National Hispanic Heritage Month is celebrated from September 15th – October 15th, and is meant to recognize the Hispanic/Latino culture as well as contributions made by the community to the history of the United States. At CASW, the Hispanic/Latino community has played a central role in our history and continues to form a large part of the communities we serve. So this month, we want to shine a spotlight on the people and culture that have been so formative to NYC.
The Importance of Hispanic Heritage Month
Even before Spain’s colonization of the Americas, Latinos have always been a part of American history. Present day, the US Census Bureau estimates that the population of Latinos in the US to be over 60 million, and as a group, Latinos continue to shape our communities as leaders, business owners, activists, teachers, friends, neighbors, and more [1]. According to data from the 2020 Census, one in every four children within the United States is Latino [1]. Furthermore, according to the Latino Donor Collaborative, U.S. Latinos would rank fifth in world GDP if the community were an independent nation [2]. Thus, it becomes clear that celebrating Latino history IS celebrating American history, and we want to help encourage more of that within OUR communities.
CASW’s Roots in the Latino Community
The month of September is extra special for CASW, as we celebrate both our anniversary and Hispanic Heritage Month. Given the fact that our story began in 1968 in the neighborhood of Washington Heights, we’re proud to consider ourselves a part of Latino history within the city of New York. We’re spending the next month sharing a campaign that centers this incredible group of people that work and learn beside us every day.
[1] Smithsonian Latino Center. “Hispanic Heritage Month.” Latino.si.edu, Smithsonian Institution, https://latino.si.edu/learn/teaching-and-learning-resources/hispanic-heritage-month-resources/hispanic-heritage-month
[2] NBC News Latino. “U.S. Latino Economic Output Would Rank 5th in World GDP, According to New Study.” NBC News, https://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/us-latino-economic-output-rank-5th-world-gdp-according-new-study-rcna48740
