“Latinos Unidos en Fond du Lac” (Latinos United in Fond du Lac) is a community group (youth and adults) that has been working together for a year with the purpose to connect, educate, and empower Latinos in our county.

In September, the group hosted a Celebration of Independence event. This was a cultural event to celebrate Hispanic heritage with many reasons to celebrate! Each year, Americans observe National Hispanic Heritage Month from September 15 to October 15 by celebrating the histories, cultures and contributions of American citizens whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America. The day of September 15 is significant because it is the anniversary of independence for Latin American countries Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. In addition, Mexico and Chile celebrate their independence days on September 16 and September18, respectively. And Columbus Day or Día de la Raza, which is October 12, falls within this 30-day period.

Over 200 people participated in this event, everyone contributed to the celebration with food, piñatas, traditional dances, music, etc. County Executive Allen Buechel joined the celebration and shared a welcoming message for the Latino community.

The group is looking forward to continuing meeting to keep on learning, connecting with others, and looking for ways to engage in and with the Fond du Lac community.

Article By: Araceli Oswald