace the diversity of our culture. I may not be the stereotypical Latino the media want me to be, but that doesnt make me any less Hispanic; it just makes me an individual within the community. So, what does Latino mean to me? Its not about what music, food or sports we like. Its not about what language we speak regularly or how we spend our time. Its about who we are. Jose Bastidas is a 21-year-old mass communication senior at Louisiana State University from Caracas, Venezuela. You can reach him on Twitter @jabastidas. Forward email
Posted on: Sun, 28 Sep 2014 15:20:26 +0000
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