Indepth Article
By: Laetner Malm Echoes Writer Sept. 29, 2023 Sept.15 marked the beginning of Hispanic Heritage Month this year. Hispanic Heritage Month celebrates and recognizes diverse Hispanic cultures, contributions, and history. Fabian Zamarripa, 11, shares what the month means to him. “This month is a way for me to embrace my culture, along with the history or people who have impacted it. I celebrate by listening to more Hispanic artists and definitely embracing the food. I really love my culture and I’m very proud of it. My dad was born and raised in Mexico and moved here when he was around 19. He came here for more opportunities and a better life. He once told me that he knew he wanted to start a family so he wanted his family to have a better life than he had. That is special to me because he wanted to seek a better life and opportunity,” Zamarripa says. Senior Jera Burchardi feels deeply about Hispanic Heritage Month. “This month is important to me because it is a chance to learn about my culture and express myself. This month means I get to express who I never really got to learn to be. Growing up, I never really got to be around my Hispanic family that much, so it means a lot to be able to learn about myself and express it in little ways. It makes me happy because I’m part of something that is not just a small group, it’s everywhere,” Buchardi shares. Not only does Hispanic Heritage Month celebrate culture and history, but the contributions made by Hispanics everywhere. |
According to the Joint Economic Committee, the economic output of Hispanic Americans is estimated to be over two trillion dollars. The National State of Farmworker Health states approximately 78% of farm workers are Hispanic. Burchardi shares her point of view on Hispanic workers.
“It's hard work and really rough being under the sun for that many hours having to make your quotas. I think they deserve a lot more than what they get, and they deserve a lot of recognition. It should be talked about a lot more for how much they do. It might just be that orange or potato you threw away at lunch, but to them, that is a few cents of their paycheck,” Buchardi shares. Young and old, these hard-working farm laborers get up bright and early each morning, bending over in the sun to pick produce. According to the Willson Center, the average farm wage is approximately 15 dollars an hour, however many workers earn less. This work includes pickling cabbage, potatoes, strawberries, and more. This hard work is how many families make a living. The back-bending work of Hispanic farm laborers goes unnoticed by most of society, and this month provides the opportunity for people to recognize the Hispanic people. Overall, Hispanic Heritage Month is a time for many Hispanic cultures to embrace who they are as a people and how much they have contributed to history and society as a whole. It’s a time to be proud and celebrate all the accomplishments they made and a chance to see how far their culture has come. The next time you’re washing a pack of strawberries in your kitchen sink, think of where they came from and the hardworking hands that picked them. |