¡Celebramos juntos! On Friday, October 15th, Literacy Inc., Assemblymember Manny de los Santos, Fidelis Care, NMIC, Remitly, and Nuevo Siglo Adult Care came together in one of LINC’s biggest communities, Inwood to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month. As we paid tribute to the generations of Hispanic Americans who have enriched our nation, Family Engagement Specialist Alma Cañate reminded us of the importance of celebrating our heritage all year long. “Today is a good day for sharing stories and making memories,” said Alma. Hispanic Heritage Month runs from September 15th to October 15th every year. Why did we start to celebrate in the middle of last month? September 15th is the anniversary of independence for Latin American countries Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua, and so holds a great deal of significance for families all over the world. Hispanic refers to people who are from or have family from Spanish-speaking countries. That includes a lot of places in the Caribbean, Central, and South America, as well as Mexico and Spain. What binds many people who identify as Hispanic together is more than language, however. As Assemblymember Manny de los Santos put it, "it is also a shared belief in the importance of dreams." “I used to have a dream of being a social worker,” he told with us. “All dreams are possible. There is enormous power in dreams!” To reinforce the theme of dreams, the joy of reading, and this momentous occasion, Manny and LINC’s Very Involved Parent Sandra Patricio read a favorite book of ours, Dreamers/ Sonadores by Yuyi Morales. In this story, we see a family bring their heritage to their new home in the United States and are inspired by their sense of hope. In addition to food, games, and stories, participants had a chance to speak with representatives from LINC and each of our partners to receive free books and learn more about different resources available in their community. Thank you to all of our partners and families. We look forward to reading and celebrating our heritage and our dreams all year long! Next month, join LINC and Celebrate Mexico for another exciting cultural program, QUETZALCOATL: Aztec Tales, Legends, and Music . Register now for Saturday, November 19 or Sunday, November 20 .