The past four weeks have been designated as Hispanic Heritage month (Sept. 15 to Oct. 15), a time to celebrate the rich and varied cultures of Spanish-speaking people and to recognize the larger role Latinos are having in the United States. Former President George Bush once commented on the tremendous impact that Hispanic/Latino people have had on the history and development of the United States. He said, “The values passed from generation to generation in Hispanic-American families are values central to the American experience.”

Today, 21 countries list Spanish as their official language, with the United States being the fifth largest Spanish-speaking country in the world, behind Mexico, Columbia, Spain and Argentina.

The immigrant community in the United States has grown from 34 million in 1970 to 56 million in 2000 — about one fifth of the U.S. population. This growth came about as a result of the 1965 immigration reform act that opened U.S. borders to mass immigration from Latin America and elsewhere. It is projected that by 2050, one third of the U.S. population will be made up of people of Hispanic and Asian heritage.

A publication entitled, HispanicTrends notes that this large influx of Hispanic/Latino immigrants has brought about a tremendously positive result for Christianity. Many of the new arrivals in the United States are Christian believers, with a traditional ethos. Twenty percent of Latinos are Protestant and are serving in a wide range of denominations.

In the Northern Illinois Conference, we are blessed with wonderful Hispanic/Latino clergy, laity and congregations that enrich us all. The Media Resource Center hopes to continue to grow with these congregations, offering resources in Spanish and English focused on Latin history and heritage, issues and challenges.

If you want to raise your consciousness of our rich ethnic diversity, or celebrate it, we can help you. In addition to visual resources, the Resource Center is also offering a list of ideas to celebrate Hispanic/Latino Heritage for children, youths and adults. Contact us for more information.

We are proud to say that the Media Resource Center has nearly 100 resources focused on Hispanic/Latino culture, challenges and contributions. A small sample of these resources is featured here. We also have nearly three dozen Spanish language resources on a variety of topics.

Trend and statistical information from: www.hispaniconline.com.