Guest Columnist: Take the time to learn more about our Latino neighbors

The official celebration of Hispanics in the United States started when President Lyndon Johnson began observing Hispanic Heritage Week in 1968 and that week was expanded into Hispanic Heritage Month under President Ronald Reagan in 1988.

Hispanic Heritage month is officially celebrated during a 30-period expending from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15. These dates were not chosen at random, but were selected because a number of Latin America (including Mexico, Chile and several Central American nations) achieved their independence during this time. In addition, Columbus Day and Dia de la Raza, also fall within this time frame.

While taking time to acknowledge the contributions of Latinos during the 30-day period from mid-September to mid-October is a good start, I want to challenge all of us, whether of Latino heritage or not, to take the other 11 months to learn a little bit more about your 55+ million Hispanic neighbors.

For instance, did you know that people of Hispanic heritage have been residing in the U.S. for over 450 years?! In fact, St. Augustine, Florida, which was founded in September of 1565 by Spanish explorers, just celebrated its anniversary. This was such a momentous occasion that even the King and Queen of Spain were present for some of the festivities

Here in Washington State the origins of the Latino population can be traced back a few centuries. Spanish explorers came to the Pacific Northwest in the late 1770s and their imprint remains on names such as the San Juan Islands.

Did you know that, while states like California and Texas have the largest number of people of Hispanic heritage, many states outside the southwest like Iowa and North Carolina having been experiencing a considerable growth in their Latino population? In fact, were in not for the increase in their Latino population, some of these states would be experiencing a negative population growth and the economic and social impact that comes with that.

And while individuals who trace their origins to Mexico, whether it be a 10th generation New Mexican or a 1st generation Mexican American Washingtonian, make up approximately 64% of the Latino population, there are now a significant number of individuals of Puerto Rican (9%), Cuban (4%), Salvadoran (4%), Dominican (3%), and Guatemalan (2.5%) heritage not to mention the increasing number of individuals from other countries like Colombia.

Latinos and Latino culture are also playing an increasingly important role in many areas of our society. What would Major League Baseball be without the many players from the Dominican Republic? And sporting events and other large concerts would be enjoyed differently without chips and salsa or nachos? And I remember being really surprised the first time I heard concessions vendor yelling churros at a professional baseball game.

While all of us hear and read about Latinos on television, in the newspaper, or through various forms of social media, the picture of Latinos that we came away from through these various stories is usually a snap shot and fragmented and, in some instances, even misinformed. That is why as we come to the official end of Hispanic Heritage Month I challenges us all, Latinos and non-Latinos alike, to learn more about the history and contributions of Latinos in the United States.

And you can do this in many ways. Sit down and read a book by some of the great authors like Sandra Cisneros, Junot Diaz or Cristina Garcia. Watch a movie or attend a play that examines a particular aspect of the Latino experience.

And closer to home this weekend you can attend the concert series Gypsy Ballads and Mass of the Immigrants which will be presented by the Mid-Columbia Master Singers at St. Joseph’s Chapel in Kennewick on October 16, 17 and 18th.

This story was originally published October 14, 2015 at 8:33 PM with the headline "Guest Columnist: Take the time to learn more about our Latino neighbors."