Photo By Katie Nelson | One American tradition Sgt. First Class Barrientos and his family love is...... read more read more
Sgt. First Class Erik Barrientos’ favorite part of serving his country is the breadth of cultures he has experienced throughout his 23 years of service.
As a Mexican-American born and raised in Los Angeles, he is no stranger to diversity, but says serving alongside people from different backgrounds is an avenue that introduces him to new friends and experiences outside of his own box, so to speak.
“Growing up, I mostly hung around other Mexican-Americans. Serving my country, first as a Marine and now as a Soldier, introduced me to other Latin cultures,” said Barrientos. “Yes, we all speak Spanish, but our dialects are different and some words, slang especially, have different meanings between Mexicans, Puerto Ricans, and Ecuadorians, for example.”
The U.S. Army celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month from September 15 through October 15, recognizing not only the significance of individual contributions, but also the value of diversity and an inclusive environment in the workplace, as well as on the battlefield. What started as a week in 1968 under President Lyndon Johnson became a month long celebration in 1988 by President Ronald Regan.
Hispanic Heritage Month includes the anniversaries of independence for Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua on September 15, according to Public Law 100-402, the law that made the month an official recognition. The month also encompasses Mexico’s Independence Day on September 16, Chile’s Independence Day on September 18 and Spain’s National Day on October 12.
“The term ‘Hispanic’ encompasses a wide variety of people and cultures and, sometimes, Hispanic Heritage Month celebrations only focus on cultures from one or two countries,” said Barrientos.
Barrientos, who self-identifies as Mexican-American, said the best Hispanic Heritage Month celebration he has attended was at Fort Hood in 2011.
“They had every single country represented, it was fantastic,” said Barrientos. “I think it celebrated the diversity of the Army very well. After all, it’s the diversity, I think, that makes our Army a step above all others.”
The best part about being Mexican-American is that both countries are rich in culture and tradition, making his military service, citizenship and heritage even more of a reason to celebrate his diversity as a Soldier.
“I celebrate American Independence on July Fourth, just as I celebrate Mexican Independence on September 16,” said Barrientos. “It’s a real blessing to live a life so rich with culture.”
| Date Taken: | 10.15.2021 |
| Date Posted: | 10.15.2021 15:48 |
| Story ID: | 407361 |
| Location: | FORT SHAFTER, HI, US |
| Web Views: | 164 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Soldier embraces Mexican heritage, proud to be an American, by Katie Nelson, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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