HispanicHeritageEssay

Hispanic Heritage Essay 2015

Why Do We Keep It Alive?

Hispanic heritage is what the 37 million spanish-speaking people in the U.S live by. (How Many People) We need to keep Hispanic heritage alive because so many people are born in families that support it as well as have the culture in their own relatives. Education, food, and friendship are what I think is important to understand why this culture should be kept alive. We are just now starting to understand how many great contributions this culture has brought to society. All of them making a big impact on our world. Although Hispanics love this country greatly, that doesn't mean that they have not kept their own customs, language, and values. Latinos make up 41.3 million people in the country, representing the fastest growing segment of the workforce; additionally, 1.1 million of them have served in our armed forces. (Latinos claim larger share)

College enrollment for hispanics grew among all ethnic groups the last few years, while surpassing enrollment of whites by 49% to 47%. 20% of all Latino adults graduated college with an associate degree or higher in the same period. (Latino College) That said, Hispanic education has grown tremendously within the last few decades. We need to recognize that not only is the Hispanic community growing, but also in knowledge. In 1989, a foundation called The Hispanic Education Foundation wanted to make an opportunity for this community to pursue their education and life goals. This foundation raises funds to give scholarships to local Hispanic citizens. (Hispanic Education Foundation) These types of foundations and organizations are made up of the people who do realize how big this community actually is. Hispanics are a growing portion of the United States student population. As a result we need to create and continue to address this growing population with equal and greater chances of pursuing education beyond high school. A quote by Eva Longoria says "Immigration is not the top issue for Latinos. Latinos are like every other American - economy, jobs, healthcare, and education." (Brainy Quote) Proven by the evidence just stated, the spanish community deserves the same opportunity of education as whites, and maybe even more. A big part of Hispanic culture is food. Culturally, Hispanics gather at meal times, primarily at dinner as a family unit and typically dinner can last for hours, with food, drink and lively discussion. Dinner for this culture is an event and one that is a time honored tradition of family gathering and communication all while eating at the core of this cultural event. (Hispanic food) Most Hispanic foods tend to be spicy, using peppers, and other ingredients that make our mouth water. Moles is a Spanish dish that includes chiles, seeds, nuts, vegetables, spices, and chocolate. Mole comes from an Aztec word meaning “mixture”. Another interesting Spanish dish is called Ceviche. Ceviche is a raw fish marinated in lime-juice, usually served in a chopped salad. Poc Chuc is another dish that includes pork, onions, tomatoes, and spices.(Hispanic Culture) These foods and many more are put together with creativity and passion for cooking good, traditional foods. This is because most immigrant groups, including Hispanics wanted to be loyal to their homeland foods and meals. Most Hispanics shop for food in ethnic markets that sell special ingredients for their kind of meals including many spicy substances to add flavor. These markets are called bodegas. One tradition is for families to follow time honored recipes that are handed down from generation to generation. (Food in Every Country) One concept that the Spanish community really focuses on is friendship. According to Latino Perspectives magazine, studies show that a good social life and friends are essential to healthy living and happiness. This community says that a good friendship can be tested in time by loyalty, love, and forgiveness. All of these values are very important to the Spanish culture. Everyone has friends to help them make important decisions and to ask their advice on problems and difficulties. A "true" friend is supposed to accept you and your flaws. Overall, in this group of people and their culture, friendship is not something that should be taken for granted because it is so special and meaningful. (The Power of Friendship) Ralph Waldo Emerson says, "The only way to have a friend is to be one." To conclude, Hispanic heritage should and will be kept alive because of everything Hispanics have done for this country. America is glad to have so many people want to help, support, and add to this wonderful place. If we are truly a "melting pot" of different races, nationalities and cultures, then one like the Hispanic culture so focused on family traditions and values should be welcomed and encouraged to grow and thrive. I know this was mostly my opinion, but I used facts to prove the point of how much the Spanish community has done for us. Mainly because this is a culture driven on time honored values, traditions and heritage. There is a lot to be learned and gained by people like this that have such great tradition and family focused core principles based on values and beliefs handed down from generation to generation, like a great recipe of Ceviche! **Works Cited:** BrainyQuote //. Xplore, n.d. Web. 29 Apr. 2015. . //
 * This is a reliable source because these are famous quotes by famous people, and they are known statements.

//"Food in Every Country." //Food in United States Latino Americans //. Food in Every Country, n.d. Web. 29 Apr. 2015. . // //"Hispanic Culture and Heritage." //Kidzworld //. Kidzworld, n.d. Web. 29 Apr. 2015. . // //Hispanic Education Foundation, n.d. Web. 29 Apr. 2015. . //
 * This is a reliable source because the recipes are by actual Hispanic people and are real, known, and traditional.
 * We know this is reliable information because from personal expeirience real spanish people know these foods.
 * This is a reliable source because it is a real foundation that actually supports hispanics by giving scholarships away.

//"How Many People Speak Spanish in the U.S." //<span style="background-color: #f2f2f2; font-family: 'Open Sans','Helvetica Neue',Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Google //<span style="background-color: #f2f2f2; font-family: 'Open Sans','Helvetica Neue',Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">. Google, n.d. Web. 29 Apr. 2015. <https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=how+many+people+speak+spanish+in+the+U.S>. //
 * This is a reliable source because it is the world's information center, and people have real information from research and interveiw.

//Latinos Claim Larger Share of U.S. Military Personnel//. PRB, n.d. Web. 29 Apr. 2015. <http://www.prb.org/Publications/Articles/2007/HispanicsUSMilitary.aspx>.
 * This source is real as well as reliable in the way that it was information by actually taking a population count.

//<span style="background-color: #f2f2f2; font-family: 'Open Sans','Helvetica Neue',Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">"Latino College Completion: United States." //<span style="background-color: #f2f2f2; font-family: 'Open Sans','Helvetica Neue',Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Latino College Completion: United States //<span style="background-color: #f2f2f2; font-family: 'Open Sans','Helvetica Neue',Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">. Excelencia in Education, n.d. Web. 29 Apr. 2015. <http://www.edexcelencia.org/research/college-completion/united-states>. //
 * <span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Open Sans','Helvetica Neue',Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">This information comes from real counts and interveiws from actual students.

<span style="background-color: #f2f2f2; font-family: 'Open Sans','Helvetica Neue',Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">"The Power of Friendship." //<span style="background-color: #f2f2f2; font-family: 'Open Sans','Helvetica Neue',Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">The Power of Friendship //<span style="background-color: #f2f2f2; font-family: 'Open Sans','Helvetica Neue',Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">. Latino Perspectives Magazine, n.d. Web. 29 Apr. 2015. <http://latinopm.com/opinion/voices/latina-still-standing/the-power-of-friendship-16045>. //
 * This source is a reporter talking, and is real in the way that it is her opinion.

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