National Hispanic Heritage Month is a Joke

Hermanos,

Why have we let ourselves be lulled into this false sense of acceptance? It is as if they are just giving out cultural awareness months and we act as if we won the lottery. When in truth, we will never compare to Black History Month, which in itself is a model failure of its original purpose.

Black History Month is just a botched extension of its original, Negro History Week. Dr. Carter G. Woodson wasn’t looking for his creation to be expanded but to become null and void as Black history transitioned into an American history that equally showed the contributions and values of all. Somewhere along the way his message was lost and as a week expanded into a month we decided to jump on the bandwagon.

At the very least there is a unified sense of identity in Black History Month; we as a group have never truly agreed upon a unifying term to self identify us. Hispanic vs Latino vs recognizing yourself as a hyphenated American (e.g. Mexican-American) makes it confusing enough to label us under some umbrella term let alone celebrate a unifying month on a culture that most of us ourselves don’t even truly understand. I shake my head despondently on Cinco de Mayo when not only my fellow Chicanos and Chicanas wave the Mexican flag in a misinterpreted celebration of independence but the fact that so many other Latinos feel the need to celebrate this as if it is anyone’s independence day. Pride can be a wonderful thing but pride in our own ignorance only makes us look foolish.

Instead of blindly contributing to National Hispanic Heritage Month, use this time productively to share the story of our people and help us move forward. If you want them to become educated, push for Latino Studies classes, and then sign up for them because if we don’t support it ourselves others won’t either. More Latinos than ever before are entering college, but we are just as quickly dropping or flunking out leaving us only more in debt and none the wiser. Reach out to one another, help them to be successful, help them to graduate. That hermano is doing more for la raza than parading around waiving flags or serving tacos to people who will likely learn no more about our culture than what is on the Taco Bell menu.

Sinceremente,

Celestino

Picture by Breakfast for Dinner via Flickr