This September and October, celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month

During this week's Council meeting, the Council adopted a resolution offered by Councilor Mejia and Council President Janey, recognizing September 15 - October 15 as Hispanic Heritage Month in the City of Boston.

Each year, Hispanic Heritage Month is recognized across the country as an opportunity to celebrate Latino culture, history, and contributions made to the United States.

The City of Boston’s Latino population comprises 20 percent of the total population and 42 percent of children in Boston Public Schools, without whom the City’s youth population would be in decline.

Boston has an incredibly diverse Latino community, with the largest Latino groups being Puerto Rican, Dominican, Salvadoran, Colombian, and almost half are foreign born bringing different lived experiences to the City of Boston.

Many Councilors, with English as their first language, shared remarks in regards to the importance of Hispanic heritage in their very best Spanish. “I just want to acknowledge how heartwarming it is to see all of my colleagues battling it out here for who speaks the best Spanish,” joked Councilor Mejia. She continued, “I’m incredibly grateful for the effort that [you all] are making to connect with everyone.”

The Council also adopted a resolution, recognizing September 14, 2020, as Support Latino Business Day in the City of Boston.

As it stands, Latinos in Boston represent 14 percent of the workforce in Suffolk County and 10 percent of business owners, contributing significantly to the City’s character and economy. While the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has caused numerous businesses to close, minority-owned businesses are being hit especially hard with the number of Latino-owned businesses across the country decreasing by 32 percent between February and April.

Councilor Mejia noted that celebrating and supporting Latino businesses is more important than ever during this time as the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the future of Latino-owned enterprises. “We as leaders need to take a better look at how we are reaching out and helping small businesses across the City, particularly black- and brown-owned businesses. We need to support Latino businesses everyday, but a day in celebration of these institutions is a good start.”