Hispanic Heritage Month approaches

The calendar may tell us Sept. 15 is the start of Fall when the autumnal equinox strikes at 11:19 in the morning but generally the hot weather and sunshine lasts well into October.

While this weekend marks the unofficial end to summer festivities it also hearalds the start of something else: Hispanic Heritage Month. It’s a bridge between summer vacation and October’s Halloween and subsequent holiday season.

Straddling Sept. 15 and Oct. 15, the month isn’t the traditional 30ish-day period that divides the calendar into 12 sections.
Introduced in the late 60s by former California Congressman George Brown Jr., the weeklong celebration morphed into a month-long affair thanks, in part, to former U.S. president Ronald Reagan who signed it into law.

Acknowledging the economic, social, cultural and political contributions the Hispanic/Latino communities have made to the United States, the token of appreciation today might seem unnecessary in some quarters.

It’s no secret that President Donald Trump and his deputy Chief of Staff view Latinos with little regard.

Trump’s vise-like clamp down on immigrant communities, punctuated with roving bands of Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents snatching mothers and fathers and daughters and sons from homes and workplaces then deporting them disproportionately affects Latinos, be they Mexican, Guatemalan, Venezuelan, Cuban etc.

Non-citizens and citizens of a particular hue or ethnicity are under increasing scrutiny during the current administration. Too many have been arrested without the benefit of legal rights afforded them by this country’s constitution.

Cities like Chula Vista and National City, with significant Latino and immigrant residents, are on notice they are not safe from harassment and intimidation.

Under President Trump the upcoming Hispanic Heritage Month takes on added significance. It could be an opportunity to celebrate with fervor and intensity the community’s accomplishments, given the intense pressure the administration is applying. Although it would not be surprising if in the future Trump et al did away with the month simply because they don’t believe the culture merits national recognition.