{"id":1825,"date":"2023-10-16T10:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-10-16T10:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.calbaptist.edu\/cshb\/?p=1825"},"modified":"2023-10-11T07:01:51","modified_gmt":"2023-10-11T07:01:51","slug":"hispanic-heritage-month-we-dont-all-love-tacos","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.calbaptist.edu\/cshb\/2023\/10\/16\/hispanic-heritage-month-we-dont-all-love-tacos\/","title":{"rendered":"Hispanic Heritage Month: We Don\u2019t All Love Tacos!"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Embracing Diversity<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Photo by Chitokan C.<\/a> on Pexels<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Hi, my name is Dr. Boj\u00f3rquez, and I confess that I love tacos. Why wouldn\u2019t you love tacos?  I love tacos because they are the perfect balance of protein, carbs, and vegetables. And, although I celebrate my Hispanic\/ Latino heritage, this heritage is not why I love tacos. In fact, thinking about what it means to “be Hispanic” requires moving well beyond cultural tropes like “we all love tacos.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The History of Hispanic Heritage Month<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

President Lyndon Johnson started Hispanic Heritage Week, later expanded by President Ronald Reagan to a month-long celebration (September 15 to October 15) in 1988; thus, Hispanic Heritage Month. During the 30-day celebration, the countries recognized for their contributions to Americans are Mexico, Central and South America, Spain, and the Spanish-speaking nations of the Caribbean (United States Census Bureau, 2023). We will explore the different definitions of Hispanic and Latino terms, cultural humility, and how to engage in the culture, and highlight some celebrations and fun facts about various Latino countries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Is it Hispanic or Latino\/x?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Throughout the United States (U.S.) history, the terms Hispanic and Latino\/a\/x\/\u00e9 have often been used interchangeably, resulting in a sense of panethnicity among individuals and communities. The term Hispanic was first implemented during the Nixon administration. The 2020 U.S. Census documented 63.7 million Hispanics, who make up about 19% of the U.S. population (United States Census Bureau, 2023). However, Hispanic has been highly criticized as it did not stem from a Spanish word, leading to a continuance of systemic disparities, including health, education, and incarceration (Garcia, 2020).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The term Latino has been more widely accepted, as it is derived from Latin, including Spanish-speaking countries. Latino was used as a gender-neutral term for Latinos and Latinas; however, around 2010, Latinx emerged to remove the male and female identity from the term and make it more inclusive. Interestingly, Bustamante et al. (2020) surveyed 3,030 Hispanic adults in the U.S. about the term Latinx. It reported that only three percent of participants use the term Latinx, 20% do not use the term, and 76% have yet to hear of the term Latinx.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Photo by Filip Gielda<\/a> on Unsplash<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Another factor in this conversation concerns the misconceptions that all Spanish speakers originate from Mexico. Although Mexicans form the largest Spanish speaking population in the U.S., there are many other Spanish speaking groups such as Salvadorans, Cubans, Dominicans, Guatemalans among others. It is essential to acknowledge the other Spanish speaking groups because language is part of the process for distinguishing Hispanic\/Latino\/a\/x. Said another way, not all Latinos are Hispanic, and not all Hispanics are Latinos. Alexander (2022) shared that Brazilians are considered Latino but not Hispanic due to the Portuguese language, and Spaniards are Hispanic but not Latino because it is not a country in Latin America. Moreover, Latino was linked to geographical location and Hispanic to language. Thus, Mexicans would be considered Hispanic and Latino\/x.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, what term should we use? The honest answer is, \u201cI don\u2019t know.\u201d It depends on where people are from and the language they speak. When unsure, I combine these two groups, so I say Hispanic\/ Latino\/x. Personally, I prefer Latina, Chicana, or Mexican-American (more terms, I know!). These identities are not monolithic and require we move beyond assumptions or what may \u201cseem obvious.\u201d This kind of movement is possible when we practice and apply cultural humility, to which I turn next. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Photo by RDNE Stock project<\/a> on Pexels<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Cultural Humility<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

We interact with people from various cultures and ethnicities daily and often make generalizations. Some assumptions include foods, traditions, or practices. By not acknowledging the differences, we also diminish their lived experiences. A personal story that serves as a testament is that my husband, born in Mexico, does not love tacos, beans, or tamarind. Yes, it shocked me, too! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

My husband\u2019s food preferences are a reminder that we have implicit biases. As people interact with people from various cultures daily, raising cultural humility and awareness is essential. Cultural humility is “\u2026 a lifelong commitment to self-evaluation and critique, to redressing the power imbalances . . .” (Abe, 2019, as cited in Tervalon & Murray-Garc\u00eda, 1998, p. 123). Learning about the Hispanic and Latino cultures can start by immersing yourself in the culture, attending cultural events, and learning the history of lived experiences of these communities. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Further, increasing cultural humility can be done via social work practice and research. In social work, we are responsible for using cultural competence and humility to improve providers’ knowledge and skills while building appropriate relationships with those we serve. In research, there is an understanding that becomes central to the delivery of all-inclusive care for those we serve. Also, it allows providers to fill in the gaps between the needs and services of clients and communities from various cultures, ethnicities, practices, and customs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Photo by Jonatan Lewczuk<\/a> on Unsplash<\/a> <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In the spirit of this learning for the development of cultural humility, I’ve provided a list of celebrations and fun facts for different countries below. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Have you ever participated in any of these events or is there one that you would add to the list? Leave a comment below!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Celebrations and Fun Facts<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mexico<\/u><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n