Corpus Christi 2012 Hispanic Heritage Celebration
Cantos del Pueblo
The Corpus Christi 2012 Hispanic Heritage Celebration committee is comprised of approximately nineteen local organizations. The committee serves as an umbrella for area organizations that desire to share the Hispanic culture, traditions, and rich history with the community during National Hispanic Heritage Month.
History
Corpus Christi’s rich Hispanic ancestral roots can be traced to 1519. On the Roman Catholic Feast Day of Corpus Christi, Spanish explorer Alonzo Alvarez de Pineda discovered a lush semi-tropical bay on what is now the southern coast of Texas. The bay, and the city that later sprung up there, took the name of the feast day celebrating the "Body of Christ." The spot Pineda discovered is now home to the largest city on the Texas Coast and is the sixth largest port in the nation in total tonnage.
In 1975, President Gerald Ford proclaimed the first Hispanic Heritage Month in the United States. Corpus Christi, Texas has a history of celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month. In the 1950’s and 1960’s, Memorial Coliseum was the venue for the Hispanic celebration that included the Mexican Consulate.
Today
Hispanic Celebrations include numerous events presented by organizations in the Corpus Christi Area. The activities are planned so participants can enjoy the richness of the Hispanic culture. Corpus Christi 2012 Hispanic Heritage Celebration will present a diversified calendar of educational, entertaining, and exciting events, including the Mayor’s official proclamation of 2012 Hispanic Heritage Celebration during the Inaugural Celebration on September 13, 2012 at the Selena Auditorium. All of these festivities generate tremendous community involvement, pride and excitement.
Long Term Goals
- To foster, promote, and preserve the Hispanic heritage and culture of the Corpus Christi area.
- To contribute to the continuing enrichment of the Hispanic culture, traditions and heritage in the Corpus Christi area for all segments of our population.
- To develop a unified voice in promoting a better understanding of the dynamic and progressive Hispanic community.
- To enrich the Corpus Christi area community as a whole through the preservation and enrichment of the Hispanic Heritage and culture.
Immediate Goals
- To be the coordinating force of the fall festivities of Corpus Christi 2012 Hispanic Heritage Celebration.
- To publish the bilingual Calendar of Events of the Corpus Christi 2012 Hispanic Heritage Celebration.
- To promote the collaboration that exists among Hispanic Organizations.
- To organize and promote the Inaugural Celebration to launch the Corpus Christi 2012 Hispanic Heritage Celebration
- To make Corpus Christi 2012 Hispanic Heritage Celebration the best ever and to serve the cultural needs and interests of the Corpus Christi area’s growing Hispanic community.