Hispanic Heritage Month is celebrated from September 15th to October 15th. From being legislation sponsored by Rep. George Brown Jr. to being signed into law by President Lyndon Johnson in 1968, it is celebrated worldwide. It began small, taking place the week including both September 15th and 16th, but later grew into the month with the help of both Esteban Torres and Senator Paul Simon. It begins on the 15th because it is the anniversary of Cry Dolores, which marked the beginning of the Mexican War of Independence.
The war resulted in independence for the new Spanish colony, now Mexico, and the Central American countries of Guatemala, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Honduras, and Nicaragua. Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Nicaragua, and Honduras celebrate on September 15th, while Mexico celebrates on the 16th and Chile on the 18th.
Although individual countries celebrate their separate days, the partying and reminder of independence lasts the month. The observance isn’t limited to each country but it is celebrated by the people of each ethnicity everywhere. The United States has the El Barrio Latin Jazz Festival in the Bronx and the Zoo Fiesta at the Smithsonian in Washington D.C.
On a more local note, there was a recent celebration in Muscatine. Saturday, September 28th, Muscatine hosted its second annual Viva Hispanic Heritage event. Held on Second Street, Viva Muscatine offered a petting zoo, Hispanic food stands, an Offrenda, live music from the Mhs Mariachi group, children’s games, vendors, and Lucha Libre wrestling. Now say that five times fast.
The celebration lasted from 11 am to 8 pm and very obviously featured a lot of activities. There was a petting zoo with rabbits, piglets, goats, and donkeys. There were food stands with pupusas, ballads, and more. There were treats like mangonadas, horchata, and even an entire half of a watermelon!
There was a gorgeous offrenda that included Frida Kahlo, Roberto Bolanos, Benito Juares, Emiliano Zapata, and many other prominent figures of Hispanic culture.
There was a DJ on Second and Sycamore Street who played all the classic songs and even had games that involved the audience.
Our very own MHS Mariachi Band, Las Pearlas, performed songs like Cielito Lindo, El Gatitio, and others. There were vendors selling soccer jerseys, makeup, toys, bracelets, and other items. Lastly, towards the end of the celebration, there was a lucha libre wrestling match. It was very intense, including wrestlers Latin Thunder, Rey de la Muerte, Corn Boi, Lonzo Romero, and Jared Thumb.
This event got the community involved and made Latinx people of all origins feel represented. All of the different country flags on jerseys, the recognizable Spanish music, and the good food made Muscatine feel more like a welcoming place to be. In a rural town in the Midwest, it is hard for the Hispanic community to find common ground with other people, and feel a sense of belonging.
Although it is difficult to find more ethnic places in a predominantly white area, there are still some hidden gems in town.
Usually, there are “Hispanic” or “Ethnic” sections in grocery stores, but they commonly have a limited selection (five-minute instant rice and jarritos). It’s also nice to have a place to go just to find more specific items instead of having a huge variety to search through.
An enjoyable spot in town is the Panaderia de Chuy. To translate, Panaderia (pa-nah-deh-ree-uh) means bakery in Spanish. At one, you won’t find croissants or loves of bread, but instead Spanish sweet bread. Known as semitas, conchas, or even pan dulce, they serve huge bread rolls that are sweet (and sometimes colorful) on top. They have other treats like paleta payosos (clown lollipops). [1502 Park Ave, Muscatine, IA]
Recently there has been an addition to the Hispanic businesses around town. Sitting across from the bowling alley is the brand-new Jalisco market. It has every Jumex juice flavor, from mango to pineapple to the mixes of fruits.
The Jalisco Market also has a wide selection of spices to choose from. There are choices between snacks and treats and more traditional grocery items. There is Hispanic candy for those who like the tangy taste of tajin, or the sweet and sour flavor of Chamoy. It is the perfect spot for dry ingredients and spices, like hibiscus for Jamaica or cinnamon sticks for horchata. They also sell medicine and vapor rub for those stuffy-nosed sleepless nights. Taking a trip to Supermarket Jalisco is convenient and unique in the way that it’s easy to find everything one might need. [1608 Grandview Muscatine, Iowa]
Having local Latino businesses around town makes Muscatine more pleasant. It’s a constant inconvenience to hunt down spices at Walmart or see the white-washed versions of foods at other stores. The worst of all is when the Spanish food aisle is missing the one thing you’re looking for. The pre-packaged conchas will always taste worse than the ones handmade with love. Why go through all of the trouble of huge name-brand stores when there are local Latina businesses?
All together, these spots in town and events like Viva create a space for everyone where diversity is respected and celebrated. No matter what ethnicity you are, you can go to these stores and celebrations to show and give support.
