Other Highlights
MAYOR ANTONIO R. VILLARAIGOSA
City of Los Angeles
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 4, 2009
CONTACT:
Jazmín Ortega, Office of the Mayor
(213) 978-0741
Evelyn G. Aleman, Media Image PR
(818) 881-7976
LATINO HERITAGE MONTH OPENING CEREMONIES KICK OFF TO THE SOUNDS OF BRAZILIAN SAMBA MUSIC AND DANCE
The Mayor and guests celebrate the cultural contributions of Latinos to Los Angeles
LOS ANGELES - Hundreds of city residents including local celebrities, business and community leaders joined Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa for the opening ceremonies of the city’s Latino Heritage Month.
The ceremonies, themed “Embracing our roots: The tapestry that built Los Angeles” and sponsored by The Walt Disney Company, kicked off to the rhythmic sounds of samba music and dance, and featured a special performance by Grammy-award winner Sheila E. - an accomplished musician, drummer and percussionist, best known for her work with Prince and Ringo Starr, and her string of popular hits in the 1980s.
“Latino Heritage Month is an opportunity for all Angelenos to learn and share the creativity and enterprising spirit that have been the hallmark of the City of Angels since its foundation,” Mayor Villaraigosa said.
Latino Heritage Month not only celebrates the rich Latino cultures, musical traditions and contributions, but also honors three outstanding individuals of Latino descent who have contributed to the advancement of Latinos in the United States and worldwide.
This year’s honorees are: Jaime Escalante, a professor and teacher of mathematics renowned for his work teaching students calculus at Garfield High School in Los Angeles, portrayed in the 1988 movie Stand and Deliver; Jimmy Smits, an accomplished actor whose credits include The West Wing, NYPD Blue, L.A. Law and most recently El Traspatio, who helped found the National Hispanic Foundation for the Arts to advance the presence of Latinos in the media, telecommunications and entertainment industries; and Grammy-nominated artist Sheila E.
Latino Heritage Month launches a month-long calendar of cultural events, activities, a youth poster contest (grades K-12) sponsored by Wells Fargo, and a writing competition (grades 6-12) sponsored by Time Warner Cable. The poster competition winners will be announced on Tuesday, September 29 and the writing competition winners will be announced on Wednesday, October 7.
Mayor Villaraigosa today announced the Latino Heritage Month Calendar and Cultural Guide, produced by the Department of Cultural Affairs.
A list of all activities and events is available at www.culturela.org .
About Latino Heritage Month
In 1968, Congress authorized President Lyndon B. Johnson to designate the week of September 15 and 16 as National Hispanic Heritage Week. The week would commemorate the independence of Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua on September 15, Mexico’s independence on September 16, and Chile’s independence on September 18.
In 1988, the observance was extended to a month-long celebration, from September 15 to October 15 to honor the cultures and traditions of Americans with heritage tied to Spain, Mexico and the Spanish-speaking nations of Central America, South America and the Caribbean.
LATINO HERITAGE MONTH SPONSORS
TITLE SPONSOR
The Walt Disney Company
POSTER CONTEST SPONSOR
Wells Fargo
CREATIVE WRITING CONTEST SPONSOR
Time Warner Cable
OFFICIAL MEDIA SPONSOR
ABC Channel 7
EMERALD SPONSOR
The Nielsen Company
Latino Heritage Month Events Sponsored by the Mayor’s Office
Opening Ceremony - September 4, 10:00 AM to 12:15 PM
City Hall (Council Chambers & Spring Street Forecourt)
200 N. Spring Street
Los Angeles, CA 90012
? Presentation to City Council by Mayor Villaraigosa and Proclamation Ceremony
? Followed by Opening Ceremony reception at Spring Street Forecourt
Poster Competition Awards Ceremony - September 29, 9:45 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Los Angeles Zoo
5333 Zoo Drive
Los Angeles, CA 90027
? Student entries judged by professional artists, educators and community leaders
? Mayor Villaraigosa will host reception for the winners
Creative Writing Competition Awards Ceremony - October 7, 9:45 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Los Angeles City Hall
200 N. Spring Street
Los Angeles, CA 90012
? Student entries judged by professional artists, educators and community leaders
? Mayor Villaraigosa will host reception for the winners
Music-LA - September to October
The Department of Cultural Affairs is sponsoring eight weeks of Latin American music classes at the three sites below:
Neighborhood Music School, 358 South Boyle Avenue, Los Angeles 90033.
Plaza de la Raza, 3540 North Mission Road, Los Angeles 90031
Tía Chucha’s Centro Cultural, 13197-A Gladstone Avenue, Sylmar, CA 91342
For more information, see www.culturela.org .