Hi Hamama Friends!! 

Today is the first day of National Hispanic Heritage Month! This is the month that we get to highlight and celebrate hispanic and latinx people. The hispanic and latinx community is filled with incredibly wonderful, smart and amazing people and we are so excited that we get to highlight their culture and learn more about the contributions that they have made to our country!

In order to celebrate the culture, we have to understand the terminology. Below is an awesome video that explains the differences and similarities between the terms hispanic, latino and spanish! 

As you can tell from the video, there is so much history in understanding the background of latino and hispanic culture!

When talking about Hispanic heritage, food is often brought up. The tastes and smells are bold and are craved all over the world. So often when we think of hispanic food, we might just be thinking about one region and spice. However, just like the terminologies,  hispanic cuisine has a large variety depending on the region. Check out the video below to see just a glimpse of the cuisine that the Hispanic culture has to offer:

We have a mouthwatering Cuban - Inspired Burrito Bowl

We have delicious Nicaraguan Gallo Pico (Rice and Beans)

And tasty Spanish Paella

These recipes are just a few of the many on our website….Be sure to check out the rest here!

We cannot talk about National Hispanic Month without talking about the huge contributions that hispanic and latinx people have made that impact this country every day. The music inspires us and gets us up and dancing from artists like Gloria Estefan to Carlos Santana to Selena to Celia Cruz... the list goes on and on. Spotify has a playlist dedicated to top latinx songs. You can check it out here.

There are also so many latinx organizations that are making a real difference within their communities all around the USA. Here is a list of organizations to follow and support:

Chicanos Por La Causa

• “An advocate for underserved individuals and communities” - CPLC

Hispanic Scholarship Fund

• “The Hispanic Scholarship Fund (HSF) empowers students and parents with the knowledge and resources to successfully complete a higher education, while providing support services and scholarships to as many exceptional students, Scholars, and Alumni as possible.” - Hispanic Scholarship Fund

Latino Community Foundation

• “LCF exists to unleash the power of Latinos in California. LCF’s core values reflect the rich and diverse Latino culture and history. These values guide our commitment to honor people, families, and communities.” - LCF

The GrowHaus

• “The mission of The GrowHaus is to cultivate community-driven food justice through education and food access.We offer food distribution programming and educational opportunities related to growing and cooking food, as well as overall wellness.    

During this month, we also like to take some time to spotlight and show appreciation toward our employees of hispanic or latino descent. We created a spotlight where you can learn a little more about our employees. You can check it out here!

Throughout this month, we want to continue to celebrate and learn more about the hispanic community and history. Please feel free to share your favorite hispanic celebrations or favorite recipes! We would love to hear from you!