Pictured Above: Tomás Avila, Victor Capellán, Patricia Martínez, Alida Balderra, Lydia Pérez, Norelys Consuegra, Delia Masjoan-Rodríguez, Marta V. Martínez, Mercedes “Betty” Bernal, Juán Pichardo. Photos by Salvatore Mancini • 2001
Collecting our history is incredibly important for me because we, as Latinos, rarely are given the opportunity to share our history and to tell our story. My hope is for the younger generations to learn about all the successes that Latinx individuals have had in this country. However, Latinos must also talk about their struggles and push for programming or share stories that reflects our true history, stories about historical challenges or difficulties.
Marta V. Martínez, Founder of Nuestras Raíces and Community Oral Historian
The types of stories we share as Latinos are important
Every year beginning on September 15th, Rhode Island like other states around the country joins the month-long celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month (Sept. 15-Oct. 15). However, and in all transparency as the founder of Hispanic Heritage Month Celebration in Rhode Island (1988), I have another concern: in an effort to make it more palatable or commercially viable, the media too often focuses on uplifting and positive art-forms that make us feel good, while the stories of struggle, oppression, prejudice and injustice are whitewashed or ignored. It’s easy to do a feel-good story than to take the time to intentionally learn and then highlight the significant successes and historical contributions to the state by Latino Rhode Islanders.
The U.S. public education system does such a poor job of teaching Latino history in this country, and often Hispanic Heritage Month is the only opportunity for many students to learn about it, and that is a real shame. Why not highlight programming or write stories that reflects our true history, stories about historical challenges or difficulties? You cannot assume that Latinos already know about the lynchings in South Texas in the 1910s, the Zoot Suit Riots, about Mendez v. Westminster; the Chicano-led high school walkouts of the 1960s that permanently changed higher education enrollment for Latino students or the school segregation of Latino kids right here in Rhode Island.
Approached in the right way, even these stories can be ultimately seen as uplifting because the historic struggles of Chicanos, Mexican-Americans, Puerto Ricans and other Latinos are uplifting stories. For only through those struggles have we been able to achieve more social justice in this country.
Today and moving forward, as we think about Hispanic Heritage Month in Rhode Island, I am proposing that Latinos push for the observance during the month of September as Latino History Month as a way to provide a deliberate opportunity to reflect on the common humanity underlying all people, and to raise awareness and foster respect for the heritage and contributions of people of Latin-American and Caribbean descent.
Here are some facts: American Hispanic/Latino history is rich, diverse and long, with immigrants, refugees and Spanish-speaking or Indigenous people living in the United States since long before the nation was established. Latino Americans bring with them traditions and culture from Mexico, Guatemala, Cuba, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic and other Latin American and Iberian nations. America’s Hispanic population continues to grow, reaching a record 62.5 million in 2020, or 18.7 percent of the U.S. population.
The U.S. public education system does such a poor job of teaching Latino history in this country, and often Hispanic Heritage Month is the only opportunity for many students to learn about it, and that is a real shame. Why not highlight programming or write stories that reflects our true history, stories about historical challenges or difficulties? You cannot assume that Latinos already know about the lynchings in South Texas in the 1910s, the Zoot Suit Riots, about Mendez v. Westminster; the Chicano-led high school walkouts of the 1960s that permanently changed higher education enrollment for Latino students or the school segregation of Latino kids right here in Rhode Island.
Approached in the right way, even these stories can be ultimately seen as uplifting because the historic struggles of Chicanos, Mexican-Americans, Puerto Ricans and other Latinos are uplifting stories. For only through those struggles have we been able to achieve more social justice in this country.
Today and moving forward, as we think about Hispanic Heritage Month in Rhode Island, I am proposing that Latinos push for the observance during the month of September as Latino History Month as a way to provide a deliberate opportunity to reflect on the common humanity underlying all people, and to raise awareness and foster respect for the heritage and contributions of people of Latin-American and Caribbean descent.
Here are some facts: American Hispanic/Latino history is rich, diverse and long, with immigrants, refugees and Spanish-speaking or Indigenous people living in the United States since long before the nation was established. Latino Americans bring with them traditions and culture from Mexico, Guatemala, Cuba, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic and other Latin American and Iberian nations. America’s Hispanic population continues to grow, reaching a record 62.5 million in 2020, or 18.7 percent of the U.S. population.
Between 2010 and 2022, the Hispanic/Latino population had the most growth increasing by 59,897 from 132,083 in 2010 to 191,980 in 2022, which means 17.6 percent of residents here are people of color who identify as Latino/Latina/Latinx or Hispanic heritage, including several racial and ethnic groups. More than 14% of Rhode Island’s workforce is Latino, 48% are Providence residents and almost half of Latino children live in a home where English is not the first language. The Rhode Island Latino population is mainly of Dominican and Puerto Rican heritage, followed by Guatemalan, Mexican, and Colombian. Not only that, but every single Central and Latin American (plus Spain and Brazil) country is represented in our state. These statistics are significant, but they don’t describe the true stories that go behind those numbers.
Rhode Island Latino Americans have fought in every war since the World War II. They are business owners and veterans and teachers and public servants, and they form part of the fabric of America. We have participated in every aspect of America's effort to secure, protect, and advance the cause of freedom and civil rights, and have stories that are an inspiration to all citizens, that reflect the triumph of the human spirit, and that offer the hopes of everyday people to rise above both prejudice and circumstance and to build lives of dignity.
In 1988 Heritage Month Celebration Committee (now Rhode Island Latino Arts), launched the first statewide recognition and celebration of “National Hispanic Heritage Week.” Since then, the State of Rhode Island and its residents have recognized Hispanic Heritage Month, and in doing so subconsciously, have continued to celebrate the Latin American ethnic and racial diversity that enriches and strengthens our nation.
Too often the focus of contributions by Latinos is on the musical, culinary, dances or other art-forms that make us feel good, and less emphasis is placed on programming that reflects our history. As an educator and former teacher, I see a U.S. public education system that does not do enough to teach Latino history in this country, and often Hispanic Heritage Month is the only opportunity for any student to learn about Latino history. The people of Latin-American descent or Latin-American Americans have made measurable differences in Rhode Island, in their communities and respective industries and I encourage all Latino American Rhode Islanders to share their own stories, because if we don’t tell our own stories, someone else will.
~ Marta V. Martínez, Community Oral Historian
Nuestras Raices, Founder & Project Director
Rhode Island Latino Americans have fought in every war since the World War II. They are business owners and veterans and teachers and public servants, and they form part of the fabric of America. We have participated in every aspect of America's effort to secure, protect, and advance the cause of freedom and civil rights, and have stories that are an inspiration to all citizens, that reflect the triumph of the human spirit, and that offer the hopes of everyday people to rise above both prejudice and circumstance and to build lives of dignity.
In 1988 Heritage Month Celebration Committee (now Rhode Island Latino Arts), launched the first statewide recognition and celebration of “National Hispanic Heritage Week.” Since then, the State of Rhode Island and its residents have recognized Hispanic Heritage Month, and in doing so subconsciously, have continued to celebrate the Latin American ethnic and racial diversity that enriches and strengthens our nation.
Too often the focus of contributions by Latinos is on the musical, culinary, dances or other art-forms that make us feel good, and less emphasis is placed on programming that reflects our history. As an educator and former teacher, I see a U.S. public education system that does not do enough to teach Latino history in this country, and often Hispanic Heritage Month is the only opportunity for any student to learn about Latino history. The people of Latin-American descent or Latin-American Americans have made measurable differences in Rhode Island, in their communities and respective industries and I encourage all Latino American Rhode Islanders to share their own stories, because if we don’t tell our own stories, someone else will.
~ Marta V. Martínez, Community Oral Historian
Nuestras Raices, Founder & Project Director
© All Rights Reserved | Nuestras Raíces: Latino History of RI © | When using materials from this website, please acknowledge by stating the name of the URL of the webpage on which it is displayed. Citations should include full bibliographic information as follows: Courtesy of the Latino Oral History Project of Rhode Island, Central Falls, RI.
