Menendez Marks Hispanic Heritage Month with 12th Annual Celebration, Other Events Recognizing Latino History & Culture

Among the various celebrations and commemorations U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), the highest-ranking Latino in Congress, participated in this month, he also hosted his 12th Annual Hispanic Heritage Month event celebrating the history, culture, and contributions of Latino-Americans in the United States. This year's event included special keynote remarks from Blanca Rosa Vilchez, an acclaimed Univision journalist.

"As Hispanic Heritage Month comes to a close, we reflect on the countless contributions that Latinos and Latinas have made and continue to make, to our economy and culture," said Sen. Menendez. "While we've made significant progress, we continue to confront systemic inequities that affect our community. But I'm committed to improve representation across all sectors -- from the highest level of governments to corporate boardrooms. As we celebrate our rich heritage and the undeniable contributions to the fabric of American society, let us reaffirm our commitment to making sure that all Latinos, regardless of their national origin, the color of their skin or the zip code they live in, can prosper and get ahead."

The 12th annual celebration was held at Union City High School on September 18th, just days after the start of Hispanic Heritage Month. Congressman Albio Sires (D-N.J.-08) was honored at the event for his decades of public service. State Senate Majority Leader Teresa Ruiz (LD-29) was awarded with a Women's History Month award, which she was originally honored with back in March 2020, but the Senator's annual event was cancelled due to the pandemic. West New York Mayor Gabriel Rodriguez was emcee of this year's event.

Other events the Senator participated in this month include a conversation with U.S. Mortgage Insurers about Latino ownership in America and he delivered remarks at the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities Hall of Champions event, a USAID Hispanic Serving Institutions conference, and a Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute conference.

At the start of Hispanic Heritage Month, Sen. Menendez led a bipartisan and bicameral resolution recognizing September 15th though October 15th, 2022 as Hispanic Heritage Month. On the same day, he also introduced a resolution to honor the athletic career and humanitarian and civic work of Roberto Clemente.

Sen. Menendez also led a bipartisan resolution recognizing 559 HSIs across the country that play an important role in educating and providing professional development opportunities to the next generation of emerging Hispanic leaders. The resolution also designated the week of September 12th, 2022 as "National Hispanic-Serving Institutions Week."

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