Hispanic Heritage Month Celebrated At the Detroit Arsenal

By Bill Gattie, TACOM LCMC Public AffairsOctober 11, 2012

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WARREN, Mich. -- The 2012 U.S. Army TACOM Life Cycle Management Command (LCMC) Hispanic Heritage Month program, sponsored by the Program Executive Office Combat Support and Combat Service Support (PEO CS&CSS), was held September 26 at the Detroit Arsenal. The theme was "Diversity United, Building America's Future Today."

Mistress of Ceremonies Barbara Stallworth welcomed the audience and introduced Luis Acosta, from the TACOM LCMC Intellectual Property Law Division, who sang the National Anthem, and Angela Hamilton-Howard, from the TACOM LCMC Corporate Information Office, who delivered the invocation. Kevin Fahey, Program Executive Officer PEO CS&CSS, introduced the guest speaker, Dr. Emmett Lombard, Professor, Oakland University.

Lombard is Associate Professor of Political Science at Oakland University in Rochester, Mich. He teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in Public Sector Human Resources, and undergraduate courses in Latin American Politics and International Studies. His research focuses on environmental policy in North, Central and South America and includes International Management of the Environment and Pollution Control in North America.

Lombard spoke about some of the contributions that Hispanic Americans have made to our society in areas such as medicine, science, education, literature and politics. "It would be impossible to ignore the enormous contributions that Hispanic Americans have made to our culture and society in the last century," he said. He also noted that the Hispanic population in the United States has grown faster since 2000 than the total U.S. population. The Hispanic population increased 43 percent between 2000 and 2010, compared to 9.7 percent for the total U.S. population. It is expected that Hispanics will make up 30 percent of the U.S. population by 2050.

Lombard also noted that Hispanic representation among new hires into the Senior Executive Service of the Federal Government increased from 2.7 percent in 2010 to 5.4 percent in 2011. Hispanic representation in the Army is expected to increase significantly due to recruiting efforts targeted toward Hispanic youth.

Following Lombard's speech, Alma Espanola Performers, comprised of Victoria Treglowne , Lisa Montes and Garialan Blugraye, performed three Spanish dances. At the conclusion of the program, Fahey presented a certificate of appreciation to Lombard and TACOM LCMC Chief of Staff Col. Ronald Shun presented him with a two-star note signed by TACOM LCMC Commander Maj. Gen. Michael Terry.

Hispanic Heritage Month began on September 15, the anniversary of independence for five Latin American countries--Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. In addition, Mexico declared its independence on September 16 and Chile on September 18. On September 17, 1968, Congress designated the week including September 15 and 16 as National Hispanic Heritage Week. This law was amended in 1988 designating the period beginning September 15 and ending October 15 as National Hispanic Heritage Month.