By Bohemian Babushka

Why Hispanic heritage month? For the same reason there is a movement to erect an American Latin museum. To quote the Friends of the National Museum of the American Latino “to create a museum in our nation’s capital to educate, inspire and encourage respect and understanding of the richness and diversity of the American Latino experience within the U.S. and its territories. By highlighting the contributions made by Latino icons, pioneers and communities to the American way of life we are all better able to truly understand what makes our nation great.” Contributions we have made, hispanos en las Americas. And there have been many contributions in our US historia. En el pasado esta la potencia, but the importance of NOW is also valid in noting our history.

This brings to mind the US Census. Beautifuls, if we don’t have our presence accounted for, how can we expect respect and establish need? Strength in numbers, detailed and documented disparities, all this comes from llenando the census; tenemos until September 30. Taken every 10 years, BB can’t stress the importancia of this constitutionally mandated count. From this census comes the ayuda and allocations for the proximo 10 años, truly, where the past and the future collide. Estan contentos with the representation Hispanos have had in federal programs? Have our needs been acknowledged and met? Parte del problema is not knowing how many Latinos live here, and what that population number will mean, and how it’ll impact society. Al final of this writing you’ll find links to the aforementioned organizaciones, and a video BB did to recruit participation in this very importante census. Babushka truly believes in llenando that questionnaire; nuestros futuros truly do depend on it.