NOLA Mayor Celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month Appreciation Day With Officials, Performances

New Orleans LA

16 October, 2020

3:30 PM

Description

From the City of New Orleans: October 15, 2020 Mayor LaToya Cantrell today joined other officials and culture bearers to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month Appreciation Day. "The Latino and Hispanic communities have been a foundational part of New Orleans history and culture going back centuries. Today they are our residents, our workforce, our culture bearers, our leaders, our business people, our friends and family. We also recognize the challenges they face and the health disparities they have suffered throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. We will continue to support our Latino and Hispanic brothers and sisters, from celebrating their culture and heritage, to fighting for our fair share of federal dollars to make them whole again, and to say, on this last day of the U.S. Census, that they must be counted so they will continue to be in that number," said Mayor Cantrell. "As a proud Latina, I'm honored to join Mayor Cantrell and partners to celebrate the contributions of our Hispanic population here in New Orleans. In New Orleans we are calling this month Hispanic Heritage and Health Month, so that not only do we celebrate our heritage, but also continue to shed light on the disparate health impacts of the pandemic on our Latinx residents. In the city of New Orleans, we are not afraid to speak about these tough issues to find solutions. We will continue to do all we can to support, lift up, and show our Hispanic neighbors that they matter," said Helena Moreno, Vice President, City Council. "The Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Louisiana celebrates our community as we come to the conclusion of Hispanic Heritage Month. The Hispanic population has become a presence and important part of the tapestry of this great city. Just as recognizing our heritage, contributions, resilience, and work ethic is appropriate; it is also a reminder to continue to work diligently to build an equitable community with opportunities for all," said Mayra Pineda, President & CEO, Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Louisiana. "I am very happy to be here this day, celebrating with you and together with the Mayor of the City of New Orleans, Hispanic Heritage Month and in this way pay tribute and recognize the achievements and contributions of Hispanics to the culture of the United States of America, so, celebrating our culture is truly a well-deserved honor," said Herencia Hispana, Consul of Honduras. "It is an honor to represent Mexico, in this celebration of Hispanic Heritage month, with the whole community, where we remember the achievements and contributions of the Hispanic community to the North American society. I invite you to draw on this celebration to, now more than ever, strengthen our union as a community, as brothers and sisters, in the fraternity that distinguishes us, honoring our traditions, sharing them, feeling very proud of our roots and our cultures. Let us keep contributing to history with our efforts, our dedication and our labor," said Tito Livio Morales Burelo, Consul of Mexico. New Orleans has "sister city" relations with the Honduran city of Tegucigalpa and the Mexican cities of Merida and Querétaro. Very early on, health officials learned that while Latino and Hispanic residents make up 5.6% of the city's population, 20% had tested positive for COVID-19. With Councilmember Moreno calling for a task force to address the challenge, the City (led by the New Orleans Health Department) worked to ramp up testing in neighborhoods with heavy Latino/Hispanic populations. The City also emphasized community and neighborhood outreach and engagement, working with faith-based organizations, nonprofits that work with the Latino/Hispanic communities, the Mexican and Honduran consulates, and physicians in the community. The City also worked to ensure Spanish-speaking personnel at sites and the call center. By September, the positivity rate dropped to just over 11%. The Mayor's Office of Youth & Families also partnered with the Open Society Foundations to disburse $500,000 of cash assistance to 500 families in the Hispanic community that did not have access to federal or state assistance. The City also worked with community-based organizations to employ members of the immigrant community as community health workers. This program was made possible through a generous grant from the Rockefeller Foundation and Open Society Foundations in partnership with Resilience Force, JOB1 and Forward Together New Orleans/The Mayor's Fund. The Mayor's Office of Cultural Economy celebrated Latino and Hispanic culture, starting with the "Embrace the Culture" series of live-streamed events of cultural performances at Gallier Hall, which included Latino and Hispanic artists. They took it one step further with "HispaNola Live!," hosted by Fermin Ceballos & Taslya Mejia, which kicks off this Friday (3 p.m.-4 p.m.) and will continue through Nov. 20, 2020. Their series features artists and musicians from the metro area each week, sponsored by the Office of Cultural Economy, Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, and Big Easy Fresh Market, in partnership with the New Orleans Jazz Museum. "It is a joy to lift up and celebrate Hispanic Heritage at this time. Let us become true connoisseurs of Hispanic culture by supporting their art, music, education, and cuisine all throughout the year," said Lisa Alexis, Director, Office of Cultural Economy. This year, Hispanic Heritage Month is being celebrated by the City Council as Hispanic Heritage and Health Month. The City originally imagined this event as a celebration at the New Orleans Jazz Museum, but with COVID-19 that went online. Mayor Cantrell noted that on Wednesday night the Mercedes-Benz Superdome was lit with the colors of the Mexican flag, and tonight the Superdome will be lit with the colors of the Honduran flag. Mayor Cantrell was also joined by Rosine Pema Sanga, head of International Relations for the City's Intergovernmental Relations; and Eva M. Hurst, Americans with Disabilities Act Coordinator. Mayor Cantrell and the other officials enjoyed performances by New Orleans Hispano America Dance group, 12-year-old vocalist Madison Guzman, and the Ritmeaux Krewe Mardi Gras marching group. This press release was produced by the City of New Orleans. The views expressed are the author's own.