INDIANAPOLIS — Sept. 15 marked the start of Hispanic Heritage Month.
It’s celebrated annually from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15.
It’s a time to celebrate the influence and culture of Hispanic Americans around the country.
At the Indiana State Fairgrounds, the Indiana Latino Expo offers educational opportunities, a job fair, consulate services, entertainment, food, music, activities for kids and so much more.
“The Spanish speaking population is the fastest growing population nationwide,” Carlos May, executive director of Indiana Latino Expo, said. “Indianapolis is about 15%, so that equates to about almost 200,000 people, which is a fair amount of folks inside a city of about a million.”
May says it’s important to hold events like this because not only are they the fastest growing population, but Spanish is also said to be the second largest language group that’s being spoken in America.
“To have an event that brings together the American community and all the various Hispanic and Latino communities into one place that benefits both is a great thing to do,” May said.
The Indiana Latino Expo represents 13 different nationalities, including Mexican, Colombian, Venezuelan, Peruvian, and Ecuadorian.
“Spanish is the one common denominator between us, but the vernacular or slang is different from country to country. I speak Spanish but someone from Columbia might say something or use a word that I don’t understand,” May said.
May says although each group is different, the event allows them to learn more about each other and appreciate both their similarities and differences.
“The best part about all of this is you start to see the commonalities between everybody instead of focusing on the differences,” May said.
The Indiana Latino Expo is open for those of any nationality who’d like to learn more about the Latino community, enjoy their culture and ask questions if you have to.
“They’re Hoosiers too. Some of them have been here for 20 or 30 years. So even though they might look a little different, they are part of Indianapolis, Marion County and the state of Indiana,” May said.
To learn more about the Indiana Latino Expo, click here.
