Commentary:
By Dr. Lily Rivera

I bet you can name the largest ethnic group in the United States. I’m sure you can name the group that has one of the highest high school dropout rates, highest imprisonment rates, and highest poverty rates.

But, can you name a Hispanic inventor? A Hispanic composer? A Hispanic scientist? Can you name the Hispanic who served as a colonel in the Confederate Army during the U.S. Civil War, or the Hispanic brigadier general in the Union Army in that war? Can you name at least one of the Hispanic soldiers awarded a Medal of Honor, our nation’s highest military medal?

When you think of this nation’s history, do you think of the Pilgrims who arrived in 1620; or do you think of Ponce de Leon, who arrived in Florida over 100 years before that? Do you think of Lewis and Clark who, in 1804-1806, crossed what we now call the United States; or do you think of Cabeza de Vaca, who traveled from Florida to the California Coast 267 years before that?

Are you aware that the 1849 California Constitution stipulated that all official documents must be printed in Spanish and English, that it was signed by 49 people, 9 of whom were Hispanic? Did you know that 30 years after that first constitution, a second one was created and that it eliminated the stipulation that all documents should be in Spanish and English? Do you know that you won’t find a single Hispanic name in the list of 138 men who signed that 1889 California Constitution?

We have a long, long history of exclusion of Hispanics in life and in print. For example, the Latino American series on PBS reminded us that Guy Gabaldon, a 19-year-old Marine Private from East Los Angeles was nominated for the Medal of Honor. He was deemed undeserving of it, even though he made military history by single handedly capturing over 1,500 Japanese soldiers, was credited for killing 33 enemy soldiers, and was wounded in battle. Instead, he received the Silver Cross, our nation’s third highest medal. This was eventually upgraded to the Navy Cross, our nation’s 2nd highest medal——but, still, no Medal of Honor. To add insult to injury, Hollywood even made a movie about him in the 1960’s. The movie starred 6’1″ Jeffrey Hunter to play 5’4″ Gabaldon, Especially tragic is the fact that nowhere in the movie is it mentioned that Guy Gabaldon was Hispanic.

It is because of what is reported or not reported about us as Hispanics that Hispanic Heritage Month becomes important. It is because of what our children will know and not know about Hispanics that makes Hispanic Heritage Month absolutely necessary.

Hispanic Heritage Month began 45 years ago as Hispanic Heritage Week, when President Johnson signed a law requiring presidents to proclaim the week beginning with Sept. 15 as Hispanic Heritage Week. Two decades later, Ronald Reagan signed an amendment to that law, expanding the honorific period to a month. It is not a holiday, and there are no state or federal funds connected to it. Nothing in the law prescribes how the month is to be celebrated.

The month’s title has the word “Hispanic,” but in reality, it encompasses Hispanics and Latinos. Most of us use the two terms interchangeably, but Hispanics generally refers to people whose heritage is from countries that speak Spanish and Latinos generally refers to people whose heritage is from Latin America and the Caribbean.

Certainly, there are many in this nation resentful of a period that highlights Hispanics. However, if we are to improve the image of Hispanics, we must make people aware of our existence, contribution, and potential. It is imperative that everyone, our children, as well as the general public, understand that we are more than the colorful elements of our Latino/Hispanic cultures. For those of us with Mexican heritage, for example, we do not advance an understanding of ourselves if the only thing people know about us are our tacos, piñatas, and mariachis.

Hispanic Heritage Month gives us a wonderful opportunity to correct and expand knowledge of ourselves, but opportunity is not enough. We should view the month as an obligation to learn more about our place in this nation’s history and publicize all that is good about us.

Contact Dr. Lily Rivera at lilyrivera1@yahoo.com