Americans observe National Hispanic Heritage Month from September 15 to October 15, by celebrating the histories, cultures and contributions of American citizens whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, Central and South America. The day of September 15 is significant because it is the anniversary of independence for Latin American countries Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. In addition, Mexico and Chile celebrate their independence days on September 16 and September 18, respectively. Also, Columbus Day or Día de la Raza, which is October 12, falls within this 30 day period.
The book and image display “Hispanic Heritage Month” was presented to the group. We started the conversation describing the Mexican artifacts and our associations with Hispanic culture. We watched several videos that illustrated the topic; the slide show about the famous Hispanics in the USA reminded us the faces of the celebrities. To wrap up the topic we have read and translated the article about one of the 25 most influential Hispanics – Ysrael Seinuk. In a career of a structural engineer that has spanned almost five decades, Seinuk had plenty of high-profile Manhattan high-rises to his credit, including Philip Johnson's famous "lipstick" building; Trump World Tower, which holds the title of tallest residential skyscraper in the western hemisphere; and Norman Foster's angular Hearst Tower. When Seinuk arrived in the U.S. from Cuba soon after Castro's revolution, he had little more than $20 in his pocket, his slide rule and his diploma from the University of Havana. "I came to a country that welcomed me," he said. "I make an effort to give back." The images of Seinuk’s buildings in New York impressed the group. The session was quite educational for all participants.
Number of participants – 22 persons.
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