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opinion
Month should include
more
Latino Heritage Month.
A time to reflect on the rich Latino cultures and how they have
impacted our way of life here in America. A time to learn about
great Latino leaders like Cesar Chavez, Emiliano Zapata or even
Eva Peron.
Months like these
help break down the barriers of ignorance and raise awareness,
so people can learn about things they did not previously know.
For instance, did
you know that there are countries like Chile and Colombia
that are currently torn by revolutions and bloodshed?
Maybe you've heard
that the once hated country of Cuba is now a tourist haven
being bought up by our own elite movie stars and millionaires.
Perhaps you are
wondering why President Bush and Mexican President Vicente
Fox are so cozy with each other. So much so in fact that their
friendship may actually open the U.S.-Mexico border.
Of course you wouldn't
have learned any of these things here on campus because outside
of a couple of events that celebrated this important month,
Latino Heritage Month seems to come and go without much hoopla.
We do not know
who to blame for this, but we hope that even with the current
events that are going on in our world that we haven't lost
the importance in bridging the gap in our cultures.
Universities are
a place to learn about other cultures. As irritating as all
of these months have become, we still need to realize that
they have been established for a reason and it's not just
an excuse to raise money.
Did you know that
September is also Breast Cancer Awareness month?
Bet you did, because
it was far better publicized than Latino Heritage Month. There
was even a walk around campus to celebrate those women who
have suffered this awful condition and those who have or not
survived it.
The fact that Latino
Heritage Month comes and goes without a sound is not because
of racism or oppression, because we have many groups, sororities
and fraternities on campus that could take it upon themselves
to expose a piece of their culture to the other students on
campus.
Getting involved
in groups like these does not mean that there is an instant
clique to hang around with, it means being proactive and doing
things that will not only benefit your organization, but exposes
your cultural identity.
But these organizations
have seemingly forgot all about this kind of thing and so
has an entire campus that prides itself on being culturally
diverse.
Sure we have diversity,
but what does that really mean if we do not understand a thing
about each other besides that we're all students?
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