By David Triana
National Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15 – October 15) is here! Each year via our September and October editions, we join national efforts to celebrate the histories, cultures and contributions of Americans whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean and Central and South America.
The title of this article is the theme for this year’s celebration. Many persons see the observance of these celebrations from a negative perspective, assuming that because a community is given a “period to celebrate” their history or culture, they are somehow “less American, less patriotic”.
I think it is very important for everyone, regardless of their origin, to know their history, and it is equally important to maintain good traditions that are derived from where our ancestors or ourselves came from. In many ways, those who have come from other countries show more appreciation and patriotism than those who were born here.
Hispanics have been a part of the history of this great nation since its inception and a key part of its success as well! America’s success has always been due to its diversity, and that will continue to be its strength.
It was in 1513, that Juan Ponce de Leon first arrived in what is now Florida and in 1565, the first Spanish settlement was established in St. Augustine.
In 1820, when Mexico won independence from Spain, American settlers being moving into Mexican territory. Then, in 1845, Texas was annexed by the U.S. and in 1848, the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo established the Rio Grande River as the border and ceded Texas, California, Arizona, New Mexico, parts of Colorado, Nevada, and Utah to the U.S. 75,000 Mexicans chose to remain in the U.S. as citizens. In 1862, the Homestead Act allowed squatters in the West to claim vacant land – land often owned by Mexican-Americans.
Hispanics have proudly defended this nation since its inception! Bernardo de Gálvez, the governor of Louisiana, joined with General George Washington in 1777 to confront England and helped win independence. In 1862, David Glasgow Farragut became the first Hispanic rear admiral and commander during the taking of New Orleans.
More than 300,000 Hispanics enlisted during World War II.
This past August 26, at least five of the 13 service members killed during the Kabul airport terrorist were Hispanics.
The bravery and gallantry of Hispanics in defense of our nation is second to none! Corporal Joseph H. De Castro, U.S. Army, earned the Medal of Honor in 1863. He was the first of 60 Hispanic Medal of Honor recipients from the Civil War to Afghanistan.
According to the recent Census, there are an estimated 62.1 million Hispanics in the United States and by 2025, it is estimated that there will be 68 million. We are 18.7% of the total population and the percentage will continue to grow. In Florida, the percentage is even higher at over 26%.
The Census projects the U.S. population to increase to 400 million by the year 2051 and to 417 million by 2060. That will include 119 million Hispanics by 2060, an increase of 115 percent. Hispanics are projected to be 29 percent of the United States population at that time.
Economically speaking, the Hispanic population is an impressive force too. U.S. Hispanics’ spending power is $1.7 TRILLION, which is higher than the Gross Domestic Product of Canada, and Hispanic-owned businesses contribute more than $700 BILLION annually to the nation’s economy. An even more important factor to the future of our nation is that at a median age of 28, Hispanics are the youngest ethnic group in America.
Last November during the general election, Hispanics were a key part of the results!
As a nation, it is going to be quite important that we UNITE and work together to ensure our POSTERITY can live in a country where RESPECT and UNITY for ALL HUMAN BEINGS IS PARAMOUNT! A country where discrimination and racism are not tolerated. This will be key for our nation because by the year 2044, the United States will reach the point where we become a “majority-minority” nation. The so-called minorities of the present will outnumber the non-Hispanic white population.
The Declaration of Independence and the Preamble to the Constitution contain a set of key words and principles that we ALL should aspire to meet. It does not make us “Patriots” just to claim that we are. A true patriot should aspire to lead his life by those principles!
The years 2020 and 2021 will go down in history as the years of COVID-19 for many reasons. The effect of COVID-19 on our daily lives, our economy, and just about everything else has been tremendous.
The viruses that cause a pandemic make no distinctions regarding political affiliation, race, ethnicity, religion, or creed.
My hope is that all of us in this nation begin to see things from a prism that is not guided by politics, roots, ethnicity or religion, and that we become humbler as a people and think more about our neighbors. That we try to solve the problems for the benefit of the nation and not only think about what is good for us as individuals, for “our political party”, and so on. If so, I have no doubt that our nation will be stronger, more resilient, more empathetic, and less divided than we are today.
