Que Viva La Raza
En La Florida y en el Mundo !
In recognition of Hispanic Heritage Month , Latin Times Magazine would like to dedicate this feature to the many Hispanics / Latinos living in the United States . Hispanic Heritage month began on Friday , September 15th and runs thru Sunday , October 15th , 2006 . This month serves as a celebration of our culture . May our language , our foods , and our customs continue to prosper as one , and let us remember always that it is through this unity that we have achieved our strength .
The word “ Hispanic ,” once used as a reference to people originating from Spain , has today taken on new meaning , because in modern-day America , the overwhelming majority of the U . S . Hispanic population actually comes from Latin America .
Hispanic History En La Florida ! The Hispanic presence in what is now the United States actually began before the country existed . Spanish explorers established colonies in what would be called Florida .
In 1513 , the explorer Juan Ponce de Leon sailed from the island of Puerto Rico to the east coast of the United States to land on what is today called Florida . De Leon claimed the peninsula , which he thought was an island , for Spain , thus becoming one of the first explorers to stake a Spanish claim in North America .
The Spaniards first established a permanent settlement in Florida in 1565 . In that year , the Spanish explorer Pedro Menendez de Aviles founded St . Augustine in Florida . This was the first permanent European settlement in what would become the United States , even before Jamestown , --the first permanent British settlement in North America- -by more than 40 years . The roots of the Hispanic experience in America lie in St . Augustine , Florida , the oldest city in the United States . St . Augustine served as Spain ’ s military headquarters in North America during the 1500 ’ s .
Florida remained under Spanish rule until 1763 , at which time Spain was forced to give the territory to Britain . Spain later regained Florida in 1783 , only to sell it to the U . S . government in 1821 . As Florida came under the control of the United States , thousands of Americans poured into the territory . Soon the Spanish presence in Florida was overwhelmed by the stream of English-speaking settlers , fast forward to 2006 .
Today , Florida is home to over 3,000,000 Hispanics with the purchasing power of over $ 82.2 billion . In fact , the State of Florida has the third-largest Hispanic market in the U . S . after California and Texas . And that , my fellow Latino ( a ) s , is a review of Hispanic Heritage and our great State of Florida !
• September / October 06 • Abraza El Calor De Tu Cultura !