Photo By Master Sgt. Joy Dulen | Flamenco Louisville dancers and musicians perform during a National Hispanic Heritage...... read more read more
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Brig. Gen. Lynne Owens joined Fort Knox community members at Haszard Auditorium to celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month here, Oct. 12. Owens, U.S. Army Human Resources Command Deputy Commanding General and event host, delivered opening remarks to kick off the celebration of “Embracing, Enriching, and Enabling America.”
“I would just like to start by saying I am so grateful to call my home a country that people would go to great lengths to get to,” said Owens. “I recognize that I am definitely fortunate to be here.”
Americans observe National Hispanic Heritage Month every year from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15, by celebrating the histories, cultures and contributions of American citizens whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean and Central and South America. This 30-day period is historically significant for many Latin American countries that celebrate their anniversaries of independence during this timeframe.
The month’s importance was echoed by guest speaker Edgardo Mansilla, executive director of the Americana Community Center in Louisville, Kentucky, who broke down what this year’s theme means to his community.
“We embrace the real dream, the real American dream: hope, justice, equality and opportunities,” said Mansilla. “These are expressions of our beliefs, and by the same token, ideals that guide our lives every day.”
Mansilla, originally from Buenos Aires, Argentina, said the Americana Community Center has an important mission. It provides a spectrum of services to the diverse communities and families of the Louisville metro area, including refugees, immigrants and individuals born in the United States.
“The center is based on three simple principles; human dignity, social justice and being holistic,” continued Mansilla. “From July 2015 to June 2016 we provided services to more than 5000 refugees, immigrants and low-income individuals representing 101 countries.”
HRC organized the observance, which included events that went beyond typical commemorative celebration activities. Flamenco Louisville, the oldest flamenco organization in the Louisville area, gave a colorful dance performance on stage, drawing participation from a captivated crowd, and the Fort Knox Saber & Quill provided ethnic food samplings.
Owens presented certificates of appreciation to three local Scott Middle School students for writing winning essays in a competition highlighting the accomplishments and contributions of Hispanic Americans. Eighth grader and first-place finisher, Nicolas Espinoza, took the stage to read his essay that focused on his father’s will to travel illegally from Ecuador to the United States to find a better life. Espinoza said his Dad wasn’t able to attend college and instead joined the U.S. Army, which took him to Germany and on two combat deployments.
“During his second deployment, my Dad got his U.S. citizenship,” read Espinoza. “My Dad is my biggest hero. He didn’t only fight for his life, but for all of our lives. My Dad is an enrichment for the United States of America. That’s my Dad’s story.”
Mansilla concluded with what he called a unifying statement for all Americans. “We care about the United States because we are the United States.”
| Date Taken: | 10.12.2016 |
| Date Posted: | 10.14.2016 10:32 |
| Story ID: | 212010 |
| Location: | FORT KNOX, KY, US |
| Web Views: | 77 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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