Hispanic Heritage Month

Hispanic Heritage Month

Story by Lifestyle Staff

In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, we're excited to celebrate the rich history and culture of many in our community. We're proud to honor the influence and impact of Hispanic heritage in Tulare County.

About Hispanic Heritage Month

In 1968, President Lyndon Johnson proclaimed National Hispanic Heritage Week to begin on September 15, the anniversary of independence for Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. Mexico and Chile celebrate their independence days on September 16 and 18 and Belize celebrates its independence on September 21. In 1988, President Ronald Reagan signed into law the renaming of the celebration and extended it to a full month running from September 15-October 15 each year. It aims to honor the contributions, history, and achievements of Hispanic Americans in American culture.

Influential Hispanics

Guillermo González Camarena, Inventor

Guillermo González Camarena earned a degree in mechanical engineering and invented several color television systems. Notably, in 1942 he received the U.S. patent for his “chromoscopic adapter for television equipment.” On August 31, 1946, from his laboratory in Mexico City, González Camarena broadcasted a color television transmission.

Frida Kahlo, Artist

At the young age of 6, Frida Kahlo fought a difficult battle with polio, and after a bus accident at 18, she was left with a lifetime of painful medical struggles. During her bedridden recovery, Frida began to paint, documenting her reality and the world around her. Her strong perseverance and legacy has changed the way that we view and interpret art.

Jaime Escalante, Math Educator

A math professor from Bolivia, Jaime Escalante relocated to Los Angeles in the 1960s and taught advanced math to Latino students at an East LA high school in the 1970s and ’80s. His impact was evident in 1982 when his class took and passed an advanced placement test in calculus. Escalante received many awards, including the Presidential Medal for Excellence, and he was inducted into the National Teachers Hall of Fame in 1999. His time as a teacher was portrayed in the 1988 movie “Stand and Deliver.”

Sabrina Gonzalez Pasterski, Physicist

Sabrina Gonzalez Pasterski is a 29-year-old first-generation Cuban American who was the youngest person (at just 14 years old) to build an airplane and conduct the first flight in the same aircraft. She studied physics at MIT and was the first female to win the MIT Physics Orloff Scholarship award. At 24, she started her doctorate degree at Harvard. It’s no wonder she’s been called “the next Einstein.”

Interesting Facts

A person who identifies as Hispanic is from or has ancestors from a Spanish-speaking territory or country.

Hispanic countries include Argentina, Belize, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, Spain, Uruguay, and Venezuela.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, there are approximately 60 million people of Hispanic descent living in the U.S., representing 19% of the total population. More than 15 million reside in California.

Every 2 out of 3 people in Tulare County are Hispanic or Latino, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Local Expressions

The Hispanic heritage is rich in family values, cuisine, beautiful architecture, and art. We asked locals from our community what it means to them to be Hispanic, how they celebrate their culture, and who they admire most. Here is what they shared:

Christian Romeo

Head Chef | Braised Kitchen

For me, the Hispanic culture has many enjoyable values. What I remember most from my childhood in Argentina are the gatherings with family and friends—an important part of our culture. Another great memory is the time spent with family every Sunday at grandma’s house with food at the center and plenty of anecdotes, stories, and jokes shared at the dinner table. The best times without a doubt were on Christmas and New Years when everyone, even the oldest, stayed up celebrating until dawn. One of the people I most admire is my grandfather, who is a generous, hard-working man with many friends. He’s passionate about music, too, especially tango.

Leandra Garcia

Asst. Principal/Head Counselor | Tulare Western High School

Being Hispanic resonates deep within me when I’m speaking the language or watching a TV show in Spanish; it’s music to my ears because it reminds me of my parents. We make tamales during Christmas, eat posole on New Years, enjoy mariachi music during celebrations, and practice praying. It’s important that these traditions are passed down to our children and grandchildren. Much like my mother’s perseverance, Frida Kahlo is someone in history that I admire because of the strength she had throughout her struggles. Frida accepted her life’s journey and used her art therapeutically, which was a gift to the world.

Gil Jaramillo

Executive Director | Tulare Kings Hispanic Chamber of Commerce

Hispanic Heritage Month is a period when Hispanic heritage and culture is celebrated. Many cities, schools, communities, and civic organizations organize special events, classes, and exhibitions. Someone in history that I’m inspired by is Ellen Ochoa. She was the first Latina in space who became the director of the Johnson Space Center. She logged nearly 1,000 hours in space including a nine-day mission aboard the space shuttle Discovery. She is an inspiration and role model to Hispanics and all women. Where some broke the “glass ceiling,” she rocketed through it.

Rosalinda Verde Alexander

Founder | Green Rose Productions

One way that I celebrate being Hispanic is through my script writing, including a mariachi opera “El Bracero” with stories from my family's history. Being Hispanic also means eating and dancing with family and many cousins (who could be in a mariachi or a folklórico group) at celebrations. We practice speaking our beautiful language and Catholic faith. We eat tamales every Christmas, and have panzas (stomachs) full of tortillas, hominy, and pan dulce. We work hard not to waste the opportunities created for us by our parents, grandparents, and other valley Hispanics who sacrificed and helped open doors for us. I’m inspired by the artists Selena and Linda Ronstadt. Selena brought American and Mexican cultures together by blending cumbia and rock. Ronstadt sang everything from pop, opera, country to mariachi. They are stellar examples of diversity for Chicanas like myself and both impacted my worldview.

Jerome Melgar

Insurance Specialist | Premium Auto Insurance

To me, being Hispanic means proudly sharing about my Guatemalan roots with others who may not know much about my parents’ country. It also means embracing my ethnic and American roots. Our family would always gather during the week of Christmas and New Years and eat chuchitos, ponche de navidad, turkey, and rompope. Afterwards, we would burn "canchinflines" (a sort of flying whistler firework) and then engage in an almost-mandatory spirited political and religious discussion around the table. I admire my father for always being there for his children and for his sacrifice to come to the United States. He saw the opportunities this country had for us. I also look up to Congresswoman Mayra Flores from Texas. Her beliefs about God, family, and country is something I relate to.