Annotations for Organizations: Aspira-inc

We are most honored to have the following dignitaries celebrating with us tonight, and they are the honorable members of Congress. First of all, from Texas, Solomon Ortiz, from California, Esteban Torres from Guam, Ben Blaz, from Arizona, Ed Pastor...

This is the time of the year dedicated to celebrating the contributions Latinos bring to this country. In Washington, an annual ceremony honoring Hispanic achievements in the arts, sports, literature, leadership, and education takes place in September.

A celebration of our culture from all over the world. A big hand for all of our special guests, ladies and gentlemen.

Today, Latino USA begins our Hispanic Heritage Month programming with the words of some of those who've been recognized in the past for their contributions, preserving and enriching Hispanic heritage in the United States.

At a time in life when many are enjoying the easy life of retirement, Dr. Pantoja is actively engaged in building institutions.

Dr. Antonia Pantoja institution is a Puerto Rican educator, the founder of the National Puerto Rican Forum and the Youth Leadership Organization, Aspira.

I invite you to come see me in my retirement. I live in the hills of Puerto Rico in a place called El Yunque, which is a magical mountain. [Natural sounds of clapping] A magical mountain where the Tainos, who were the people who were in Puerto Rico, when Columbus came to find Puerto Rico.

They live there in that mountain, in that magical mountain, and they believe that it was the abode of the gods, the good God [inaudible 00:24:38] and the bad God [inaudible 00:24:41], tonight we have been talking about family and we said back there, families understand one another. They work together, they fight together, and at times we have fought. But tonight we're together. And I wanted to comment on the fact that as I was looking around, I said, the Puerto Ricans that are being honored today are bringing the Black into the group, which is a very good thing for us to do. Sometimes we forget that that race is also part of us. I wanted to say that because sometimes you look around and you say, "well, you're the only one."

We must teach the Anglo world the meaning of cultural fusion. We must teach the Anglo world the meaning of cultural unity because we have it in our bloods and in our families. Uno saleprieto otro saleguero.