Skip to main content

MCC Daily Tribune Archive

Celebrate National Hispanic/Latino Heritage Month with Professional Latinos United for Success (PLUS)


Please join Professional Latinos United for Success (PLUS) in celebration of National Hispanic/Latino Heritage Month which began on September 15.  PLUS is a group of MCC faculty and staff that are under the auspice of the Diversity Council, whose mission is inclusivity.  Last year, PLUS celebrated National Hispanic/Latino Heritage Month with its first Annual Fiesta.  Keep an eye out for upcoming events at the college including another fiesta with delicious treats for the taste buds as well as the ears.  You may also wish to celebrate further and take part in a variety of events offered in the Rochester community.

The 2000 census counted 35.3 million Latinos in the United States; in addition, Puerto Rico adds another 3.8 million to that number.  Latinos are the fastest growing minority group in the United States who are made up of first, second and further generations of people that have come from Central and South America, Puerto Rico, Spain, Cuba, Mexico and the Dominican Republic.

National Hispanic/Latino Heritage month continues through October 15th.  Originally this celebration lasted a week and in 1988 president Ronald Reagan extended the weeklong celebration to a month.  Seven Latin American countries celebrate their independence day during this month . They include:  Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua who on September 15th celebrated their independence from Spain, while Mexico celebrated on September 16th and Chile will celebrate on September 18th.   Each country celebrates their independence day in much the same way the United Sates celebrates its independence day, with parades, traditional food, family gatherings and music.  National Hispanic/Latino Heritage Month is not limited to the countries mentioned above but instead it is an opportunity for all Hispanics and Latinos to celebrate their culture, demonstrate their pride in their country of origin and to consider the many Latinos that have made a significant impact and contributions in the United States.

Professional Latinos United for Success
(PLUS)
09/17/2010