Is Hispanic Heritage Month Even a Good Idea?

www.ozy.com [OZY]( [OZY]() Your World. Bold & Bright [Daily Dose]( Sponsored by [Cariuma]( The newsletter to fuel — and thrill — your mind. Read for deep dives into the unmissable ideas and topics shaping our world. Sep 30, 2022 Today Every year, this month-long observance brings a new array of controversial attempts at celebrating what is known as Hispanic heritage. There’s plenty to celebrate — but maybe not the things you always thought. – by Lorena Ríos [BESTSELLING IS BACK…for a second]( [Cariuma]( To call [Cariuma’s]( OCA Low Canvas shoes a bestseller is an understatement. They’ve collected a 61,000+ person waitlist and are finally back in stock for readers like you. 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National Hispanic Heritage Month is intended to be a celebration of “the histories, cultures and contributions of American citizens whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean and Central and South America.” That’s the [official definition]( of the annual observance since 1968 from Sept. 15 through Oct. 15. But, as recent controversies indicate, this observance is subject to debate. A label like “Hispanic” encompasses a score of different Latin American countries where[hundreds]( of Indigenous languages are spoken, not to mention a broad spectrum of political views, backgrounds, and histories of migration to the U.S. The month’s name perhaps falls short of capturing such vibrancy. [Gabriel García Román](, 49, a Mexican American artist born in Zacatecas, Mexico, and based in New York, grew up in Chicago in what he describes as a very Mexican household, “eating ‘tortillas con frijoles’” and speaking Spanish at home. But his family didn’t celebrate this national observance — in fact, they weren’t even aware of it. His first encounter with Hispanic Heritage Month was in grade school, when he learned about Latin American countries and their independence and heroes. [Falling for Neutrals]( [Cariuma]( There’s a crisp breeze in the air, you have your PSL in hand and you’ve finally pulled out your favorite fall sweater. Just one thing’s missing – a neutral pair of sneaks to cozy up your tootsies as the weather drops. [Cariuma’s]( OCA Low Canvas and Suede sneakers come in various colors such as off-white, rose, sand, and grey. And with their all-natural, crazy comfy, already broken-in feel, you won’t have to worry about those pesky blisters. They’re the perfect transitional sneaker to dress up or down and will go with every cool-weather outfit in your closet…we promise! For a limited time, OZY readers (like yourself), can grab 15% OFF your next purchase. Shop now with code [OZYOCT](. [LET’S GO]( ‘Más Que’ This year, García was a collaborator in Target’s[Más Que]( collection, which, in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, includes more than 90 products by Latino creators and Latino-owned businesses. The Más Que collection, which uplifted Latino creators, strikes a contrast with many other gestures that have fallen flat. Every year, corporations, government officials, media outlets and individuals struggle with how to honor this month. This year, for instance, the NFL came under [scrutiny]( for a marketing campaign that consisted of turning the N in NFL into an “[ñ](.” There have also been plenty of gestures similar to that of a [Florida]( county that announced the month on its social media with the image of a dancing taco holding maracas. García is not surprised by this. “For the average American, Hispanic Heritage Month probably means they should go get tacos,” he said. Rather than tacos and maracas, or consumer goods, what does this month actually mean? “It’s a way for folks to show pride for their native country, which is important for immigrants in the U.S. because we are told to assimilate, to erase our cultures,” he said. Hispanic Heritage Month emerged from the efforts of Latino legislators. The very name “Hispanic Heritage” came from the struggle of Latino activists to create a pan-ethnic identity so that Latinos were counted and recognized in the U.S. Census. But the word “Hispanic” has a Eurocentric undertone, as it comes from the Spanish word “Hispano,” referring to individuals whose cultural traditions originated in Spain. On the other hand, “Latino” refers to Latin America. Today, Latinos are the second-largest ethnic group in the U.S., comprising [19%]( of the population. This is a group with enormous diversity — including in how they choose to call themselves, with variations from Hispanic to Latino, Latinx, Latine, and others that are particular to a place of origin, like Chicano and Mexican American. The complexity and diversity of this group has been gathered together, for better or worse, under the name “Hispanic,” and the month-long national observance of the associated array of people and cultures. Despite the drawbacks in this arrangement, García has keyed into what he believes is worth focusing on. In addition to the history lessons taught in school, García sees the importance of this month as hinging on whatever Latino communities decide to do with it. WATCH GABRIEL IGLESIAS on [The Carlos Watson Show](! Questions remain Angela X. Ocampo, Assistant Professor of Mexican American and Latina/o/x Studies at The University of Texas at Austin, thinks that the existence of the holiday is important on levels that go beyond whether Latinos are accurately represented or not. “Latino youth and youth of color growing up in the United States don’t see themselves reflected and represented in mainstream culture,” says Ocampo. “Minority groups in the U.S. need to carve out spaces for themselves because they’re not seen as inherently belonging in the United States,” she says. “On my college campus, [Latino] students come together to have challenging conversations about what it means to be a Latino, what is it that we should be celebrating, how do we talk about the challenging things within our communities, what are some aspects of our communities that we choose to amplify, and what we don’t,” explains Ocampo. This month can serve as a prompt for many in the Latino community to have difficult conversations about the state of Latinos in the U.S. and the work that still needs to be done to bridge inequalities when it comes to education, health, employment and more, she continued. Wrestling with what it means to be Latino can be uncomfortable — and this discomfort is not unique to the U.S. Across the border in Mexico, people are having similar conversations in the face of Mexico’s colonial history and legacy of racism. “There is no such thing as one Mexican culture, but many cultures within the territory that is called Mexico,” said Yasnaya Aguilar, an Indigenous linguist, activist, writer and researcher. “There is no cultural trait that all Mexican people share.” Today being “Mexican” is a legal status, but it is one that the country has tried to infuse with a single meaning, according to Aguilar. “It’s hard having these conversations about what it means to be Mexican, or whether we can talk about one nation only, when there are many territories and Indigenous peoples that exist within it,” said Aida Naxhielly, an Indigenous woman from Oaxaca, Mexico, who is a member of an Indigenous youth [collective](. Naxhielly explains that, within the Mixtec people, communities dress, eat and speak differently depending on the climate, landscape and territory. Instead of a single entity that erases the heritage of communities like her own, she is curious about “what other things can we create or imagine in its place” to honor differences as well as the whole. Meanwhile, thousands of miles to the north, García has chosen to view Hispanic Heritage Month as an affirmation. Latinos, he said, can be American and proud of their heritage at the same time. Community Corner    What are your thoughts on National Hispanic Heritage Month? [SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS]( ABOUT OZY OZY is a diverse, global and forward-looking media and entertainment company focused on “the New and the Next.” OZY creates space for fresh perspectives, and offers new takes on everything from news and culture to technology, business, learning and entertainment. [www.ozy.com]( / #OZY Curiosity. Enthusiasm. Action. That’s OZY! 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