NCIRE’s Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Advisory Group September 2021 Newsletter Celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month! September 15 th ‐October 15 th NCIRE’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Advisory (DE&I) Group is comprised of NCIRE employees, staff and leadership. Working together we strive to create an environment that fosters diversity and ensures equity and creates a culture of inclusion across the organization. If you would like to join us, please contact [email protected]. Hispanic Heritage Month is an annual celebration of the history and culture of the U.S. Latinx and Hispanic communities. The event, which spans September 15 to October 15, commemorates how those communities have influenced and contributed to American society at large. The term Hispanic or Latino (or the more recent term Latinx) refers to a person’s culture or origin—regardless of race. On the 2020 Census form, people were counted as Hispanic or Latino or Spanish if they could identify as having Mexican, Mexican American, Chicano, Puerto Rican, Cuban, or “another Hispanic, Latino, or Spanish origin.” Hispanic Heritage Month actually began as a commemorative week when it was first introduced in June of 1968 by California Congressman George E. Brown. Brown, who represented East Los Angeles and a large portion of the San Gabriel Valley—both heavily populated by members of the Hispanic and Latinx communities—wanted to recognize the role played by those communities throughout American history. On September 17, 1968, Congress passed Public Law 90‐48, officially authorizing and requesting the president to issue annual proclamations declaring September 15 and 16 as the beginning of National Hispanic Heritage Week and called upon the “people of the United States, especially the educational community, to observe such week with appropriate ceremonies and activities.” President Lyndon B. Johnson issued the first Hispanic Heritage Week presidential proclamation the same day. The timing of Hispanic Heritage Month coincides with the Independence Day celebrations of several Latin American nations. September 15 was chosen as the kickoff because it coincides with the Independence Day celebrations of five “Central American neighbors,” as Johnson called them—Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. Those five nations declared their independence from Spain on September 15, 1821. In his proclamation, Johnson also acknowledged Mexico, which declared its independence from Spain on September 16, 1810. Although not mentioned specifically by Johnson, Chile also celebrates its independence during that week (September 18, 1810, from Spain); and Belize, which declared its independence from Great Britain on September 21, 1981, was subsequently added to the list of nations specifically celebrated during what is now Hispanic Heritage Month. Hispanic Heritage Month
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NCIRE’s Diversity, Equity &
Inclusion Advisory Group
September 2021
Newsletter
Celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month! September 15th ‐October 15th
NCIRE’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Advisory (DE&I) Group is comprised of NCIRE employees, staff and leadership.
Working together we strive to create an environment that fosters diversity and ensures equity and creates a culture of
inclusion across the organization. If you would like to join us, please contact [email protected].
Hispanic Heritage Month is an annual celebration of the history and culture of the U.S. Latinx and Hispanic
communities. The event, which spans September 15 to October 15, commemorates how those communities
have influenced and contributed to American society at large.
The term Hispanic or Latino (or the more recent term Latinx) refers to a person’s culture or origin—regardless of
race. On the 2020 Census form, people were counted as Hispanic or Latino or Spanish if they could identify as
having Mexican, Mexican American, Chicano, Puerto Rican, Cuban, or “another Hispanic, Latino, or Spanish
origin.”
Hispanic Heritage Month actually began as a commemorative week when it was first introduced in June of 1968
by California Congressman George E. Brown. Brown, who represented East Los Angeles and a large portion of
the San Gabriel Valley—both heavily populated by members of the Hispanic and Latinx communities—wanted
to recognize the role played by those communities throughout American history. On September 17, 1968,
Congress passed Public Law 90‐48, officially authorizing and requesting the president to issue annual
proclamations declaring September 15 and 16 as the beginning of National Hispanic Heritage Week and called
upon the “people of the United States, especially the educational community, to observe such week with
appropriate ceremonies and activities.” President Lyndon B. Johnson issued the first Hispanic Heritage Week
presidential proclamation the same day.
The timing of Hispanic Heritage Month coincides with the Independence Day celebrations of several Latin
American nations. September 15 was chosen as the kickoff because it coincides with the Independence Day
celebrations of five “Central American neighbors,” as Johnson called them—Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala,
Honduras and Nicaragua. Those five nations declared their independence from Spain on September 15, 1821. In
his proclamation, Johnson also acknowledged Mexico, which declared its independence from Spain on
September 16, 1810. Although not mentioned specifically by Johnson, Chile also celebrates its independence
during that week (September 18, 1810, from Spain); and Belize, which declared its independence from Great
Britain on September 21, 1981, was subsequently added to the list of nations specifically celebrated during what
is now Hispanic Heritage Month.
Hispanic Heritage Month
Latinos in the United States describe their identity in many ways, reflecting the diversity of origins in the Latino
community, the immigrant experience and geography. Some Latinos use pan‐ethnic terms such as “Hispanic” or
“Latino” to describe their identity; some prefer their family’s Hispanic origin group (Cuban, Salvadorean); others use
American. Latinx is a term used to describe people who are of or relate to Latin American origin or descent. It is a
gender‐neutral or nonbinary alternative to Latino or Latina. The emergence of Latinx coincides with a global
movement to introduce gender‐neutral nouns and pronouns.
In the United States, the first uses of Latinx appeared roughly in 2004. The term was added to the Webster dictionary
in 2018.
For the population it is meant to describe, only 23% of U.S. adults who self‐identify as Hispanic or Latino have heard
of the term Latinx, and just 3% say they use it to describe themselves, according to a nationally representative,
bilingual survey of U.S. Hispanic adults conducted in December 2019 by Pew Research Center.
Only about a quarter of U.S. Hispanics say they have heard the term Latinx, and awareness and use vary across
subgroups. Young Hispanics, ages 18 to 29, are among the most likely to have heard of the term – 42% say they have
heard of it, compared with 7% of those ages 65 or older.
From 1968 until 1988, Presidents Nixon, Ford, Carter and Reagan all issued yearly proclamations, setting aside a
week to honor Hispanic Americans. In 1987, U.S. Representative Esteban E. Torres of California proposed expanding
the observance to cover its current 31‐day period. Torres wanted more time so that the nation could “properly
observe and coordinate events and activities to celebrate Hispanic culture and achievement.”
In 1988, Senator Paul Simon (D‐Illinois), submitted a similar bill that successfully passed Congress and was signed
into law by President Ronald Reagan on August 17, 1988. And on September 14, 1989, President George H.W. Bush
(who had been a sponsor of the original Hispanic Heritage Week resolution while serving in the House in 1968)
became the first president to declare the 31‐day period from September 15 to October 15 as National Hispanic
Heritage Month.
“Not all of the contributions made by Hispanic Americans to our society are so visible or so widely celebrated,
however. Hispanic Americans have enriched our nation beyond measure with the quiet strength of closely knit
What our DEI Committee member Joan Wakefield says about the above books:
“They are both written with such strong emotion, that you immediately dive into these incredible worlds, but they told with a great liveliness too, so even though there are a lot of serious life issues, the reading is very enjoyable. I don’t think there are exact words to describe how both books pull you in right off the bat – there is so much going on in both novels, with so much rich imagery and dialogue – I say, go for one or both books, if you haven’t read them yet!”
The Undocumented Americans by Karla Cornejo Villavicencio
Karla Cornejo Villavicencio was a DACA recipient and Harvard graduate — but she's not interested in writing
about "Dreamers." She doesn't want to be a poster child for the "American Dream." The former
undocumented immigrant is now getting a Ph.D. at Yale and in this book, Karla profiles people who've paid a
steep price for the elusive American Dream. Including herself. She writes about her own struggles with
mental illness. She weaves stories from her life with reporting and narratives of undocumented people she
meets in five different cities: New York, Flint, Miami, Cleveland and New Haven.
The Murmur of Bees, by Sofía Segovia
Set against the backdrop of the Mexican Revolution and the devastating influenza of 1918, The Murmur of
Bees captures both the fate of a country in flux and the destiny of one family that has put their love, faith,
and future in the unbelievable. (Goodreads).
Of Woman and Salt by Gabriela Garcia
From 19th‐century cigar factories to present‐day detention centers, from Cuba to Mexico, Gabriela Garcia's
Of Women and Salt is a kaleidoscopic portrait of betrayals‐‐personal and political, self‐inflicted and those
done by others‐‐that have shaped the lives of these extraordinary. women. (Goodreads)
In the Time of the Butterflies by Julia Alvarez
A skillful blend of fact and fiction, In the Time of the Butterflies is inspired by the true story of the three
Mirabal sisters who, in 1960, were murdered for their part in an underground plot to overthrow the
government. Alvarez breathes life into these historical figures‐‐known as "las mariposas," or "the butterflies,"
in the underground‐‐as she imagines their teenage years, their gradual involvement with the revolution, and
their terror as their dissentience is uncovered. (Goodreads)
Green salsa – spicy!
4 tomatoes Several sprigs of cilantro 2 green serrano peppers A dash of Salt Splash of water, then blend
Tostones (Fried Plantains)
This is a Puerto Rican side, usually served with rice and beans. 2 cups vegetable oil for frying 3 plantains, peeled and sliced into 1‐inch pieces salt to taste garlic powder to taste
Directions Step 1 Heat the oil in a heavy skillet over medium heat. Place a few plantain slices in the oil, and cook until lightly golden in color, about three minutes. Drain on paper towels. Repeat with the remaining slices.
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Ordinary Girls, A Memoir by Jaquira Díaz
Beautiful, and unflinching memoir from a wildly talented debut author. While growing up in housing projects in
Puerto Rico and Miami Beach, Jaquira Díaz found herself caught between extremes: as her family split apart and
her mother battled schizophrenia, she was surrounded by the love of her friends; as she longed for a family and
home, she found instead a life upended by violence. (Goodreads)
The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros
Told in a series of vignettes – sometimes heartbreaking, sometimes deeply joyous–it is the story of a young
Latina girl growing up in Chicago, inventing for herself who and what she will become. Few other books in our
time have touched so many readers. (Goodreads)
Hispanic Recipes
Step 2 While the plantain slices are still warm, place them one at a time between two sheets of wax paper, and flatten by hand to 1/4 inch thick. Return flattened slices to the skillet and continue frying until golden brown. Drain on paper towels, and season with salt and garlic powder. Sources from: https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/17492/tostones‐fried‐plantains/
Flan – smooth !
Prep: 20 mins Cook: 1 hr Total: 1 hr 20 mins Servings: 8 Yield: 1 – 9‐inch round (8 servings) Ingredients: 1 cup white sugar 3 eggs 1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk 1 (12 fluid oz) can evaporated milk 1 tbsp vanilla
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
In a medium saucepan over medium‐low heat, melt sugar until liquefied and golden in color. Carefully pour hot syrup into a 9‐inch round glass baking dish, turning the dish to evenly coat the bottom and sides. Set aside. In a large bowl, beat eggs. Beat in condensed milk, evaporated milk and vanilla until smooth. Pour egg mixture into baking dish. Cover with aluminum foil. Bake in preheated oven 60 minutes. Let cool completely. To serve, carefully invert on serving plate with edges when completely cool. Nutrition Facts Per Serving: 349 calories; protein 9.5g; carbohydrates 56.7g; fat 9.7g; cholesterol 100.1mg; sodium 138.7mg.