Hispanic Heritage Month is celebrated yearly from September 15th to October 15th. At Goal Properties, we are thankful to have members of our team who are of Hispanic heritage and share that heritage with us year-round!
Team member Giancarlo Gonzalez described why this month is so important to him and many other members of the Hispanic community.
“Hispanic Heritage Month is important to me because it allows us to highlight and showcase our Hispanic culture. It is a time of teaching and learning through art, cooking, spoken word, and much more. The community learns about the contributions, struggles, and advancements Hispanics have made throughout history.”
Gonzalez goes on to say, “This month is important to me because it reminds me to take a step back to reflect on the importance of being proud of who I am. We each have our own stories, and our stories have made us who we are: strong, hardworking, enthusiastic people with a sense of humor and community. No matter where we come from or what we’ve gone through, our Hispanic heritage stays with us and affects the way we connect with people and see the world.”
“Hispanic Heritage Week” was established in 1968 by President Lyndon B. Johnson before being extended to a month under President Ronald Reagans jurisdiction in 1988. Since then, this month has recognized Hispanic Americans who have built and shaped our nation into what it is today.
Yaneth Padilla, another Goal Properties team member, reflected on the legacy of her family’s hard work, a common sentiment among members of the Hispanic community.
“There are more than 500,000 coffee producer families in Colombia, and I am very proud to say that my father was born and raised in one of those families. He and my mother worked really hard to provide for our family and to make a difference for us. When I was a little girl, I did not dare to dream much, but I used to pray for our lives to be different one day.“
Padilla goes on, “If I had the opportunity to go back in time to talk with that ten-year-old girl that I once was, I would tell her that it is okay to dream and to dream big, because yes, you can do it! We all can do it!”
To say Hispanic Americans have become trailblazers for their community would be an understatement. Public figures such as Dolores Huerta, Ruben Salazar, and Carolina Herrera have revolutionized and redefined what it means to be a leader for all Hispanic people.
Goal Properties team member Marden Gonzalez Irias cites the words of US Supreme Court Justice and fellow Latina Sonia Sotomayor on what it means to be Hispanic: “It is important for all of us to appreciate where we come from and how that history has really shaped us in ways that we might not understand.”
Justice Sotomayor has strengthened Irias’s perspective on what it means to be a Hispanic in America as she believes, “we live in a nation that is as outstanding as it is for the virtue of who we are, accepting each other’s cultural background, and what we all contribute to the table.”
Irias encourages others to “Act without prejudice, become color blind and help the fellow human being.”
As Hispanic Heritage Month comes to a close, may we always be mindful of the many ways that the Hispanic community has impacted the culture and identity of our world. May they feel encouraged to continue acting as trailblazers and cultivating successful futures for themselves and their families. Gracias a todos- si se puede!
Photo Source: https://unsplash.com/photos/VxNb5NGrQCY
