If you watch television or frequent social media, you’ve probably already seen the video. We are the United States, the United States is us!which our Hispanic Federation also produced in English as America Is Us. That public service announcement, narrated by Lin-Manuel Miranda and carried out with the collaboration of Entertainment Industry Foundationillustrates the long and close connection of Latinos with the territory that today makes up the United States. Our ancestors already lived or were settling here more than 500 years ago, and since then we Latinos have never stopped contributing to the rich tapestry of this nation.
Video is the audiovisual expression of America is usa broader campaign that is complemented by a rich wealth of information about the present, past and future of our community in the United States.
“One of the reasons we created this outreach campaign,” explains Mario Colón, Vice President of Special Initiatives for the Hispanic Federation, “is that despite our deep ties to this nation, our notable contributions, and the fact that nearly 67 million Latinos proudly call this country our home, we are often ignored when it comes to telling the story of the United States. Through this campaign, we aim to combat that invisibility.”
Those who visit the website of America is us – and I encourage you to do so as soon as possible! – you will find a treasure trove of information about our struggles, successes, and contributions to American greatness. The information is divided into nine segments: Latin history, Latino population, uniting cultures, stories and shared dreams; Immigrants, Champions of the American dream; Military service and sacrifice, Latinos in the armed forces; Financial contributions; Education; Family and community; Sports and entertainmenty Features.
The amount of data we offer on the site America is us It is illuminating. For example, we are the second largest population group in the United States after non-Hispanic whites, and almost one out of every five Americans is Latino. Perhaps more importantly, A quarter of the US population up to five years old is Latino, confirming that we will continue to grow.
In the section dedicated to the economy we learned that Latinos start more new businesses than any other sector of the population, and that almost eight in 10 agricultural workers are Latino, as well as more than four in 10 construction workers and nearly three in 10 health care assistants.
Regarding the presence of our people in the armed forces, Latinas and Latinos have participated in all the armed conflicts in our history since the War of Independence. And today, there are some 314,000 Hispanic troops on active duty.
Other illuminating data appear on the page dedicated to culture, where the weight of our athletes in various disciplines is highlighted, and especially baseball and soccer or soccer. That, in addition to our contributions to the music and entertainment industry, fashion and the arts in general.
“It is important that we all become aware that we are a vibrant network in which women, men and children who come from 20 different countries or are descended from immigrants from those countries are integrated,” Mario ends by saying. “It is equally important to keep in mind that our community is very diverse, as it has indigenous, African, European and Asian roots. And that 67 million Latinas and Latinos share an unwavering commitment to conquering the American Dream.”
And it is also very important that we share with our young people and children all the information about America is us and all our pride in being the United States.
To learn more about other aspects of the Hispanic Federation, you can visit our websiteor call us at (866) HF AYUDA or (866) 432-9832.
Happy Hispanic Heritage Month, and until the next column!
Frankie Miranda is the president of the Hispanic Federation