Volume 1 | Issue 1
November 2016
Penn State Students for
Diversity
Over the centuries the
mix of peoples,
cultures and
languages has
produced a
fascinating and
enormous repertoire
of Hispanic/Latino
artistic forms and
works. From Spanish
Flamenco to
Argentine Tango, the
sounds of Cuban
rumba to Brazilian
samba, Fernando
Botero’s Colombian
sculptures to the
famous self-portraits
of Mexico’s Frida
Kahlo, the best-selling
books of Chilean
Isabel Allende to the
erotic poems of
Uruguay’s Delmira
Agustini, these
cultural treasures and
countless others offer
works to reflect upon,
inquire about, and
delight in.
¡Hispanic Heritage Month!
¡El Mes Hispanico!
What does “Hispanic” mean? It indicates origins to Hispania, the Roman term
for the Iberian Peninsula, or Spanish-Speaking countries - of which there are over
20 in the world! The term was officially used by the US census beginning in the
1970’s. However, there are various ethnic terms that “Hispanic” peoples identify
with, affirming who they are. A popular term is Latino which underlines origins
to Latin America and is inclusive of multiracial communities and includes Brazil
and Spanish speaking Caribbean peoples. Ethnic terms can mean dramatically
different things to people. Chicano, for instance, is a term that some communities
of Mexican decent embrace as a proud ideological term while others consider it to
have a derogatory affiliation. The Hispanic/Latino world’s history and culture is
so wide, rich, and varied that these terms and many, many more invite individuals
to highlight how they view themselves and embrace, associate and shape their
individual identity.
Did you know?
According to the United States Census Bureau:
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There are 55 Million Hispanics in the US or 17% of the total population.
The Bureau estimates that by 2060 this will jump up to 28.6% ¡Epa!
LBJ dedicated September 15th - October 15th Hispanic Heritage month
because 5 Hispanic countries celebrate their independence from Spain on
September 15th : Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras,
Nicaragua. México celebrates right after on the 16 th and Chile the 18th .
California is the State with the largest Hispanic population - 15 Million.
That’s nearly 40% of all Californianos.
¿Qué dijiste? What did you say?
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The Pew Research Center found that about 3/4ths of Hispanics in the US
speak Spanish, however, the vast majority of Hispanics don’t consider
speaking Spanish, “necessary to be Hispanic”.
Some fun words for “dude” or “mate” across the Spanish-speaking world:
¡Pata! (Peru), ¡Tió! (Spain), ¡Che! (Argentina), ¡Acho! (Puerto Rico)
Check out speakinglatino.com for more fun expressiones!
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texasdiversitycouncil.org
¡ARTISTAS TEATRALES! THEATRE ARTISTS!
Lin-Manuel Miranda – Nuyorican Actor/Writer known for his groundbreaking
works Hamilton and In the Heights. The cast album for Hamilton reached #1 on
the Hip-Hop Billboard charts, a historical occurrence for a Broadway musical.
Griselda Gambaro – Argentine playwright who wrote during Argentina’s “dirty
war” when a brutal military government disappeared as many as 30,000 citizens
in the late 1970s-early 80s. Her works, often brilliantly subversive, include: Decir
Sí, Antígona Furiosa, and Information for Foreigners.
Nilo Cruz – Cuban-American playwright and first Latino to win the Pulitzer Prize
for Drama for 2008’s Anna in the Tropics. Moved to the US with his family on a
“Freedom Flight” in the years following the Cuban Revolution. He also wrote
Lorca in a Green Dress a reference to another artist on this list.
Cherrie Moraga – Self-identified Chicana playwright and activist. Her critical
integration of identity as someone who can “pass” as “Anglo”, as a lesbian, and as
a Chicana has added nuance, sharpness, and complexity to what it means to
identify as “Hispanic/Latino/etc.” in the US. Her best known work is Heroes and
Saints.
Federico Garcia-Lorca – Spanish poet and playwright whose beloved works
include: The House of Bernarda Alba, Yerma, and Blood Wedding. He was a
socialist and homosexual and it’s widely believed that he was assassinated for his
sexuality by Nationalist Spanish Fascists. He was killed during the Spanish-Civil
war and his body was never recovered. His memory and works, however, live on.