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SUBJ/OBSERVANCE OF HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH 2010// 

RMKS/1.  NATIONAL HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH WILL BE OBSERVED FROM 15 
SEPTEMBER - 15 OCTOBER 2010.  THE THEME FOR THIS YEAR'S OBSERVANCE IS 
"HERITAGE, DIVERSITY, INTEGRITY, AND HONOR:  THE RENEWED HOPE OF 
AMERICA."

2.  IN SEPTEMBER 1968, CONGRESS AUTHORIZED PRESIDENT LYNDON B.
JOHNSON TO PROCLAIM A NATIONAL HISPANIC HERITAGE WEEK.  TWENTY YEARS 
LATER, THE OBSERVANCE WAS EXPANDED BY CONGRESS TO A MONTH-LONG 
COMMEMORATION TO CELEBRATE THE CULTURE AND TRADITIONS OF THOSE WHO 
TRACE THEIR ROOTS TO SPAIN, MEXICO, AND THE SPANISH-SPEAKING NATIONS OF 
CENTRAL AMERICA, SOUTH AMERICA, AND THE CARIBBEAN.  SEPTEMBER 15 WAS 
CHOSEN AS THE STARTING POINT OF THE COMMEMORATION BECAUSE IT IS THE 
ANNIVERSARY OF THE INDEPENDENCE OF THE FIVE LATIN AMERICAN COUNTRIES OF 
COSTA RICA, EL SALVADOR, GUATEMALA, HONDURAS, AND NICARAGUA.  MEXICO 
AND CHILE CELEBRATE THEIR INDEPENDENCE DAYS ON SEPTEMBER 16 AND 18, 
RESPECTIVELY.

3.  THE STRENGTH OF OUR NAVY AND NATION IS A DIRECT REFLECTION OF THE 
DIVERSITY OF OUR PEOPLE.  WITH A POPULATION OF MORE THAN 48 MILLION, 
HISPANIC AMERICANS COMPRISE OUR NATION'S LARGEST ETHNIC OR RACIAL 
MINORITY.  BY 2050, HISPANIC AMERICANS ARE PROJECTED TO CONSTITUTE 30 
PERCENT OF THE NATION'S POPULATION AND 24 PERCENT OF OUR COUNTRY'S 
WORKFORCE.

4.  TODAY, MORE THAN 63,000 HISPANIC OR LATINO SAILORS AND CIVILIANS 
SERVE HONORABLY IN THE UNITED STATES NAVY.  EVERY DAY, AND IN EVERY 
FACET OF NAVAL OPERATIONS, THESE TALENTED PROFESSIONALS OF OUR TOTAL 
FORCE WORK, SERVE, AND SACRIFICE FOR OUR NATION AND FELLOW CITIZENS.
EACH BRINGS UNIQUE PERSPECTIVES AND EXPERIENCES TO OUR NAVY, ENHANCING 
OUR CULTURE AND IMPROVING OUR MISSION READINESS.

5.  HISPANIC AMERICANS HAVE SERVED BRAVELY IN THE UNITED STATES NAVY IN 
EVERY WAR AND CONFLICT SINCE THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION.  COMMANDER MARION 
FREDERICK RAMIREZ DE ARELLANO, NAVY'S FIRST HISPANIC SUBMARINE 
COMMANDING OFFICER, RECEIVED TWO SILVER STARS, THE LEGION OF MERIT, AND 
THE BRONZE STAR FOR HIS ACTIONS AGAINST THE IMPERIAL JAPANESE NAVY IN 
WORLD WAR II.  MARIA RODRIGUEZ DENTON WAS THE FIRST WOMAN OF PUERTO 
RICAN DESCENT TO BECOME AN OFFICER IN THE UNITED STATES NAVY AS A 
MEMBER OF THE WAVES.  IN JULY 2006, JOE CAMPA BECAME THE FIRST HISPANIC 
MASTER CHIEF PETTY OFFICER OF THE NAVY.
COMMANDER YVETTE GONZALES DAVIDS BECAME THE FIRST HISPANIC WOMAN TO 
COMMAND A SURFACE COMBATANT WHEN SHE TOOK COMMAND OF THE USS CURTS (FFG 
38) IN 2007.

6.  ALL COMMANDS ARE STRONGLY ENCOURAGED TO INCREASE THEIR KNOWLEDGE 
AND AWARENESS OF HISPANIC CULTURE AND CONTRIBUTIONS BY CELEBRATING 
HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH THROUGH PROGRAMS, EXHIBITS, PUBLICATIONS, AND 
PARTICIPATION IN MILITARY AND COMMUNITY EVENTS.  A PRESENTATION IS 
AVAILABLE ON THE DEFENSE EQUAL OPPORTUNITY MANAGEMENT INSTITUTE WEB 
SITE AT WWW.DEOMI.ORG/SPECIALOBSERVANCE/PRESENTATIONS.CFM?CATID=6.  A 
SHOWCASE OF HISPANIC AMERICANS IN NAVAL HISTORY BY THE NAVAL HISTORY 
AND HERITAGE COMMAND CAN BE FOUND AT
WWW.HISTORY.NAVY.MIL/SPECIAL%20HIGHLIGHTS/HISPANIC/HISPANIC-
INDEX.HTM.

7.  COMMANDS ARE ALSO ENCOURAGED TO SUPPORT THE NAVAL SERVICES HISPANIC 
AFFINITY GROUP, THE ASSOCIATION OF NAVAL SERVICES OFFICERS (ANSO).  FOR 
MORE INFORMATION VISIT HTTP://WWW.ANSOMIL.ORG.

8.  MORE INFORMATION ON DIVERSITY CONFERENCES, EVENTS, AND OBSERVANCES 
IS AVAILABLE AT THE NAVY DIVERSITY WEB SITE:
WWW.NPC.NAVY.MIL/COMMANDSUPPORT/DIVERSITY.

9.  POINT OF CONTACT IS LT LAURA STEGHERR, OPNAV N134, AT (703) 695-
0820/DSN 225 OR VIA E-MAIL AT laura.stegherr@navy.mil.

10.  RELEASED BY ADMIRAL G. ROUGHEAD, CHIEF OF NAVAL OPERATIONS.// 

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