Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month
In the last two years, we have expanded our celebrations to reflect our commitment to being a welcoming and inclusive community for everyone. We have hosted a parade and a promenade to celebrate Pride Month. We have recognized Juneteenth as a city holiday and observed the day with an event at Bonita Park.
On Thursday, September 15th, we kicked off a month-long celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month. It is a time to celebrate the histories, cultures and contributions of those whose ancestors hail from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America.
Tigard is fortunate to have a vibrant and growing Hispanic community. This community has made contributions in every area, from our local schools and the business community to our city government.
I invite you to join me in paying tribute to the generations of Hispanic Americans who have positively influenced and enriched our community by:
Attending or volunteering at the El Tigre Fest.
We are debuting a new community event, the El Tigre Fest on Saturday, October 15th from 11:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. at Dirksen Nature Park. It will be a family-friendly cultural event with authentic Latin American food, arts and crafts, dancing, live music, and children’s activities.
Celebrating with a book!
Our librarians have created several book lists to help you easily find titles by Hispanic authors in Spanish and English.
Listening to and learning from the Talking Tigard and En Contacto podcasts.
The city has two podcasts – Talking Tigard (in English) and En Contacto (in Spanish). On a recent Talking Tigard episode, Cynthia Gomez, Director of Community & Civic Impact at Portland State University, shared how the Latinx community is shaping our region. The En Contacto podcast has featured several Hispanic leaders, including Adrian Hinckley of Mortgage Café and David Jaimes of the Tigard-Tualatin School Board.
Completing a Hispanic Heritage Month-themed craft kit.
Our recreation team is offering a Hispanic Heritage Month craft kit. It’s a great opportunity for your children to learn more about the cultures we celebrate as part of Hispanic Heritage Month.
Supporting Hispanic-owned businesses.
We are debuting a new video series highlighting Hispanic-owned businesses, including Frutas Y Antojitos Diana’s, Good Cake Bakery, and La Real. We have also written profiles about three Hispanic-owned businesses – El Cuadrilatero, Tamales Dona Felix, and Taqueria La Fuente. I encourage you to patronize at least one of these businesses in the next month.
You can find more opportunities to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month on the city’s website.
In celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, I am taking my monthly Fireside Chat on the road. I invite you to join me on Thursday, October 13 at 6:30 p.m. in the Tigard Library Community Room. You can also add your voice to the conversation by contacting me at jason@tigard-or.gov or 503-810-0269 to share your ideas for action.
