It is that time of year again when we celebrate how Hispanic culture has contributed to our nation, but do we truly understand the impact they have had on our culture? September 15 marked the beginning of Hispanic Heritage Month. We set aside these 30 days each year to appreciate how wonderful our society is because of the large Hispanic population we have.

 If we  looked at how America has changed over time, then we would be astonished to see how much just one culture has shaped America for the better. However, for all that the Hispanics have brought us, few are aware of their celebration this month.

There is a lot of blame for the lack of attention on this month that could be spread around. There could be continuous fingers pointing on who is to blame for this lack of recognition, but it would still not fix the problem at hand.

This month we are praising the people who have given so much to our American society and have brought to our culture many different and sensational things. However, for all the celebration this month promises, the question arises: How can we expect Americans to celebrate the accomplishments of a group of people they still meet with such disdain?

There are numerous reasons why we do not celebrate this month to the full extent that we should, but the main one is how much negativity that surrounds Latinos in America.

The overall image of your typical Latino is someone who takes “our” jobs and wastes our taxpayer money. They cause problems in “our” community such as robbing and stealing, and they take up space. 

The points against Hispanics are obviously far from the truth; however, plenty of people still think this way. Our propagated misconception about Hispanics perpetuates the horrible stigma that Latinos serve no purpose in America and should, therefore, leave the country. 

I feel the recognition around these 30 days celebrating Hispanic culture in the United States has grown over time, but not enough. I went through 13 years of school and never celebrated or really knew there was a month that recognized Hispanics in America.

I personally want people to realize the important contributions Latinos have made thus far and continue to make. My four best friends are all Latinas and, even with this month of recognition, they still feel under appreciated. They feel this month is just a cop out to make America look good in the long run.

Despite N.C . State’s large population, not many students come to the University’s Hispanic Culture Month programs and learn something new about Hispanic culture. I have confidence that one of the main reasons for poor attendance is because people do not and will not see the importance of this month. To them it is just another month because they are not educated or taught to respect other cultures besides their own.

Although there is not a large Hispanic population on campus, we as a school need to do more to increase our knowledge of Hispanic culture. America is not America without Latin culture.