It’s Hispanic Heritage Month, and DAS is proud to join in celebrating the rich Hispanic Heritage in Connecticut and across our country.
Hispanic Heritage Month happens every year from September 15th to October 15th, as an opportunity to highlight the experiences of Latinos in the United States and their Latin American heritage.
In 1968, the 36th President of the US, Lyndon B. Johnson proclaimed the week including September 15th as National Hispanic Heritage week. Twenty years later, the 40th President of the US, Ronald Regan extended National Hispanic Heritage week to a month. One of the key reasons this recognition falls between two different months is to encapsulate many dates of independence throughout Latin America. Countries include Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua on September 15th, Mexico on September 16th, and Chile on September 18th.
In Connecticut, we continue to celebrate and strive to communicate with and support every individual and family regardless of their background. That includes our work with DAS – especially when it comes to hiring. DAS prides itself on being an equal opportunity employer and encourages anyone to apply for a career with the State of Connecticut through our online employment center.
I know I love working here, and you can check out why on our agency’s recent Facebook post.
We’ve also recently been ranked as one of the best states to raise a family, and as having the second best public school system in the country, outranked only by our neighbor to the north, Massachusetts.
According to Pew Research Center as of 2020, the US Hispanic/Latinx population has reached over 62 million residents. The Hispanic/Latinx population is one of the fastest-growing groups within the US.
Connecticut's Hispanic/Latino population is about 17% of the total population with the largest group of Hispanic/Latinos being of Puerto Rican heritage. In fact, Hartford CT, has the most densely populated Puerto Rican population in the world, even higher than the island (Garcia Bedolla & Hosam 2021).
The Hispanic community in the US is also comprised of many different racial and ethnic groups. The largest group within the US is Mexican which comprises 62% of the Hispanic/Latinx population. The next largest group is Puerto Ricans (9.7%), followed by Cubans (3.9%). The fastest-growing Hispanic/Latino groups in the US are Venezuelans, Guatemalans, and Hondurans.
If you're interested in learning more consider visiting some of the sources linked in this article or try visiting a local Hispanic/Latino business or cultural center such as Rinconcito Peruano (391 Main Street) or the San Juan Center (1297 Main Steet) or which are both in Hartford!
Thank you – and I look forward to everyone celebrating this month.
Caesar Valentin,
Equal Employment Opportunity, Leadership Associate
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