Montgomery County Council Vice President Nancy Navarro hosts Council’s Hispanic Heritage Month Commemoration on Tuesday, October 9 at 11 a.m.

Montgomery County Council
Vice President Nancy Navarro hosts
Council’s Hispanic Heritage Month Commemoration
On Tuesday, October 9 at 11 a.m., special celebration will focus on
‘Hispanics: One Endless Voice to Enhance our Traditions’

ROCKVILLE, Md., Oct. 4, 2018—The Montgomery County Council will hold a Hispanic Heritage Month commemoration hosted by Council Vice President Nancy Navarro on Tuesday, October 9 at 11 a.m. The theme of this year’s commemoration is “Hispanics: One Endless Voice to Enhance our Traditions.” The commemoration will include a panel discussion with Hispanic and Latino leaders with a special focus on the cultural richness Hispanics have brought to Montgomery County and the United States. Panelists for the special Hispanic Heritage Month event will share their professional and life experiences and achievements and discuss issues of importance for Hispanic and Latino residents.

“Our County is truly a microcosm of our nation’s changing demographics, and it is important that we celebrate our shared heritage by recognizing the valuable contributions the Latinx-American community makes in our County, State, and country,” said Council Vice President Nancy Navarro, who is the first Latina ever elected to the Council and serves as chair of the Government Operations and Fiscal Policy Committee. She also serves on the Council’s Education Committee and was a member of President Obama’s Commission on Educational Excellence for Hispanics.
“Being able to honor this diverse mosaic of cultures in this nation is what makes our country, the United States, such a strong beacon of democracy,” said Council Vice President Navarro.

Those sharing their experiences with County Councilmembers, invited guests and the public as part of the event will include Nelly Carrión, Director of Washington Hispanic; Julio Güity-Guevara, activist for the Afro-Latino community; Miguel Lara, Chef and Owner, Chef Lara Spices LLC; and Dr. Maria Sprehn, Author and Associate Professor of Anthropology, Montgomery College.

“Montgomery County has been immeasurably enhanced by our growing Hispanic population, whose members have important roles in our economy, our community and our rich cultural and culinary landscape,” said Council President Riemer. “Over the past four decades our Hispanic population has grown by more than 800 percent, and we at the Council see it as a priority to ensure that they always feel welcome. This is a tremendous opportunity to celebrate their contributions and their vital role in the life of our County.”

The Hispanic Heritage Month event will take place in the Third Floor Hearing Room of the Council Office Building at 100 Maryland Ave. in Rockville. The special ceremonies will be televised live by County Cable Montgomery (CCM—Cable Channel 6 on Comcast and RCN, Channel 30 on Verizon). The broadcast also will be streamed at: http://tinyurl.com/CouncilMeetingPortal .

According to the United States Census, the total Latino population of the Washington metropolitan region is 1,483,786, of which 207,526 live in Montgomery County. These include people of El Salvadoran, Honduran, Mexican and Peruvian origin, among others. Between 1980 and 2017, the size of the County’s Latino population increased by 810 percent. Foreign-born Latinos represent 53.9 percent of the County’s Latino population, and 85.4 percent speak Spanish at home.

You can get a preview of what’s to come at the Council commemoration by watching the following promotional videos:

Latin Art (English): https://youtu.be/hraQTKR9BhE
Latin Art (Spanish): https://youtu.be/HtWi5hIN4pY
Latin Music (English): https://youtu.be/_0TEd3G6LBs
Latin Music (Spanish): https://youtu.be/_fpCBK9FoQw
Latin Food (English): https://youtu.be/StSrjlvpj-c
Latin Food (Spanish): https://youtu.be/n7gFobhM64s

For more information, visit the Council’s 2018 commemoration webpage.

# # #

• Navarro-Hispanic Heritage Month commemoration event 10-9-18.doc