Hispanic Heritage Month

This afternoon the Gabfest Club’s session in Dnipro Window on America center started with the introductions of the first-timers. Half a dozen new-comers presented themselves to the regular club members and answered their questions.
The official topic of the session was “Hispanic Heritage Month in the USA”. We discussed infographics about the role of Hispanic community in the US society. The group watched and discussed several YouTube videos about Hispanic Festival in Miami. Our US Volunteer Mr. Joseph added his own impressions about visiting Miami.
The group was introduced to the music popular with Hispanic Americans – Tejano. Tejano music or Tex-Mex music (Texan-Mexican music) is the name given to various forms of folk and popular music originating among the Mexican-American populations of Central and Southern Texas. Central to the evolution of Tejano music was the blend of traditional forms and Continental European styles, such as polka introduced by German and Czech settlers in the late 19th century. In particular, the accordion was adopted by Tejano folk musicians at the turn of the 20th century, and it became a popular instrument for amateur musicians in Texas and Northern Mexico.
The group was presented with the dramatic story of “the Queen of Tejano” – Selena Quintanilla-Pérez. The group managed to establish quite a few Hispanic elements even in the everyday life of modern Ukraine – mostly food and animal world.

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Hispanic Heritage Month

Today’s session of the Gabfest Club (Dnipropetrovsk / Ukraine) was dedicated to the Hispanic Heritage Month observed in the USA.

We started the conversation with the discussion on the background of this observance. The focus of this year’s session was on the introduction of the Tex-Mex cuisine to the club members.

Tex-Mex (from Texan and Mexican) is a term describing a fusion of American cuisine and Mexican cuisine, deriving from the culinary creations of Tejanos. It has spread from border states such as Texas and those in the Southwestern United States to the rest of the country. Tex-Mex is most popular in the state of Texas.

Tex-Mex cuisine is characterized by its heavy use of shredded cheese, meat (particularly beef and pork), beans, and spices, in addition to Mexican-style tortillas.

The group has watched illustrative videos that introduced the typical Tex-Mex dishes like tacos, burritos and chili con carne. A lot of new terminology was introduced through the videos. The popular US fast food chain Taco Bell and its food and equipment technology was presented.

Number of participants – 16 persons.

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Hispanic Heritage Month in the USA

Following the US Department of State recommendations the GABFEST Club dedicated today’s session to the topic “Hispanic Heritage Month in the USA”.
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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Hispanic Heritage Month, display

Window on America center presented to the visitors a new image and book display dedicated to the “Hispanic Heritage Month”.   The display also incorporates several artifacts of Mexican culture provided by our colleagues who visited this country.
The displayed books provide information about the history of certain US territories and their Hispanic background.  Fans of American movie stars can find out who of them has Hispanic roots. Displayed images provide an insight into the life of Hispanic communities in different states of the USA.