The United States is made up of different races, ethnicities and cultures, so many that sometimes it’s difficult to keep up. According to Pew Research Center, the U.S. Hispanic population now stands at over 5.4 million, making them the nation’s second-largest racial or ethnic group. Today Hispanics make up 17% of the U.S. population. For this reason the United States recognizes the Hispanic Latino population through the observance of Hispanic Heritage Month.

Hazel Bonilla, a member of the Hispanic Heritage Club. says “Hispanic Heritage Month is about all what Latinos have done for this country and how they have contributed to the community; it’s takes pride of who Latinos are.” The month of recognition is celebrated from runs  September 15 to October 15. During this time, Patchogue Medford High School’s Hispanic Heritage Club announces facts about the Hispanic population. As stated by the President of the Hispanic Heritage Club, David Turner, the purpose of the Club is “to promote cultural diversity and to improve the Hispanic image in the community”. The facts announced are meant to provide information and to highlight the role Latinos have played in the growth of this country. For instance, did you know, that Hispanics have significant consumer buying power? According to a recent study done by the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, it was found that by 2025, the Hispanic community living in the United States could see a spike in wealth. Specifically, the study finds that if the economic trends of the past two decades are to hold up, then Hispanics could see their wealth triple in the next ten-some years, owning anywhere between $2.5 trillion to $4.4 trillion.  Another interesting fact is that Latinos buy 25% of all movie tickets in the United States. But they are underrepresented in the entertainment industry, according to a study from Columbia University’s Center for the study of Ethnicity and Race, Latino presence in the English-language media was minimal and even more shockingly, highly stereotyped.

Even though the Hispanic Latino community are often labeled with many stereotypes “it has united Latinos even more” as said by the treasurer of the Hispanic Heritage Club, Damaris Rodas. At the end of it all, even if the Hispanics are put in stereotypes or are given a bad image, it is clear to see that the Latino community has a lot to offer to this country.