As Hispanic Heritage Month ends, Kansas City’s Latino community has much to celebrate | Opinion
Hispanic Heritage Month may be winding down this weekend, but it’s ending in dramatic flair, with the Hispanic Chamber’s Noche de Gala and the Mariachi Las Alteñas performance. If you are surprised that this “month” doesn’t begin and end on the 1st and the 31st, that’s because Heritage Month began on Sept. 15 and ends Sunday, Oct. 15. It commences in the middle of the month because a number of Latin American countries celebrate their national independence during that time.
As a Latina, I always look forward to this month because here in Kansas City, we have a beautiful community that is so proud of our rich culture, history and faith. Although I am a Texas native, Kansas City was always a second home to me growing up. I have a large family here and am the youngest of 27 grandchildren. When I moved here 11 years ago, I was fortunate to already have a support system through my family, but was amazed by how welcoming this entire city was, and I wanted to pay it forward.
One of the first organizations I heard about after relocating was Big Brothers Big Sisters Kansas City. Knowing that mentorship made such an impact on my late father’s trajectory and seeing the generational impact it had on my family, I felt very passionate about getting involved. I became a Big Sister in 2013 to a phenomenal Little Sister who was able to relate to me culturally because of our shared background. We even spoke the same dialect of Spanish, so it was great to connect with her family and get to know them on a deeper level. My Little Sister just graduated nursing school and is engaged, and I am now an employee of the organization.
I feel so much pride working in the Latino community. This month has been filled with many events, performances and celebrations highlighting the beauty of our culture. Through my job and my personal interests, I’ve been honored to be heavily involved with this year’s Hispanic Heritage Month celebrations. To kick off the month, I was invited to the Mexican consulate’s commemoration of the 213th anniversary of Mexican independence. It was an absolute honor to be a guest of Consul Soileh Padilla Mayer and experience the ceremony of El Grito at Fiesta Hispana later that evening. Fiesta Hispana is a three-day community celebration held at Barney Allis Plaza, where BBBSKC was excited to host a booth this year and speak about the power of mentorship.
Other events that commenced this month include Folklore, an experience created by Fresco Marketing. It was powerful to see the owner of Fresco Marketing, Luis Padilla, and Wells Fargo Bank grant 10 separate $10,000 grants to small businesses. Mattie Rhodes Center and Guadalupe Centers hosted two beautiful celebrations promoting their missions and the impact they are making in the Latino community. I also had the honor to do the ceremonial first kick for Kansas City Current’s Hispanic Heritage Month game.
As the month’s festivities conclude this weekend, I am looking forward to supporting the Hispanic Chamber’s Noche de Gala and the Mariachi Las Alteñas performance hosted by the Folly Theater, where I have the pleasure of being an event chair and board member. Kansas City, I encourage you to learn more about the beauty of our culture and these wonderful organizations that are making an impact on the greater community.
Anna Bazan-Munguia is the director of community outreach for Big Brothers Big Sisters Kansas City. She is a native of Tyler, Texas, and has lived in Kansas City for 11 years. She is heavily involved in the community and an advocate for mentorship.
