A Personal Reflection on the Complexity of Hispanic Heritage Month

The following blog post was contributed by Kezia McKeague, Director of Latin America Practice at McLarty Associates. As the daughter of a Latin American immigrant to the United States, I applaud the intent of “Hispanic Heritage Month,” even as I often tire of the platitudes so frequently associated with it.  The goal of the annual celebration, as originally conceived in 1968, was to honor the long history of Americans whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America. These are worthy objectives, to be sure, but we need more than clichés about Hispanic culture to recognize the contributions and needs of the largest minority group in the...

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Rethinking Hispanic Heritage Month

The United States is home to 60 million Latino residents who play a crucial role in strengthening ties across the Americas. This month, we are amplifying Latino voices and the many contributions this diverse community has made to diplomacy, sustainability, and beyond. Origin of the “Hispanic” Narrative In 1976, the U.S. Congress passed the only law in this country’s history that mandated the collection and analysis of data for a specific ethnic group: Americans of Spanish origin or descent. The Nixon administration coined the term “Hispanic” to gather data about the Latino community, which reduced about 15 regions in...

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