Every year, National Hispanic Heritage Month begins on Sept. 15, celebrating the contributions of Latinos to the U.S., including the $3.7 trillion we add to the national GDP - with $706 billion coming from California alone.
For example, 'Hispanic' is an American invention, referring to U.S. residents with lineages from Spain or Latin America. It centers whiteness, often excluding Afro-Latinos and Indigenous people by emphasizing the colonial relationship between Spain and Latin America.
This internal conflict made me question the label, especially when those who identified as 'Hispanic' didn't seem to have my best interests in mind. Zora Neale Hurston's words rang true then as they do now: 'All my skinfolk ain't my kinfolk.'
Terms like 'Latina' became political tools, as seen in organizations like the Latina Coalition of Silicon Valley, which mobilizes a specific population to champion causes like equal pay - an issue that directly impacts me and the communities I care about.
#hispanic-heritage-month #identity #latino-contributions #political-identity #cultural-representation
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