Hispanic Heritage Month celebrates diversity, opportunity

By Justin Wier | September 15, 2017 at 12:05a.m.

YOUNGSTOWN

Keynote speaker Paulina Montaldo said she’s grateful for the country’s diversity and opportunity in her remarks at the opening ceremony for Youngstown State University’s Hispanic Heritage Month celebration.

Hispanic Heritage Month, extending from today to Oct. 15, celebrates the culture and contributions of Hispanic people in the U.S.

The event, which took place Thursday in the foyer of the Mahoning County Courthouse, opened with a parade of flags from 22 Hispanic nations, including the U.S.

With about 1,000 students in Youngstown’s elementary schools, Montaldo said the city’s Hispanic community mirrors that of the country.

It’s a growing community that wants to integrate into the country while maintaining its culture, said Montaldo, a foreign-language teacher at Ursuline High School.

Other speakers chose to draw attention to recipients of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA. The Obama-era program allowed immigrants who were brought here illegally as children to remain in the country. President Donald Trump’s administration announced this month the program would end in six months, leaving recipients in jeopardy of deportation.

“It’s unfortunate President Trump has backtracked on his promise that these young dreamers had nothing to fear from his administration,” Mayor John A. McNally said.

When we lift up the Hispanic population, we improve the country, the mayor added.

Cat Cooper, president of YSU’s Student Latino Organization, said she wanted to honor DACA recipients.

“They are important members of the community and deserving of the same opportunities our ancestors were granted,” she said.

YSU President Jim Tressel said the month is about coming together as a community and it provides an opportunity to learn about one another.

At the close of the ceremony, Cooper asked attendees to continue to celebrate Hispanic culture throughout the year.

“Diversity should not be a one-day thing,” she said. “Diversity should be an everyday thing.”