LCLAA Celebrates the start of National Latino Heritage Month
Washington, DC – During National Latino Heritage Month, LCLAA enters a period of reflection and celebration. We reflect on the ways members of our community have contributed to our country - the Latino farmworkers that have fed us, the Latino laborers that have built our homes and places of work, and the Latino labor leaders that have overcome incredible obstacles to improve our working conditions.
Unfortunately, in this country, the contributions of Latinos are often forgotten, unnoticed, or actively ignored. Our work has gone unrecorded, and unfortunately, many of the names of the Latino labor leaders who created our movement have been lost. So at this moment, we reiterate the names - César Chávez, Dolores Huerta, Paul Montemayor, Maclovio Barraza, Jack Otero, Maria Portalatin and others - that have broken the barriers that have attempted to hold Latinos back. We remember their efforts to carve a space for Latinos in labor and to cultivate a nationwide grassroots movement in the Labor Council of the Latin American Advancement.
We also honor our contemporaries, the leaders that are on the ground day in and day out to improve the lives of Latinos nationwide. Latinos are now the largest ethnic minority in the nation, comprising more than 60 million Americans. Yet, we continue to face lower pay, disproportionate dangers on the job, and higher rates of job-related deaths. For these reasons, as we continue to grow in numbers, we must translate that growth into voter turnout, which can impact our communities in upcoming elections.
The broader labor movement cannot move forward if it, like many other movements, leaves Latinos as an afterthought. LCLAA is determined during National Hispanic Heritage Month to celebrate those who have carried out our work from generation to generation from its inception 50 years ago to now. We refuse to let any more of our history be erased, and we will continue to advocate and organize for the embetterment of all workers.
