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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
This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. 1
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.
This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. 2
“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.
This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. 3
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.
This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. 4
Zuleyma shares that she, too, is often mistaken for being Mexican. Some people think that all
Spanish-speakers are from Mexico.
This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. 5
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.
This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. 6
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.
This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. 7
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