On Oct. 5, the Port Washington Parent Resource Center (PWPRC) held their fourth Annual Fiesta in the Park celebration.  The free event celebrates Hispanic culture, bringing together song, dance, and Latin-American cuisine.  This year, Fiesta in the Park was held at Blumenfield Family Park, across the street from the Port Washington Public Library, and was attended by hundreds of people, including Schreiber volunteers. The event represented all 21 countries celebrated throughout Hispanic Heritage Month, providing participants with plenty of exciting activities. 

“I volunteered at Fiesta in the Park running a table that represented Uruguay. It was fun watching the kids gathering stickers from each table,”  said sophomore Demir Yavuzyilmaz. 

Fiesta in the Park is also an honoring of Latin-American culture and a celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month.  Hispanic Heritage Month, observed from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15 every year, honors the contributions of Latin-Americans to the United States.  The celebration dates back to 1968, with nearly nine million Latin-Americans living in the United States.

In Sept. 1968, President Lyndon B. Johnson issued a proclamation that set aside the week of Sept.  15 as Hispanic Heritage Week. This precedent was followed by presidents Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, James Carter, and Ronald Reagan, all of whom declared the week of Sept. 15 a national celebration. 

However, it wasn’t until 1988, under President Reagan, that a law was passed declaring an observation period of 31 days. The following year, President George H.W. Bush became the first president to officially declare the month of Sept.  15 to Oct.  15 National Hispanic Heritage Month. 

The time frame of Hispanic Heritage Month was strategically chosen to coincide with monumental events in Latin-American history.  For example, the start date, Sept.  15, is also the independence day of Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua.  Mexico and Chile gained independence from Spain on Sept. 16 and Sept. 18 in 1810, and Belize gained independence Sept. 21, 1981. Of the 21 nations and territories celebrated throughout Hispanic Heritage Month, eight celebrate their independence day during that month.

Today, there are over 60 million Latin-Americans living in the United States, making up nearly 20 percent of the population.  This makes Hispanics the largest ethnic group in the country, solidifying their importance to the nation.  As of 2023, Latin-Americans made up 16 percent of Port Washington’s population, making the culture a potent ethnic group within our community.

“This is what makes Hispanic Heritage Month celebrations so important within Port. When we hold local events like Fiesta in the Park, we represent an extensive part of our town,” said sophomore Sophie Markowitz. 

The Port Washington Public Library has also held multiple events throughout the month, including an exhibit of female Latin-American authors in the Community Gallery.  This exhibit was on display throughout Hispanic Heritage Month.  The library has also held classes and presentations, such as a piano recital featuring renowned Argentinean pianist Rosa Antonelli on Sept. 17. 

On Oct. 17, the library held the “Fiesta de la Cultura Hispana,” or the Hispanic Culture Festival.  This event showcased professional Hispanic tango, flamenco, and salsa dancers, as well as routines from ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) students. The show, sponsored by Friends of the Library, was free to the public, allowing anyone to see a performance of Latin-American tradition.  

Hispanic Heritage Month is a crucial celebration in America because it gives representation to a widespread fraction of the country’s population.  Events like Fiesta in the Park allow Port Washington, a historically diverse community, to showcase the importance of Hispanic culture.