Graphic credit: Smithonian Education

 
¿Que pasa?
 
Tony Torres, newly reappointed member of the Utility Advisory Board and past president of the Garland Association for Hispanic Affairs, accepted a proclamation from Mayor Ron Jones tonight signifying the beginning of Hispanic Heritage Month. I was not at tonight's Council meeting because I did not want to take a chance of exposing anyone to a little bug I seem to have met.
 
September 15 was chosen as the starting point for Hispanic Heritage Month because it is the anniversary of independence of five Latin American countries, according to USA.gov.
 
I very much enjoy different cultures and the foods of each but I'm probably closest to the Hispanic culture. In my formative years in West Texas, we were much more likely to be eating barbecued cabrito than beef. There is not a corner in Texas that doesn't have some link to our Hispanic heritage.
 
This official celebration in the United States isn't that old: "In 1968, Congress authorized [Texan] President Lyndon B. Johnson to proclaim a week in September as National Hispanic Heritage Week. The observance was expanded in 1988 to a month long celebration (September 15 - October 15), honoring our Nation's Hispanic heritage. During this time, America celebrates the culture and traditions of U.S. residents who trace their roots to Spain, Mexico and the Spanish-speaking nations of Central America, South America and the Caribbean."
 
Those five Latin American countries? Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. Also, Mexico celebrates it's independence on September 16 and Chile on September 18.
 
Please join me in eating from as many different Hispanic origins as you can over the next month, many of which can be found here in Garland. Go explore. And if any foods will burn this bug out, I have confidence that those from south of the border will do it!