SALT LAKE CITY — As the start of Hispanic Heritage Month looms, some in the community worry about the tone of national discourse toward the Latino community.
In approving a resolution recognizing the month, Salt Lake City Councilwoman Victoria Petro used the occasion to voice concern with a U.S. Supreme Court decision that critics say paves the way to racial profiling in the federal government’s efforts to fight illegal immigration.
“It’s impossible to read this resolution without reference to the Supreme Court decision yesterday that disproportionately puts people from our Hispanic and Latino communities at increased risk for being targeted and unfairly treated,” she said during Tuesday’s meeting.
Monday’s decision, putting on hold a lower court’s order, allows immigration agents in Southern California seeking immigrants in the country illegally to target people based on their race and language, according to Reuters.
Councilman Alejandro Puy, for his part, said he senses fear among Utahns “regardless of where they’re from” and referenced the charged political climate, though he didn’t specifically cite the immigration crackdown, a central focus of President Donald Trump’s administration.
“It’s almost mind-blowing the things that we are hearing and the things that are happening in our streets, and I want to make sure that we are unified and a strong voice about what we need to do together,” said Puy, a naturalized citizen originally from Argentina. “They may come for any of us at some point, and we need to be aware of that. I’m proud of being Latino. I’m proud of the color of my skin.”
Hispanic Heritage Month, meant to recognize the influence and contributions of the Hispanic community in the United States, goes from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15. Each year, of late, the Salt Lake City Council has approved a resolution to mark the month. Petro said she’s thankful to Salt Lake City leaders for standing with the Latino community and “for taking this moment, this year, after yesterday, to note this moment.”
At any rate, Hispanic Heritage Month this year comes amid heightened jitters among many in the Latino community and their advocates due to the Trump administration’s focus on detaining and deporting immigrants in the country illegally. Perhaps with that in mind, Jose Enriquez, addressing the City Council after approval of the resolution, directed praise toward the Latino community. He’s the chief executive officer of Latinos in Action, a program geared to junior high and high school students.
Latinos in Action aims to empower Latino youth “to lead and strengthen their communities, wherever they’re at,” he said. “They come with so much talent, vibrance, assets. It’s unbelievable how talented they are.”
Hispanic Heritage Month is timed with the independence celebrations of several Latin American countries, including Mexico and El Salvador, and a range of celebrations and other activities are scheduled going forward around Utah. Here are details of some of them:
Mexican independence: The Mexican Consulate in Utah is holding a celebration to mark the 215th anniversary of Mexico’s independence from Spain on Saturday at 5 p.m. It will be held at the Utah Cultural Celebration Center at 1355 W. 3100 South in West Valley City.
“We’ll be waiting for you to proudly celebrate our history, culture and traditions,” the consulate said in a Facebook post. The event will feature folkloric dancing, mariachi music and more.
Long Live Independence: The Salvadoran and Latino Community in Utah, a Salvadoran cultural group, is helping host a celebration —Viva la Independencia, or Long Live Independence in English — to mark the independence of Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Mexico from Spain. The event will be held Saturday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the West Jordan Public Library, 8030 S. 1825 West.
Mi Gente: The city of Millcreek is hosting a celebration focused on the Hispanic heritage — Mi Gente, or My People in English — on Sept. 20 from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. at Millcreek Common, 1354 Chambers Ave.
“This free, family-friendly event showcases the rich diversity of Latin cultures through food, art and performances,” reads a press release from the city. A range of musical and dance groups featuring the culture of Venezuela, Mexico, Peru, Colombia and other Latin American countries will perform.
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Weber State University: A series of events that started Wednesday, Sept. 10, and goes through mid-October are slated at Weber State University in Ogden to mark Hispanic Heritage Month. They include a Mexican folkloric dance performance, salsa dancing, a Latino farmers market and more.
“It’s a month where we can embrace our culture and roots,” Weber State student Zulleidy Torres said in a statement. “We get to share with other people who we are and what we stand for.”
Latino and Hispanic Heritage Celebration: The city of North Salt Lake is hosting an event, Latino and Hispanic Heritage Celebration, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Sept. 22 at Legacy Park, 1140 W. 1100 North.
The Key Takeaways for this article were generated with the assistance of large language models and reviewed by our editorial team. The article, itself, is solely human-written.