HANSCOM AIR FORCE BASE, Mass. – Base officials will host Hispanic heritage-themed events here this month to recognize the contributions made by Hispanic and Latino Americans.
This year’s theme is “Esperanza: A Celebration of Hispanic Heritage and Hope.”
“This month we recognize the contributions and the important presence of Hispanic Americans at Hanscom Air Force Base and throughout the armed forces,” said Col. Anita Edmonds, Hanscom’s Hispanic Heritage Month committee chair.
The celebration begins Sept. 15 because five Latin American countries, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua, declared their independence from Spanish colonization on that day in 1821. Mexico and Chile celebrate their independence days Sept. 16 and Sept. 18, respectively.
In a video message to Hanscom personnel, Chief Master Sgt. William Hebb, installation command chief, spoke about strength in diversity.
“Hispanics have had a profound and positive influence on our country and have enhanced our national character with centuries-old traditions that reflect their ethnically diverse and multicultural customs,” he said.
Organizers will host a free Hispanic food tasting event Sept. 29 beginning at 11 a.m. at the Chapel Annex. The event is open to all those with base access.
Hispanic Heritage Month committee members will also participate in a virtual story time with Hanscom Primary School students on Sept. 27 from 8:30 to 11 a.m.
Col. Katrina Stephens, installation commander, signed a proclamation in her office Sept. 15. Members of the Hispanic Heritage Month committee attended the signing.
The month-long observance began in 1968 as Hispanic Heritage Week under President Lyndon Johnson. In 1988, President Ronald Reagan expanded it to a 30-day observance.
In 2020, the U.S. Hispanic population reached 62.1 million, up from 50.5 million in 2010, according to Pew Research.
To learn more about Hispanic heritage, visit https://www.hispanicheritagemonth.gov/.