HispanicHeritageEssaySK17

Hispanic Heritage Essay Why should we keep it alive? I believe that Hispanic heritage should be kept alive because of the many contributions that Hispanics have given to our country. They make up 17% of our nation's population (September 15 - October 15, 2014), fought with the United States in the World War II battle, gave us many more food choices, and enriched our country's culture. Hispanics have taught many people what it's like to be proud Americans with many beautiful backgrounds.

The Mexicans came to our country with an annexation to Texas in the year of 1845. (Population Bulletin Update) In the years of 2000-2010 our population increased by 28 million, (The Growing U.S. Hispanic Population) 15.4 million of it were Hispanics. (The Growing U.S. Hispanic Population) As of July 1, 2012 the Hispanics population grew to 53 million. (National Hispanic Heritage Month 2015) A lot of the growths in the Hispanic people are due to immigration. They came from Cuba, Mexico, Puerto Rico, South America and several other Latino countries to the United States.(U.S. Hispanic Country of Origin Counts for Nation) Currently, numerous children are being sent alone to the U.S. They are trying to get away from poverty and gangs in their hometown. (Ross, Brooke) These children go to the Border Patrols for help to be reunited with their families already in the U.S.(Ross, Brooke) As the children grow up they become American citizens, and raise more Hispanic families. Immigration plays an integral role in keeping Hispanic heritage alive.

Today, many Americans still assume that Hispanics did not serve our country during World War II; however, Hispanics were among the countless American citizens who joined the Army, Navy, and Marine Corps. ( Hispanic Americans in World War II) Out of a total of 12 million U.S. Armed Force soldiers, 250,000 to 500,000 were Hispanics. Hundreds of Hispanic women served as nurses and labor workers. ( Hispanic Americans in World War II) The labor workers manufactured plants and material for soldiers. They replaced the men who were sent away to fight in the war. According to Senator Robert Mendez more than 9,000 Hispanics died in World War II. ( Hispanic Americans in World War II) These Hispanics were what we call courageous soldiers; they died in the defense of the U.S. We should appreciate how they fought for our freedom. Recent statistics show that there are approximately 1.1 million military veterans that are Hispanics.(September 15 - October 15, 2014)

The Hispanics introduced various foreign food choices to our country. These dishes include tacos, taquitos, tortillas, salsa, guacamole, chili, mole (a bean dish), tamales, and fajitas. There are a lot of Mexican restaurants in our country such as, Taco Bell, Chipotle, Moe's, Miguel's, Gringo's, etc. These proud restaurant entrepreneurs show the confidence in bringing Hispanic culture to a foreign country. Most of us, Americans agree that the Hispanic’s greatest contribution is food. Today in America we have a variety of traditional foods from all over the world, yet we mainly favor the Spanish food.

As the years go by Hispanic heritage have impacted our country immensely. They've changed our perspectives, entertainment, religion, and even our school subjects. Entertainment is very important to today's generation. Selena Quintanilla-Pérez and Gloria Estefan are both talented Hispanic entertainers. The music that they sing is much richer and meaningful. Hispanics have taught us different ways to live our daily lives. At school we now have Spanish classes, and in each class there is a message behind the lesson. We even learn how to speak their language. The religion that Hispanics brought was mainly Catholic. They came with this custom in the 1900's. (Martinez and Funk, Jessica and Cary.) From that period thousands of Americans have adapted this specific belief. Most of the Catholic churches now offer a mass in Spanish. This proves how much Hispanics have influenced our communities. Nowadays, we never really ask ourselves the question, what is the best thing about living in the United States of America? Patrick Sanchez, and interviewee answered, "//We as Hispanics have an opportunity to work and live in a community, as well as opportunities to receive an education. Most often you read or see on the news reports of other countries where many people don't work or aren't allowed to work. They also don't have an opportunity to get an education. Our country allows us to work and live the American Dream."// (Sanchez, Patrick) Hispanics bring tremendous values to our society.

I hope that one day everyone will come into realization that Hispanics have enriched our country in so many ways. Hispanics show what it means to live the American Dream and bring back what they know. For instance, Nia Sanchez, the 2014 Miss America said, //“I had someone tell me ‘You should change your last name. Your last name is Sanchez; you should go by like a “stage name” because you might have a better chance.’ And, you know, I’m proud of who I am and I definitely did not follow that advice.”// (Moreno, Carolina)To have a Hispanic heritage means accepting the past for more strength to create a strong future for ourselves. It also shows people to have pride from where their culture originated. Hispanics have changed our culture, country, and ways but most of all it changed me.


 * Works Cited**

"Hispanic Americans in World War II." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 30 Apr. 2015. < [] >.
 * I think this website is valid because the website that I used has many references to where they got they're information.

Martinez and Funk, Jessica and Cary. "Fewer Hispanics Are Catholic, so How Can More Catholics Be Hispanic?" //Pew Research Center RSS//. Fact Tank, 07 May 2014. Web. 30 Apr. 2015. http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2014/05/07/fewer-hispanics-are-catholic-so-how-can-more-catholics-be-hispanic/


 * I think this source is reliable because it is a research center that has legitimate sources.

Moreno, Carolina. "Why Miss USA Nia Sanchez Dismissed Suggestions To Change Her Last Name." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, n.d. Web. 30 Apr. 2015. < [] >.
 * I think this website is applicable because there is a live video of Nia Sanchez in the interview answering the newscaster's questions.

"National Hispanic Heritage Month 2015." Hispanicheritagemonth. Hispanic Heritage Month, n.d. Web. 27 Apr. 2015. < [] >.
 * I think this is a trustworthy site because it has resources to support its facts.

Paper, White. "The Hispanic Influence On American Culture." THE HISPANIC INFLUENCE (n.d.): n. pag. The Hispanic Influence On Americsn Culture. Conill. Web. http://conill.com/images/uploads/thinking/The_Hispanic_Influence_on_America.pdf


 * I think this is a reliable website because it is an actual news/ press paper.

"Population Bulletin Update: Latinos in the United States 2010."Population Bulletin Update: Latinos in the United States 2010. PRB, n.d. Web. 29 Apr. 2015. < [] >.
 * I think this article is valid because it has resources that prove it has true facts.

Ross, Brooke. "All Alone." //Issue Viewer//. Scholastic Junior, n.d. Web. 01 May 2015. http://magazines.scholastic.com/news/2014/09/All-Alone


 * I think this resource is reliable because there are many websites that are saying the same thing and there are facts to prove it’s true.

Sanchez, Patrick. "" Best Thing About Living in the USA"" Personal interview. 16 Apr. 2015
 * I think this interviewee is reliable because he is a real Hispanic that has an opinion about the best thing about living in the U.S.A.

"September 15 - October 15, 2014 Click Here to View the Hispanic Heritage Month Event Calendar." Hispanic Heritage Month. Hispanic Heritage Month, n.d. Web. 27 Apr. 2015. < [] >.
 * I think this source is dependable because it lists all of its sources.

"The Growing U.S. Hispanic Population: Impact on the U.S. Economy and Business." The Growing U.S. Hispanic Population: Impact on the U.S. Economy and Business. U.S. Department of State, n.d. Web. 30 Apr. 2015. < [] >.
 * I think this resource is trustworthy because it said that it got its sources from the U.S. State Department.

"U.S. Hispanic Country of Origin Counts for Nation, Top 30 Metropolitan Areas." //Pew Research Centers Hispanic Trends Project RSS//. Pew Rersearch Centers, 26 May 2011. Web. 01 May 2015. http://www.pewhispanic.org/2011/05/26/us-hispanic-country-of-origin-counts-for-nation-top-30-metropolitan-areas/
 * I think this resource is reliable because it comes from a research center that can prove that their facts are true