Hispanic Heritage Month about history, culture

Dear Editor,

    Although I was adopted, I have felt a deep connection with Hispanics, like myself. Something I could never shake. However, when I realized that I had no material to go by to show which Hispanics made what contributions to American society. I was ashamed. I knew, and I still know nothing.
    For once in my life, I was ashamed to be a Hispanic, not really knowing anything about Hispanic culture. I like to salsa dance, listen to meringue and reggaton on occasion.
    I’ve visited Mexico on a study abroad a few years ago. Costa Rica is my birth country, so I felt like I was in a familiar place, but afar away place. I even took four years of Spanish in college!  I still didn’t know what Hispanic Heritage month meant to me.
    That is until I mentioned a few times to other people that I wish I were white. Then I wouldn’t be asked if I was American. I wouldn’t be “randomly” searched at the Atlanta Airport every single time I flew somewhere. Somehow, that did not fit well with my white family members and friends.
    They all want thick black hair like mine. They would rather have a permanent tan like mine. They want to look Hispanic. Hispanic people are the most beautiful people, so I have heard numerous times.
    Is this our only contribution though?  Just our skin tone and hair color?  Because Hispanics come in many shapes, colors and sizes.
     The Spanish language is one of the top three languages, from which American English is derived. Words like mesa, taco and Corona have crept into our vocabulary without realizing it. Salsa means much more than a chip dip nowadays. And, who can forget a name like Selena, even if we never listened to her music?
    What would Antonio Banderas say about the contributions that Hispanics have given to American society? Would he say that it’s time that Hispanics stop being cast as the dumb ones in movies?  Then proceed to say that Hispanics are not American Indians, nor are they Asian, so stop casting them as such as well?
    If Hollywood’s view of Hispanics is negative, then certainly the American public’s view of Hispanic culture and contributions is negative. So why have a Hispanic Heritage month at all?
    Maybe we have a Hispanic Heritage month to celebrate the fact that it was Spain who was the country that commissioned the bumbling Italian seafarer, Christopher Columbus (Cristobal Colón in Spanish)  to find a new route to India. Of course we all know what that led to. And if it wasn’t for King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella’s idea to find a new sailing route to India, so Spain could be a competitive trade nation, none of us would be here.
    That is the biggest contribution of all for America.

Sincerely,
Jerry Calbos
Political Science
Senior

Posted by Colonnade Archives on Sep 22 2006. Filed under Letters to the Editor. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry