In Defense of Hispanic Heritage Month

September 15 marks the beginning of Hispanic Heritage Month and for many Hispanic/Latinos it’s not such a happy occasion.  I get it.  It’s sometimes hard to swallow “celebrating” when we’re not just one culture and when there’s so much oppression and injustice inflicted on Latinos.   I get that this month can sometimes seem like lip service.

But, nonetheless, I’m here to defend it.  Not the name, or the fact that it tries to encompass so many different cultures in one, but the general intent and the positive impact it can actually create.

Because while it may seem like pandering to some,  for other Latinos celebrating HHM can be a gateway to our culture.   First, if you were able to grow up with your Latino family, experience your cultural traditions, maybe within a Latino community/neighborhood–I hope you realize how lucky you are.  Because many of us don’t get to have that experience.  Instead we feel isolated as the only Latina child in the classroom, in the neighborhood, or town.  It’s hard growing up and barely knowing anything outside the mainstream community.  And you feel isolated when there’s so much pressure to either not learn or not speak Spanish and so you lose a way to communicate with other family members.  For those that strongly dislike HHM, I hope you recognize that not all of us get to live within a vibrant community of our peers or even with a family that can pass down its traditions.

I didn’t start celebrating this month until I started college.  I didn’t really know about HHM until very late in high school and had no clue what it really could entail.  But our Latino student group (a group of less than 20) was so excited and eager to celebrate HHM.  This undoubtedly became the catalyst for my interest and passion for learning about my culture and traditions.  I bought books (wiki didn’t exist in 2003 y’all); I listened to music; I learned about problems and successes within the community.  I tried to learn as much as I could because it was the first time I had heard someone outside my small family say that my culture, my past, my traditions were valid and worth capturing and remembering.  Now that I’m years removed from college, I realize how grateful I am for being able to celebrate HHM and learn about my culture in a community full of excitement and acceptance.

I’ve also seen the positive effect that HHM has on people who did get to grow up with their traditions, and then gain a stronger sense of empowerment through this celebration.  It’s likely that acknowledging this celebration and recognition at a young age can lead to healthier behaviors in our teens as well.

I recognize the month can have flaws, and often we’re dealing with companies that keep pushing stereotypes (why coffee mate!?).  And more than anything, it’s a hard pill to swallow a “celebration” when our communities are fighting against so many obstacles. But, I still think there’s worth in declaring that for this next month, along with our continued push for progress, we’ll also make time to publicly celebrate and acknowledge our traditions and our victories.   While it may be easier to dismiss this month as nothing important, I hope instead that many of us will decide to celebrate it with purpose.

I love this article from the National Museum of African American History that details the importance of Black History Month.  The reasoning is applicable to HHM–especially the closing call by the Director, Lonnie G. Bunch:

There is no more powerful force than a people steeped in their history. And there is no higher cause than honoring our struggle and ancestors by remembering.

 

If you were ruler of the universe what would you change about HHM?