Celebrating National Hispanic Heritage Month 🎉
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Season 2: Episode 6 Description
In today’s episode: 🎉 Let's get ready for the start of National Hispanic Heritage Month on September 15th. Correspondent Nathalie Alonso breaks down the correct usage of Hispanic and Latino. ✏️ And hear five historical facts about the month. 📋 In the news round-up: 🌞 Solar energy and updating history. 🎶 And test how well you know Lin-Manuel Miranda in today's Trivia on the Ten. ☑️
Sources for the episode:
https://www.census.gov/newsroom/stories/hispanic-heritage-month.html
Links
📓 Learn more about National Hispanic Heritage Month https://www.hispanicheritagemonth.gov/
☀️ Read more about the President's plan to increase the U.S.'s use of solar energy https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/08/business/energy-environment/biden-solar-energy-climate-change.html
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TRANSCRIPT:
Bethany Van Delft 0:03
The latest US Census data shows that 62 million people in the US identify as Hispanic or Latino. Do you know what each term means? Well, today we'll find out and get ready for National Hispanic Heritage Month. I'm Bethany Van Delft. It's September 14th and this is The Ten News.
Various Voices 0:25
10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1.
Bethany Van Delft 0:32
September 15th is the first day of Hispanic Heritage Month, which honors the cultures and contributions of Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States. That means that in the next few weeks, we're going to see and hear the words Hispanic and Latino quite a bit. Cool. These two terms are often used interchangeably, but they have different meanings. Understanding terms like this helps us be more respectful of people's backgrounds. So here to talk about what they mean and how people can use them correctly is one of our beloved correspondents, Nathalie Alonso, a Cuban-American journalist who lives in New York City. Hi, Nathalie!
Nathalie Alonso 1:11
Hey, Bethany. Happy to be here.
Bethany Van Delft 1:13
I am, too. And I'm so happy to be having this conversation. I'm Puerto Rican. And sometimes I get these terms confused, myself. So, Nathalie, let's talk about the difference between the terms Latino and Hispanic.
Nathalie Alonso 1:27
There's actually a pretty simple way to remember the difference. Latino tells you where someone comes from, while Hispanic tells you what language someone speaks. So, a person who is Latino comes from Latin America, while Hispanic simply refers to Spanish-speaking people. Many people in the United States are both Latino and Hispanic. But that's not always the case.
Bethany Van Delft 1:50
Oh, so when would someone be considered Latino but not Hispanic?
Nathalie Alonso 1:55
That's a really good question. The answer is someone who is from Latin America, but not from a Spanish-speaking country. Haiti and Brazil are both good examples. Both of these countries are in Latin America, but their official languages are not Spanish. In Haiti, the official language is Haitian Creole. And they also speak French there. And in Brazil, the official language is Portuguese. So Haitians and Brazilians can be considered Latino, but they're not necessarily Hispanic.
Bethany Van Delft 2:22
I got it. So there's also a time when someone might be considered Hispanic, but not Latino.
Nathalie Alonso 2:28
Yes. So since the term Hispanic refers to people who speak Spanish, it includes people from Spain. But, as Europeans, Spaniards are Hispanic, but they're not Latino, because they're not from Latin America.
Bethany Van Delft 2:41
Got it. There's another word that we see a lot lately. It's Latinx, which is a gender-neutral way to refer to people from Latin America, instead of using Latino or Latina. But some people started using the term Latinx, because as you know, in Spanish, all words are classified as male or female. But we know too, that there are people who consider themselves nonbinary. So using the term Latinx, as a way to be more inclusive to people who are gender non-conforming. But not everyone agrees with this term, right.
Nathalie Alonso 3:13
That's right. Some people have argued that the term Latinx doesn't sound natural to Spanish speakers. That's why some people have suggested using Latine, ending in an E, as a gender-neutral alternative. But I think the important thing to remember is that language is something that changes over time, and we're watching that happen with these terms.
Bethany Van Delft 3:32
Exactly. So let me see if I've got a straight Latino tells you where someone comes from, while Hispanic tells you what language someone speaks. So a person who is Latino comes from Latin America, and Hispanic simply refers to Spanish-speaking people. So many people in the United States are both Latino and Hispanic. It just isn't always the case.
Nathalie Alonso 3:54
That's exactly right.
Bethany Van Delft 3:55
Excellent. Thank you so much for this lesson. It really, I think it boils down to that the important thing is, listen, be respectful, and honor people's identity.
Nathalie Alonso 4:08
Absolutely.
Bethany Van Delft 4:14
Now that we're clear on the terms, let's get ourselves even more ready for the month with five historical facts about the National Hispanic Heritage Month. Number one, the first official Hispanic Heritage celebration was a week-long and it started in 1968, by then, President Lyndon Johnson. President Reagan later lengthened it to 30 days running from September 15th to October 15th, in 1988. Awesome. Number two, there's a good reason that National Hispanic Heritage Month kicks off on September 15th. That day is the anniversary of when Costa Rica El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. agua against their independence. That's incredible. Number three, September 15th isn't the only meaningful day during Heritage Month. Mexico's Independence Day is celebrated on September 16th and Chile's Independence Day is on September 18th. Nice. Number four, the Hispanic and Latino population in the US is growing. According to the 2020 census, the Hispanic or Latino population totaled 62.1 million people, a growth of 23% over the last census in 2010. Wow. Number five, there are so many ways that you can celebrate the month and appreciate the contributions of Hispanic and Latins Americans. You can read a book by a Hispanic author or watch a movie directed by a Latina. Organizations such as the Hispanic Society of America will be hosting virtual events all month long to celebrate. You can get the link to their site in our show notes.
Bethany Van Delft 6:12
Hey, grownups. Are you in the family enjoying The Ten News? If so, could you please do us a big, big favor? All you have to do is go to Apple podcasts and give us a rating and a review. Hopefully five stars, but no pressure. You don't even have to stop listening. You could do it right now. Don't worry, I'll wait. Just kidding. Take your time. Do it though. It may not seem like a big deal, but it really helps other listeners find The Ten News so our community can grow. Thanks again for listening. We really appreciate it. Now let's see what else is up. The White House announced an ambitious plan to produce as much as 45% of the country's electricity through solar energy by the year 2050. Solar energy comes from the sun which makes it better for the planet than burning fossil fuels like coal. This means that this new plan could have huge implications for climate change. Last year, less than 4% of electricity in the United States came from solar energy. So there is lots of work to be done to meet this goal. More statues are coming down. Last week, a statue of Robert E. Lee, a Confederate General who fought to defend slavery was removed from its pedestal in Richmond, Virginia. It had been there for 131 years. It's about time. And, officials in Mexico City announced that a statue of Christopher Columbus that had been displayed along the city's main avenue will be replaced with the statue of an indigenous woman in order to recognize Mexico's native peoples. Excellent. All right. It's time for...
Various Voices 8:04
What, what, what's the big idea?
Bethany Van Delft 8:07
Trivia on The Ten. There are so many amazing Hispanic and Latino Americans to celebrate this month. Are you a fan of the show Hamilton or the new film Vivo? Oh my gosh, I loved Vivo. Then, you know the amazing work of Lin-Manuel Miranda, who might be able to sing every song from the Hamilton soundtrack. But, do you know what Miranda's first job was? Before he found success on Broadway. Was it a) a teacher b) a nanny or c) a wedding singer?
Bethany Van Delft 8:48
Did you guess it? The answer is a) a teacher. While Lin-Manuel Miranda was writing his first musical, In the Heights, he worked as a seventh-grade teacher at his former high school in New York City. And not only is Miranda, a brilliant creator, he's also very active in humanitarian causes. Along with his family, Miranda has supported relief efforts in Puerto Rico after 2017's hurricane Maria developed programs that open up opportunities for young creators of color, and most recently have worked across the US to support those hurt by the pandemic. Muchas gracias, Miranda family.
Sound Bit 9:31
Bethany Van Delft 9:38
Time is up. But before we go, here's a quick note for the grownups. Thanks for listening to The Ten News. Look out for new episodes on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and extras on Saturdays. You can go deeper into today's stories by visiting thetennews.com. The Ten News is a co-production of Small But Mighty Media and Next Chapter Podcasts and is distributed by iHeartRadio. The Ten News creative team is dancing to the Vivo soundtrack and includes Tracey Crooks, Pete Musto, Andrew Hall, and Nathalie Alonso. Our production director is Jeremiah Tittle and our executive producers are Donald Albright and show creator Tracy Leeds Kaplan. I'm Bethany Van Delft and thanks for listening to The Ten News. I bounce to the beat of my own drum, I’m a wow in a world full of ho-hum, I’m a wild young lady. But you know ‘sum? I’d rather be at home with my own drum.
