From September 15th to October 15th each year, we come together to celebrate Latin Heritage Month. This has particular significance to us at BB Events, being of Brazilian heritage, so it’s a chance to celebrate the many contributions of our community and how we can continue to highlight them, particularly through our events.

What is Latin Heritage Month?

Latin Heritage Month (or National Hispanic Heritage Month) began in 1968 as a way to celebrate the histories, cultures and contributions of American citizens whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean and Central and South America. There remains some discussion on whether it should be called Latin/LatinX/Latino/Hispanic Heritage Month. But to properly encompass all countries in South America, we at BB Events are going to refer to it as “Latin Heritage Month.” Hispanic refers only to Spanish-speaking countries, while Latino refers to all Latin American countries – including Brazil (Portuguese-speaking country) where my heritage hails from. So Latin Heritage Month it is!

But no matter what you call it, it’s an important time to recognize the fact that these labels aren’t supposed to be a way to group us all together into a homogenous group. Rather, it’s a way of showing the solidarity and often, shared experiences of the diversity that identifies us as Latin or Hispanic.

How Can Events Help Us Celebrate Latin Heritage?

Latin culture often offers up images of celebration, color and passion. And it’s not entirely wrong. Many of these elements from my Brazilian heritage have informed the work we do at BB Events (including the inspiration for our Portuguese tile logo!). We are passionate about celebrating our communities and the good work that they do as vendors, small businesses and inspiring individuals. The events that we create are dynamic and engaging, allowing attendees to better connect with the stories behind the partners with whom we work.

Events give us a chance to see cultures and ideas represented in exciting stories. Whether they’re on the stage, presenting at a showcase or catering the event with their uniquely-inspired menu, there is a chance to put diversity at every stage of the event planning process. It’s why we’re committed to looking at every detail and asking ensuring that we make your event the most impactful it can be. You can find out more about how BB Events does that here.

How Can I Ensure Our Event Taps Into Latin Heritage?

A core way that events can celebrate the contributions of Latin American people is through the choice of vendors or small businesses to support. Here are some of our favorites that we like to work with in the Bay Area and beyond:

What Else Can I Do to Celebrate Latin Heritage?

Ensuring proper diversity in our communities – particularly for the Latin community – is to allow for their stories to shine through and include them in conversations that drive our community forward.

In particular, we’ve been inspired by We All Grow Latina, that share Latin stories and Latina Entrepreneurs, a place for us to connect and collaborate. We also love the work of J Marin Consultancy – a Latina business manager that helps CEOs and business owners like ourselves to thrive. And A La Mode Branding that provide vibrant marketing and branding for solopreneurs and nonprofits.

At BB Events, we are committed to uplifting our fellow Latin entrepreneurs through our events and communications. We invite you to join us on Instagram as we continue to share their stories and celebrate their contributions to our community.

 

Do you know a Latin-owned businesses we should know? Drop them in the comments below.