It’s Hispanic Heritage Month!
At Fly Together Fitness, we recognize and celebrate the heritage, culture, and contributions of Hispanic and Latin Americans in the United States. This month, we’re placing a special focus on nonprofits that support the advancement of Latinx/Latine representation in our communities. To celebrate, we compiled a list of some great organizations to support now and throughout the year. We hope this list will inspire you to learn more about Hispanic heritage and support local organizations!
What’s the Difference Between Hispanic and Latino, Latine, or Latinx?
Language is ever-evolving and the term Hispanic is used to describe many groups of people. That being said, it’s important to understand these terms and their history in order to thoughtfully show up. Individuals all have their own preference and below is a breakdown of these differences:
Hispanic is defined as relating to Spain, or Spanish-speaking countries. The word was first widely popularized through its use in the U.S. Census of 1970. It typically classifies people based on language.
Latinx and Latine are gender-neutral forms of the word Latino or Latina and refers to the geographical location of a person’s country of origin or their ancestors, typically with cultural ties to Latin America.
Read on to learn about the incredible nonprofit organizations working to support Latinx/Latine members of our communities - visit their pages, follow them, and if you have the means, donate to support their mission!
Encuentro Dispora Afro: Our mission is multi-faceted and captures a distinctive role in the broader grassroots movement for racial and social justice: to empower women and girls of color across nationalities and ethnicities while strengthening the voice of Afro Latinos and promoting racial healing. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/encuentrodiasporaafro/
Yo Soy Lola: "Latinas Orgullosas de Las Arts (LOLA) is a movement to reclaim the Latina narrative through artistic platforms and changing the way Latinas are perceived in the media. Our mission is to build racial equity in the arts and create opportunities for Latina-identifying artists through our scholarship program. Instagram: @yosoylolamovement
When We Fight, We Win! Building a movement for transformative social change. Book sales fund cultural projects by artist/activists who continue the fight to win.
Instagram: @whenwefightwewin
Student Immigrant Movement: We fight for the liberation of the undocumented community through the development of a network of immigrant youth organizers in high-density immigrant communities. Instagram: @join_sim
Veronica Robles Cultural Center: Mission is to promote Latin American dance and culture as an engine for stronger communities and economic growth. Instagram: @veronicaroblesmariachi
Latinx Artist Society in Opera: Latinx artists society in opera creates financial, educational, and performing opportunities for Latinx artists. Instagram: @lasoopera