Indieoma

XXI Century Segregation.
The Negative aspects of Hispanic Heritage Month.


A few months ago, a friend of mine posted a very interesting video on her Facebook page. It was a 60 Minutes interview that Morgan Freeman gave to Mike Wallace in 2005. During the interview, Freeman mentioned just how ridiculous “Black History Month” has become and that it was no longer a necessity in this day and age. His main argument was that Black History should not be relegated to just one month out of the year and should be noticed all year long.


That particular statement got me thinking about my own stance on Hispanic History Month, which until then I had seen with positive eyes. After watching that interview and reading more about the subject, I found myself questioning if we actually need such an event. Our presence is strong in several aspects, from music, movies and TV, to important political positions. We have notable members of our culture on political places of high importance, such as Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, Labor Secretary Hilda Solis, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar and several members of Congress. And yet, we’re still satisfied with only four calendar weeks to be nationally recognized.


Now, let’s not get into a long and tedious argument about the use of the terms “Hispanic” or “Latino”, both of which have been analyzed too many times and are deeply engraved into our cultures. The focus should be on the different pros and cons of these four weeks of the year. Oh, and just as a side note, everyone should know that the term “Hispanic” was coined by a Mexican-American woman named Grace Flores-Hughes in the 70’s, and not by President Nixon as many widely believe.


Hispanic Heritage Month is a period of the year meant to recognize the Hispanic contributions to the United States and to celebrate several anniversaries of Independence. Could those contributions also be recognized over the regular calendar year?


During this month, we have all kinds of events, from government-sponsored to several brands aiming to make an extra profit out of the Hispanic market. For example, a few days ago, I was shopping for groceries and while I was paying, the clerk took a look at me and said “Thank you and Happy Hispanic Month!” and although I know she meant it nicely, it made me feel stereotyped and a bit uncomfortable. I walked out of there thinking about how these so-called especial events could be hurting more than helping. The clerk didn’t thank me because I was a customer; she noted that I “looked” Hispanic and that I have a common Spanish last name.


I’ve talked about this to many people and surveyed their opinion on this subject. To them, this topic is full of controversy and even pride. For some, it has become nothing more than a lame attempt by the U.S. government to cover up centuries of oppression and exclusion of Latinos.


One strong response I got against it was: “Hispanic Heritage Month is just throwing Hispanics a small bone to make them feel like they belong in America”.


On the other hand, many members of the Hispanic community think that it’s still a relevant and positive event, something we should cherish and encourage. An optimistic response was: “At least we have a month to remember our leaders and people who’ve had a positive impact on our community”


And both responses and reactions have validity, however, I have to side with the notion that having this event limits the possibilities of ever reaching a fair and leveled treatment. Equality is the key here, we should want to be treated as part of a Nation, not as a separate culture within a country. As long as we continue to accept a glorified segregation, the stigmas and stereotypes will continue to dominate the mainstream opinion about Hispanics in this country.


Let’s not forget that there is no White, Jewish, Asian or Muslin Heritage Month and we certainly don’t need a month to “remember” our own culture. We should celebrate it and live it every day, all year long.