The City of Gaithersburg Proclaims September 15th-October 15th as Hispanic Heritage Month

At Tuesday night’s Mayor and City Council meeting, the City of Gaithersburg proclaimed that September 15th-October 15h will be Hispanic Heritage Month. Per the City of Gaithersburg, “the National Hispanic Heritage Month began in 1968 as Hispanic Heritage Week under President Lyndon Johnson. In 1988, President Ronald Reagan changed the designation to a 30-day time covering the dates of September 15 to October 15. The date of September 15 is historically significant as it marks the anniversary of independence of five Latin American countries: Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. The designation period also includes Mexico and Chile, which celebrate their independence on September 16 and 18, respectively. According to the U.S. Census, Hispanic Americans are identified by the parts of the world that they or their ancestors came from, including Puerto Rico, Cuba, Mexico, Spain, and the countries of Central and South America.”

City programming in recognition of Hispanic Heritage Month:

·         The Multicultural Affairs Committee is presenting a month-long educational display, starting in September.  The exhibit can be viewed at the Activity Center at Bohrer Park, Monday throughFriday from 8 AM to 10 PM and on Saturdays & Sundays from 8 AM to 5 PM.

·         The Benjamin Gaither Center and Asbury Methodist Village with the collaboration of De Colores Mexican Folk Dance Group will present a cultural extravaganza on September 12 with traditional Mexican Folk dance, artifacts display, and food tastings. The event is free, but registration is required.

Accepting the proclamation was Yerania Benicio. Yerania, born in Mexico and graduated with a Bachelor of Business Administration Degree at University of Colima in Mexico.  She is a member of the Gaithersburg Multicultural Affairs Committee and has been a resident of Gaithersburg since 2003. Yerania is part of a Mexican Folk group called De Colores Mexican Folk Dance Group, who love to serve and entertain the community. She and the group are thankful for the opportunity to install the Day of the Dead Altar over the past few years, and they look forward to sharing their traditions.

She also enjoys doing volunteer work with her children, where she can be a part of their growth while helping others. Yerania has been working for a multicultural institution for over 13 years, where she has learned to value and treasure other cultures and has been exposed to their foods and traditions.She feels very fortunate to live and work in such a diverse community. When Yerania would return home to Mexico, her grandma would ask how people look and what they eat on the other side of the world. She realized how blessed she was to be able to tell her about the lovely people from the other side of the world.

Courtesy of the City of Gaithersburg