Hispanic Heritage Month To Mark 25th Anniversary

 WASHINGTON – The Hispanic Heritage Awards, the annual celebration of Latino excellence, will honor the 25th anniversary of the establishment of Hispanic Heritage Month. The awards ceremony will take place on September 15th at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. The Hispanic Heritage Foundation (HHF), which annually presents these awards, announced the date for this year’s ceremony at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. The Hispanic Heritage Awards (HHAs) honor Hispanic leaders as it celebrates cultural pride, achievements and promise. ExxonMobil will once again be the top-level sponsor and the Television broadcast is currently under negotiations.

“We are thrilled to honor yet another group of inspiring Latino leaders,” said HHF President and CEO Jose Antonio Tijerino. “The Latino community throughout history has made a positive impact; however our focus is on the future.” Tijerino recalled that both Hispanic Heritage Foundation and the Hispanic Heritage Month were created by the White House a quarter century go. “We are proud to share the 25th anniversary,” he said.

The Hispanic Heritage Awards were established in 1987 by President Ronald Reagan and the White House to commemorate the creation and first celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, which spans from September 15 th to October 15th. This means that 2011 will be a joint celebration of the 25th anniversary of these two historic landmarks. The HHAs are considered the highest honor for Latinos by Latinos, its unique structure of cultural superstars; alongside physicians, educators, public officials, business leaders, as well as young leaders, is paving the way for a multifaceted, interactive modern-day celebration of their achievements.

"We are currently in the process of selecting those who will be this year’s honorees,” said Maria-Esmeralda Paguaga, HHAs Executive Producer. She added that the honorees would be announced in the coming months. "This is a difficult process, but a very enjoyable one, we have an impressive list of Hispanic leaders nominated in numerous categories for instance: Arts, Vision, Science, Mathematics, Education, Business, Leadership, Sports and Legend. All of these categories emphasize the quality, breadth, diversity and importance of the contributions of Hispanic Americans, not just in the United States but worldwide – moving beyond borders and overcoming language barriers,” said Paguaga.

Former honorees of the Hispanic Heritage Awards have included prominent Latinos, such as Celia Cruz, Oscar de la Renta, Isabel Allende, Carlos Gutierrez, Dolores Huerta, Ellen Ochoa, Ricky Martin, Placido Domingo, Oscar de la Hoya, Cong. Luis V. Gutierrez, Edward James Olmos, Mana, Juan Luis Guerra, Alejandro Sanz, Don Francisco, Cuauhtemoc Blanco, and even Dora the Explorer!