Hispanic Heritage Month celebratesa number of different cultures

Alpha Cindy Avitia High School, East San Jose, California, students (from left) Cesar Lopez, Zuleyma Ponce, Abraham

Espino, Itzel Linares and Michelle Ortega. Photo by Christina Pirzada

By Hanna Guerrero, adapted by Newsela staff on 09.14.17

Word Count 884

Level 860L

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Students at Alpha Cindy Avitia High School in East San Jose, California, were starting a new

school year. Five students walked into a classroom. They had gathered to talk about Hispanic

Heritage Month, which starts September 15.

“Do you know what Hispanic Heritage Month is?” the students were asked.

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“No,” they said.

Michelle Ortega is a sophomore. She said that Hispanic Heritage Month sounded like a

celebration for the children of parents from Latin America. In other words, she felt it was not for

her.

Michelle considers herself Mexican-American.

Hispanic Heritage Month is a national effort to honor Hispanic Americans. It is to recognize

their contributions to the United States.

What Is Hispanic Culture?

Hispanics themselves don’t have an exact definition because they are similar in some ways

but different in many other ways. Hispanics come from over two dozen Spanish-speaking

countries. There is no single history of Hispanics coming to the United States. Each story is

different.

To the students at the school, Hispanic Heritage Month did not seem to celebrate all of their

cultures.

Celebrating the many different traditions of all the Spanish-speaking countries can be difficult.

Day of the Dead is an example. It is celebrated in several Latin American countries, but the

way each celebrates it is different.

Zuleyma Ponce is from El Salvador. There, she says, Day of the Dead is not celebrated like it

is in Mexico. It is a more somber event. There are not colorful skull-decorated festivities as

there are in Mexico. The day is celebrated with a simple cemetery visit to leave roses.

The students share a common feeling. One study found that 7 out of every 10 Hispanics in the

U.S. believe their cultures are different. Only some believe Hispanics share a common culture.

Mexico Has The Majority

During Hispanic Heritage Month, much of the focus is on Mexican history and culture. The

United States has a history with its southern neighbor that goes back more than 200

years. The latest U.S. Census, a population count, says most of the Hispanic population in the

United States is Mexican. People of Mexican origin make up well over half of the Hispanic

population. About one-tenth of Hispanics are Puerto Rican, and smaller fractions are

Salvadoran and Cuban.

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The terms “Hispanic” and “Latino” can be confusing. Hispanic refers to Spanish-speaking

people from Spain and most of the communities in South America, except for a few. Brazil is

home to 207 million people who speak Portuguese, not Spanish.

Latino refers to people from countries in Latin America, including Brazil, who live in the United

States. It does not include all Spanish-speakers, such as people from Spain.

Both of the terms were created for the U.S. Census. In 1976, a law was passed that created

“Hispanic” and “Latino” to make it easier for the census to collect information.

Students Can't Relate To Terms

Tenth-grader Abraham Espina believes the two terms are an easy way to include people from

Latin America or who speak Spanish. However, he doesn’t identify as either.

He explained, “Referring to me as a Latino can be anyone. I can be called Latino even though

I’m Mexican.”

None of the students called themselves Latino or Hispanic.

The Spanish language is the one thing Hispanics have in common, although different regions

speak differently. Cesar Lopez talks about his experience while making his journey to the U.S.

The Honduran had to drop his native accent and adopt Mexican terms to blend in while in

Mexico. In the U.S., he is often mistaken for being Mexican.

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Zuleyma shares that she, too, is often mistaken for being Mexican. Some people think that all

Spanish-speakers are from Mexico.

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More Languages Than Just Spanish

Moreover, there are many languages in Latin America. Mexico alone has many cultures and

languages.

Abraham, who is from Mexico, pointed out that there are indigenous people like the Maya who

speak Zapotec. Indigenous people lived in Central and South America before the arrival of

Spanish conquistadors. Is it right to name these communities with words that were created in

the U.S.?

“I sincerely think they have been there since the beginning and that is where we trace our

roots from,” he said.

If language and traditions are different among Hispanics and Latinos, does anything unite

them? Michelle believes that Latinos in the United States share values that brought them here,

such as “hard work, education and better opportunities.”

Michelle wants to give back to her community by becoming a lawyer.

Countries Mark Their Independence

Students who speak English with an accent are sometimes made fun of by other students.

Zuleyma and Cesar said this has happened to them.

Cesar wishes other students understood that learning a new language can be difficult.

Michelle pointed out that since she came to the U.S., she has gotten to learn about many

different languages and cultures.

Hispanic Heritage Month begins on September 15 to mark the independence days of Costa

Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. On September 16 Mexico celebrates

its independence. On September 18 Chile celebrates its independence.

On October 12, Columbus Day is celebrated in the United States. Some countries, including

Argentina, Ecuador, El Salvador, Mexico and Venezuela, celebrate their culture instead of the

Italian explorer who began colonization of the region.

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Quiz

1 Which statement would Michelle Ortega MOST likely agree with?

(A) Most Mexican-Americans identify with Hispanic Heritage Month.

(B) Latino parents should teach their kids about Hispanic Heritage Month.

(C) Latin Americans in the U.S. are connected by certain shared values.

(D) Mexicans shouldn't celebrate an explorer who colonized their lands.

2 The term "Hispanic" is the label given to a person from a Spanish-speaking country.

How would Cesar Lopez MOST likely feel about the accuracy of this term?

(A) upset that it does not include indigenous people

(B) satisfied that it accurately reflects his identity

(C) frustrated that people assume all Spanish is the same

(D) angry to be defined by the language of conquistadors

3 Based on the graphic in the section "Mexico Has The Majority," the citizens of which country

would MOST likely agree that language is NOT the best marker of identity?

(A) Equatorial Guinea

(B) Paraguay

(C) Brazil

(D) Spain

4 Use the final image in the article to select the TRUE statement.

(A) September is a significant month for many Latin American countries.

(B) September 15th is the day Mexico celebrates its independence.

(C) All Spanish-speaking countries are located close to each other.

(D) All of South America comprises Spanish-speaking countries.

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