11 September 2007
U.S. Politics, Literature, Sports Show Cultural Influence of Hispanics
Latino heritage adds to U.S. cultural diversity, Smithsonian official says
Washington — The influence of Latinos, especially as the United States population grows, is felt in every aspect of society and is part of the nation’s rich cultural diversity.
“Latinos have a long history in the United States,” said Pilar O’Leary of the Smithsonian Institution during an Ask America webchat September 11, 2007. “Decades before English colonists arrived on these shores, Hispanic explorers founded the first European settlement in St. Augustine, Florida.”
Many Latinos come to this country to provide their children with better opportunities in education and to contribute to the economic and cultural fabric of the United States where they may enjoy freedoms and opportunities they might not have at home, according to O’Leary, who develops exhibitions, research and public programs at the Smithsonian Latino Center.
“This is true, I believe, not just for recent Latino immigrants but also for Latino families who have been here for generations,” she said.
According to U.S. Census Bureau estimates, Hispanics are the largest minority group in the United States and also the fastest-growing group.
O’Leary said Latinos’ influence on baseball in the United States is significant, but in addition, football (called soccer in the United States) icons from Latin America have gained celebrity status in the United States and will “help with the popularity and recognition of the sport.” Furthermore, a quarter of Major League Baseball players are from Puerto Rico and Latin American countries, especially the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Cuba, Colombia and Mexico. The Latino Center has partnered with the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service to develop an exhibition on baseball legend Roberto Clemente.
“Beyond Baseball” was developed by the Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico and was coordinated by the Smithsonian. The exhibition will include a downloadable bilingual (English and Spanish) podcast and an interactive Web site with a virtual exhibition, children’s activities, lesson plans, biographical highlights and photographs.
Clemente, who was born in Puerto Rico, was a 12-time Major League Baseball all-star selection who helped the Pittsburgh Pirates claim the 1971 World Series, the championship of U.S. professional baseball. (See “Roberto Clemente: A Life Lost, But Not Forgotten.”)
LATINO LITERARY, POLITICAL INFLUENCE
Such Latino authors as Gabriel García Márquez, Mario Vargas Llosa, Carlos Fuentes and Isabel Allende have blazed a trail for Latino authors in the United States and globally, O’Leary said. And there are many other, more contemporary Latino authors who also are gaining serious recognition -- such as Dominican author Julia Álvarez, she added. Álvarez’s acclaimed novel In the Time of the Butterflies was made into a television film in 2001.
Although the 2008 elections will not be the first time candidates will be faced with the concerns of Latino voters, there is an increasing awareness of Latinos’ importance in the political landscape, O’Leary said. As the population grows in size and becomes economically stronger and more politically savvy, candidates likely will become sensitive to the needs, values and objectives of the Latino community.
“For the first time in history you have political candidates engaging in presidential debates on Spanish-language television” as well as the involvement of politicians in immigration marches, she said.
Many Latinos share a common heritage with Spain, O’Leary said. The Spanish colonized most of Latin America and brought with them the Spanish language — the language spoken by the majority of the Latino population — culture, religion and social mores. Latinos in the United States and living abroad still feel a strong nexus to Spain, O’Leary said. “It is Spanish heritage that ties many Latinos from different countries and backgrounds together.”
In recent years, Spain itself has made an effort to connect with Latino communities in the United States and abroad through cultural and educational initiatives, according to O’Leary.
She also discussed the Latino Center’s Young Ambassador’s Program, an educational initiative for Hispanic secondary school seniors gifted in the arts that provides students from across the country with the opportunity to meet with scholars, artists, curators and other accomplished individuals in the field of Latino arts and culture.
Additional information on the Smithsonian Latino Center and the exhibition on Roberto Clemente is available on the Smithsonian Institution’s Web site. Also see Diversity.
