Nicarlyle Hanchard / The Jambar
Youngstown State University officially began its Hispanic Heritage Month with an opening ceremony Sept. 12.
The ceremony was held at the Public Library of Youngstown and Mahoning Valley. It was attended by several city and state officials, among other stakeholders.
Christopher Colon, executive director of Thrive Mahoning Valley, was the keynote speaker. He was joined by Angelica Diaz, executive director of Organización Cívica y Cultural Hispana Americana, Inc. and Jamael Tito Brown, mayor of Youngstown.
Other guests included YSU President Bill Johnson, State Senator Al Cutrona and William F. Maag Jr. Library Co-Director Ana Torres, among others.
Each speaker spoke of the significance of Hispanic Heritage Month and the mutualistic relationship between Hispanic Americans and the city of Youngstown.
In his opening remarks, Colon acknowledged the theme of this year’s Hispanic Heritage Month “Latinos Settling in the Valley Through the Centuries: NUESTRO DESTINO.” He said a person’s destiny is not solely where they end up, but the journey that is had.
“Nuestro Destino, our destiny, is not just about where we end up but how we get there. The choices we make, the struggles we endure and the community we build along the way,” Colon said.
He said his childhood experiences could have led him down a different path. The lessons he learned while in Youngstown motivated him to persevere.
“It’s the grit of Youngstown, the spirit of this community, the resilience of its people, the unwavering support of this community, that instilled in me a sense of pride and belonging,” Colon said.
Cutrona spoke of Youngstown’s influence on his upbringing, citing the examples his grandfather set for him.
“When I think about the valley, and how we got here, I think about mi abuelo, who instilled in us those moral and cultural values, the same things that I have been able to take down to our State House,” Cutrona said.
YSU and the Youngstown Public Library were presented with commendations from Cutrona and Senator Matt Huffman, president of the Ohio Senate, for their recognition of Hispanic Heritage Month.
Brown shared the importance of his grandmother and his community growing up in Youngstown.
“If you wanted to know where anything was or you wanted to find a recipe or you needed to get a message to somebody, just stop by grandmother, and by some time that day or the next day, they will get that information from grandmother,” Brown said.
Commenting on the importance of social workers, Mayor Brown said he grew up in an era where social workers were his neighbors and the values those interactions instilled in him.
“We all come from that neighborhood where the social workers were your neighbors down the street. They help you figure out the value of work. They also taught you how to treat one another and the way they share,” Brown said.
Mayor Brown presented a commendation to Ana Torres for the work YSU has done in organizing the events for Hispanic Heritage Month.
“On behalf of the citizens of the great city of Youngstown, as the mayor, I wanted to stop by, give you a proclamation just to recognize and reignite our advancements in Heritage Month in the city of Youngstown,” Brown said.
The events on campus continued Sept. 13, with a dinner and panel discussion at the Youngstown Historical Center of Industry and Labor and Sept. 18 with a movie night on the lawn between Maag Library and Ward Beecher Hall.
The city of Youngstown also celebrated Hispanic Heritage Month with the ¡Hola Fest! on Sept. 21.