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VA celebrates Hispanic Heritage month with the story of Vietnam Veteran Arnie Cardenas. Growing up in Uvalde, Texas, Army Veteran Cardenas and his eight siblings loved listening to the sounds of accordion maestro Tony de la Rosa and the Tex-Mex music flowing across nearby border towns like Laredo. As Cardenas grew older, his family got hooked on a new phenomenon sweeping the nation in the mid-1950s: Rock ‘n’ Roll. Read more at U.S. Veteran Affairs News

CHICAGO, IL – Holy Cross Hospital has joined the Peace and Wellness Coalition to host “Run The Lawn 5K: Healing In Motion” on Sunday, September 22nd in Marquette Park. Thanks to contributions from dozens of community stakeholders and partners, ‘Run the Lawn 5k’ and Wellness Fair will welcome community members from Chicago Lawn and the South Side of Chicago.

Holy Cross has joined the event to raise awareness of the hospital’s services, treatments and provide a chance for community members to meet Sinai physicians and leaders for any questions they have regarding their health.

“Holy Cross Hospital is excited to partner on this great event for the communities and patients surrounding our hospital,” said Dr. Jeen-Soo Chang, President of Holy Cross Hospital. “It’s a great opportunity for our physicians and leaders to talk with individuals and families in our neighborhood about our wide range of health services and specialties while also letting them know that we’re their neighbors and their health and well-being are our top priority.”

The free family-focused event will start with a 5k run in the morning with the option for a “Walk & Roll” that attendees can do at their own pace and with their families. The 5k will be followed by a Wellness Fair featuring health screenings and other tips from Holy Cross caregivers and other community organizations. The event will conclude with “Light in the Night” featuring musical performances and fun.

“This event is a collective project organized by our local coalition in the southwest side, the Peace and Wellness Coalition, which is made up of a diverse group of institutions ranging from public departments, elected officials, schools, churches, healthcare providers, faith-based institutions, and community-based organizations,” said Armando Mancilla, Director of Case Management & Community Organizing at the Southwest Organizing Project. “Our purpose is to collaborate with stakeholders to develop initiatives that increase and sustain peace and wellness across Chicago Lawn and surrounding communities”

For more information, visit runthelawn.com for registration for the 5k and the day’s festivities.

To celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month, we’ve put together a reading list highlighting the arts and lives of Hispanic individuals from a range of countries and traditions. READ MORE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO PRESS

Though Latinas have collectively seen socioeconomic gains, their educational and economic circumstances are varied. Younger Latinas and U.S.-born Latinas, for instance, are more likely to report having a bachelor’s degree than older and immigrant Latinas, respectively. Though labor force participation rates have increased in the last two decades for Latinas overall, some are more likely to be employed or seeking work. READ MORE AT PEW RESEARCH CENTER

September 15, the middle of September, means we're that much closer to Halloween and days away from it officially being fall. But it's the start of Hispanic Heritage Month as well.

Why does Hispanic Heritage Month begin mid-month?
The reason that Hispanic Heritage Month begins halfway through the month of September is that Sept. 15 is the anniversary of independence for several Latin American countries: Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. Mexico and Chile's independence days also fall during the observation period (Sept. 16 and Sept. 18, respectively). READ MORE AT PARADE

Each year from September 15 to October 15, Boys & Girls Clubs across the United States honor the history, cultures, struggles and triumphs of Hispanic and Latino Americans during Hispanic Heritage Month.

Knowing more about your unique heritage helps kids foster meaningful connections and pride within their communities. In fact, a recent survey commissioned by our partner, Ancestry, found that 88% of Spanish-speakers in the U.S. believe it is important to honor family history and heritage. Celebrating cultural traditions, language, music and cuisines cultivates a stronger sense of belonging and helps kids develop confidence. READ MORE AT BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS OF AMERICA

September 15, the middle of September, means we're that much closer to Halloween and days away from it officially being fall. But it's the start of Hispanic Heritage Month as well. Also known as Latinx Heritage Month, it's a 30-day commemoration that celebrates the history, culture and contributions of "American citizens whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean and Central and South America," according to Emily Key, director of education at the Smithsonian Latino Center. 

Why does Hispanic Heritage Month begin mid-month? READ MORE AT PARADE

Over the past few decades, Latinos have become the largest racial or ethnic minority in the United States, making up nearly 20 percent of the country’s population. Despite that, many Latinos feel alienated by our medical system, due to cultural and language barriers, and a lack of Latino physicians — and those barriers can have a real impact on their overall health. READ MORE AT PBS

While the number of Latinos — the nation’s largest minority group — graduating college has increased in the last two decades, they remain underpaid and underrepresented in the workforce, a reality that may require more Latinos in positions of power to facilitate change. READ MORE AT ASSOCIATED PRESS

The wealth gap between white families and their Black and Latino counterparts has widened by more than $1 million, according to a new analysis by the Urban Institute, a nonpartisan think tank that focuses on economic and social policy research. White families have a median wealth of $284,310, more than four times that of Latinos ($62,120). Additionally, the analysis found that the wealth gap widens with age — on average, white families accumulate more wealth over their lives than Latino families in the same age group. READ MORE AT THE LOS ANGELES TIMES

The COVID-19 pandemic significantly increased interest in wearable health-monitoring devices among low-income Hispanic and Latine adults living in the U.S., a new Northwestern University study has found. The study was published today (May 8) in the Journal of Medical Internet Research. While the pandemic highlighted the need for regular health monitoring, these groups often lack access to affordable health care and sometimes distrust existing health systems. Wearables, therefore, could provide a reliable, at-home alternative to traditional in-clinic health monitoring.

But, although interest has increased, several barriers remain that prevent these groups from adopting wearable technologies. According to the researchers, tech companies historically have designed current wearable devices with affluent, predominantly white users in mind. READ MORE AT NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY NEWS

Latino college students are more likely to be first-generation students and less likely to leave college having earned their degrees, according to a new report from Excelencia in Education. Of the Latino students in U.S. colleges and universities, those of Mexican or Chicano descent constitute almost half (49%) of the population. Meanwhile, students of other Hispanic backgrounds made up 27%; those of Puerto Rican descent made up 12%, and those of Cuban descent 2%. READ MORE AT DIVERSE EDUCATION

Latino enrollment in higher education institutions has been growing with the Hispanic population, and Latinos have made substantial strides in earning college degrees. But the elimination of DEI programs is occurring as Latinos' degree-earning is still failing to keep pace with that of white students. READ MORE AT NBC NEWS

Hispanic Americans currently make up nearly one-fifth of the American population, according to 2022 Census data, and they are the largest racial or ethnic minority group in the country. They have also become a powerful force in the economy, having contributed an estimated $3.2 trillion of economic output in 2021, according to a report last month by the Latino Donor Collaborative — which would give them the fifth-largest GDP in the world if they were grouped as an individual nation. READ MORE AT FINANCIAL PLANNING

U.S. Latinos are key when it comes the nation’s engineering and technology workforce, according to a new joint report from the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE) and the Latino Donor Collaborative (LDC). According to the report, the economic contributions the Latino community makes to the U.S. are immense. The contributions are significant enough that if the national Latino population were its own country, it would have the fifth-largest GDP in the world, $3.2 trillion, despite comprising only 19.1% of the U.S. population. READ MORE AT DIVERSE EDUCATION

Millions of patients are not getting the quality care they deserve from doctors who look like them and speak their language. Research has shown that newly trained physicians of color answer the call to return to their communities and provide culturally competent care that results in improved patient outcomes.

At the same time, the Latino community needs increased representation for Latino physicians in leadership positions on college campuses and in hospitals. We must act and hold educational and health care organizations accountable for the sake of our patients. READ MORE AT CAL MATTERS

The road to higher educational attainment runs through every Hispanic household in America. With a population of 63.7 million, Hispanics are the country’s largest minority group, and today one in every five students in higher ed is Hispanic. The Lumina Foundation-Gallup study conducted last year found that about one in four Hispanic students say they frequently or occasionally experienced discrimination, harassment, and disrespect and felt unsafe as they pursued their educations. READ MORE AT FORBES

The total economic output of U.S. Latinos reached $3.2 trillion in 2021, inching closer to Germany's and staying ahead of India. A report shows U.S. Latino buying power and economic output grew by more than 14% despite the pandemic's disproportionate impact on Latino communities.

While the report focused on the overall strength of the U.S. Latino economy, it did not address the massive economic inequalities still facing Hispanics nationwide. READ MORE AT AXIOS

The Hispanic community is taking the U.S. economy by storm. Projections suggest that Latinos will hold $2.6 trillion in purchasing power over the next three years, a growth that outpaces that of non-Hispanic households. Despite these promising statistics, Latino individuals are still behind financially, for a variety of reasons. READ MORE AT MORNINGSTAR

A Gallup poll found that over half of Latino college students considered leaving college last year, a steep increase from 2020.

For decades, Hispanic enrollment at four-year colleges and universities has been on the rise, and it saw a new high in 2022. But difficulties, particularly with affordability and accessibility, are increasingly making it hard for Latino students to remain enrolled, according to a Lumina Foundation-Gallup “State of Higher Education” poll. READ MORE AT NBC NEWS