Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month 2021
About Hispanic Heritage Month
September 15 marks the beginning of Hispanic Heritage Month, a 30-day celebration of the culture and contributions of Hispanic and Latino/Latinx Americans— Americans who either themselves or their families came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean and Central and South America.
Official recognition of the holiday began in 1968, and was celebrated for a week, until the observance was expanded to 30 days in 1988. The dates of Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15 - October 15) are additionally meaningful because other important dates and celebrations fall into this time frame, such as the anniversaries of independence in Costa Rica, Belize, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Mexico, and Chile.
Persons of Hispanic and/or Latino/Latinx descent are an important part of Ohio’s cultural fabric—in fact, in the 2010 Census, nearly 355,000 Ohioans identified as Hispanic or Latino/Latinx, a number that is estimated to have grown to about 420,000 today. About one fifth of Hispanic and Latino/Latinx Ohioans are foreign-born, and nine out of ten of these New American neighbors speak Spanish at home, adding to the rich linguistic diversity of Ohio (Did you know? More than 218,000 residents in the Columbus area speak a language other than English at home!). Further, the Hispanic Chamber of Columbus estimates that there are 16,000 Hispanic-owned businesses in Ohio, providing goods and services, employment, and economic growth in communities across the state.
Staff Spotlights: Guadalupe and Yulani
Guadalupe is the Managing Director of Welcoming City, our social enterprise which aims to provide immigrants and refugees with access to educational and occupational opportunities. Among her years of impressive achievements, Guadalupe has been honored with the Governor’s Distinguished Hispanic Ohioan Award. Additionally, she was the first Latina woman to serve on the Board of Directors for The Women’s Fund of Central Ohio.
Yulani is the Community Engagement and Development Specialist AmeriCorps VISTA member in our Columbus office. While she is from Washington D.C., her mom’s family comes from Puerto Rico, and her dad’s family is of African descent. Here are some highlights of our interview with Yulani:
What does Hispanic Heritage Month mean to you? “This month means to me that I get to celebrate the other part of my heritage. I’ve always identified as Afro-Latina and there’s lots to talk about in the African American community but there’s not much space for the Hispanic and Latinx community, especially if you don’t speak fluent Spanish. So, for me, I celebrate what MY Hispanic heritage looks like instead of what others assume that to be.”
What is something you want people to understand about the Latinx/Hispanic Community? “There’s not one way to be considered Hispanic or Latinx. You don’t have to speak Spanish fluently, you don’t have to know how to dance bachata, and you don’t have to eat beans everyday (although your abuela may make you). You’re Hispanic because of your heritage and your culture in your home/environment and no one gets to decide if that’s acceptable or not.”
Do you have role models from the Latinx/Hispanic Community? “Most recently it would have to be Indya Moore and MJ Rodriguez. They’re both phenomenal actors from the Emmy-nominated show POSE and represent not just the Hispanic and Latinx community but, also the Trans community. I never saw someone who looked like me, mirrored my family's culture and was part of the LGBTQ+ community. It was taboo until they started shining a light on intersectionality in real life.”
Hispanic Restaurants in Columbus, Ohio
If you are looking to celebrate with food, October 11-17 is Hispanic Restaurant Week in Columbus. Explore the different Hispanic cuisine that Columbus has to offer. Click here to learn more information!
At the 47th Annual International Taste of Columbus, guests were served a meal from Dos Hermanos. First-time entrepreneurs Lisa and Vicente Gutierrez started Dos Hermanos in 2012, as they wanted to offer authentic Mexican food to Columbus residents. Vicente is from Oaxacan, Mexico, and all of their meals are based on recipes that came from his family.
For the 46th Annual International Taste of Columbus in 2020, our Columbus office highlighted several refugee and immigrant-owned restaurants in the Central Ohio area. We sat down with Omar D'Angelo of Barroluco, an Argentinian restaurant located at 47 N. Pearl Street in downtown Columbus. Omar, who moved to Columbus from Mendoza, Argentina in 2000, opened Barroluco in 2018. Named for a famous South American sandwich, and serving as a permanent version of what was once a very successful food truck, Barroluco has a warm atmosphere and uplifting story. Omar also told us about the Argentinian take on empanadas!