By Rick Garcia
National Hispanic Heritage Month, which runs from September 15th through October 15th -, celebrations, lectures and festivities will be taking place throughout the State from Church halls to city halls or from elementary classrooms to public libraries. Topics range from the historical civil rights movement of Cesar Chavez to the economic impact and contribution of Latinos from the State’s robust agri-business and entrepreneurial sector.
In Lansing, the Annual Hispanic Heritage Recognition Event and the 18th Annual Cesar E. Chavez Commemorative Dinner will take place on Tuesday, September 24th at the Kellogg Center, 219 East Harrison Road in East Lansing.
Along with HLCOM, co-hosts for this year’s dinner and recognition ceremony are the Michigan Hispanic Legislative Caucus and the Capital Area Cesar E. Chavez Commission. At the event, Michigan’s outstanding Hispanic leaders will be honored and promising Hispanic students will be awarded scholarships.
“Michigan is home to growing and vibrant Hispanic Latino communities, and those communities are producing world-class leaders for today and tomorrow,” said HLCOM Executive Director Marylou Mason. “It is important that we recognize these talented individuals who are working to improve life for their neighbors, their communities, and for all Michigan citizens.”
Other states like Texas, California, New York and Florida where Latinos with a predominant population, a majority of Latinos also came to Michigan in the early part of the 20th century as migrant workers in the states diverse agriculture industry of sugar beets, cherries and apples from Traverse City to Bad Axe to Holland. The automotive industry also played a major factor in the growth and sustainability of Latinos in industrial communities such as Flint, Saginaw and Lansing.
In 1992, the Commission, formerly the Commission on Spanish Speaking Affairs (COSSA) put forth its hearings-based report on the quality of life among Hispanics in Michigan. At that time, Latinos numbered approximately 201,600 persons, comprising 2.2% of Michigan’s population.
Today, Latinos number approximately 454,635 persons, or 4.6% of the state’s population. Over the past 20 years, the Latino population increased by 125%, while the state’s overall population increased by only 6.3%.
The Hispanic/Latino Commission of Michigan was created in 1975 to represent the interests of Michigan’s Hispanic and Latino population – one of the fastest-growing ethnic groups in the state. The Commission, made up of 15 individuals appointed by the Governor, advises the Governor and state legislature on policy matters and serves Michigan’s Hispanic and Latino population by fostering and celebrating their achievements and promoting their development and welfare.
The COSSA report presented a profile of Latinos in Michigan that was under-educated, had a high proportion of families living in poverty, and a near-total absence of professionals in the service occupations. The report held it important to meet the “urgent needs” of the Latino population; that detailed information be made available on the status of Michigan’s Latinos, and that trends in the quality of life among this population be routinely monitored.
Much has changed in Michigan since 1992. Indeed in the last decade Michigan experienced the greatest decline in human development across the country and is the only state in the nation with a human development index score in 2010 that is lower than its score in 2000. In effect, that means that the quality of life has declined for Michigan’s population, including the Latino population.
Also on September 24, the HLCOM will host the fourth annual Hispanic Legislative Advocacy Day at the state Capitol in Lansing, from 9 am to 4 pm. The effort will bring together representatives from Hispanic/Latino organizations, state and nationally-recognized leaders, activists, students and volunteers to meet with state lawmakers about core concerns of Michigan’s Hispanic and Latino citizens, including education, access to health care, racial profiling, barriers to obtaining drivers’ licenses and economic development.
For more information about HLCOM, visit www.michigan.gov/mdcr and click on “Other Commissions”.
Rick Garcia, a nonprofit executive, a civil rights advocate, blogger and a contributing writer for The New Citizens Press can be reached at rrgarcianrg@gmail.com
This was printed in the September 22, 2013 – October 5, 2013 Edition
