Latino Americans on PBS Celebrates and Educates Families in Honor of Hispanic Heritage Month

This is part of a compensated campaign with Latina Mom Bloggers and Ford. However, all opinions expressed are my own.

As a young girl, I often struggled with my identity as a Hispanic woman living in America. While the trend during that time was assimilation, our family still celebrated our culture through food and togetherness. Many of our weekends were spent with extended family as we enjoyed traditional dishes and conversation that reminded us of our unique bond.

This Fall, we celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month. Beginning on September 15th, this 30-day period of time is observed to celebrate and remember the history, culture, and contributions of American citizens who’s ancestries include Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, Central, and South America. It’s origin and start date is significant as it is the anniversary of independence for Latin American countries.

Togetherness is integral to the Latino Culture

Now that I’m raising my own family, I personally struggle to instill our culture and traditions within my children. My husband and I don’t share that unique cultural bond which means I must be intentional about exposing my children to language, foods, and other distinguishing traditions.

Food is our favorite way to celebrate!

Hispanic Heritage Month and the accompanying celebrations is one way I can pass on my culture in a way that is meaningful.

Since I can’t honestly say that I am as knowledgeable about my own culture as I should be, one of the things I’ll be doing this year is watching Latino Americans with my children. I absolutely love the programs offered on PBS and this particular three-part series seeks to document the history, experiences, and contributions of Latinos in our country over the past 500 years. Some of the highlights of the series include interviews with Rita Moreno (the Puerto Rican star of West Side Story), Linda Chavez (Mexican-American author and commentator who became the highest ranking woman in the Reagan White House), and Gloria Estefan!

I’m personally excited about this series because it offers a way for me to share my culture with my children, without having to be an expert (which I’m not). The series is made possible by the corporate funding of Ford and I am in awe of a company that understands the influence Latinos have had in our communities. I’ve had the opportunity to work with them on many occasions, including several trips out to their plant in Michigan and the brand as a whole is forward-thinking in all aspects, including diversity.

Latino Americans will air on PBS today, September 24th and October 1st from 8:00 pm -10:00 pm EST. Alternatively, you can watch the series in Spanish on Vme TV every Friday at 10 pm EST through October 25th. Even if your family’s origin differs, I encourage you to watch the series as it will provide a unique, informative look at the Latino culture.

For more information about Ford’s partnership with PBS for Hispanic Heritage Month, visit Facebook.com/FordEnEspanol or Twitter.com/FordEspanol

Images: Rockin’ Mama/Ford

Author
Recent Posts

Caryn Bailey

Caryn is a NICU nurse by day, blogger by night and mom 24/7. She savors the warm Southern California sun and loves to travel, shopping, baking, reading and frequenting her local tea room. Caryn created the column Lavishly Green for Peekaboo Picks Magazine to share her best tips for going green in style, she is the Former editor for Family Review Network, former OC Family Magazine online contributor, former Orange County Moms Blog contributor, former Evenflo Savvy Parent contributor, former member of the Totsy Advisory Board and former freelance writer for CBS Los Angeles.