UTICA, N.Y. — The Mohawk Valley Latino Association brought the community together for a special celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month at the Oneida County History Center.
The event featured guest speaker Dr. Jose Maldonado, executive director of the medical societies of Oneida, Herkimer, Madison, Chenango, Cayuga and Oswego counties.
Dr. Maldonado discussed the important contributions from Puerto Rico, Cuba and the Dominican Republic to the United States during the American Revolution and the country’s development.
“At the time when Washington was at Yorktown, his troops had not been paid in months; it was the contribution that Latinos made that made it possible for him to pay those soldiers. The fact that the Latinos had been involved in the Gulf Campaign meant that the British had to divert their troops to the Gulf, making the numbers at Yorktown much lower. So, the success that was had at Yorktown that was enjoyed by folks who founded this country was in essence part of the Latino history as well,” Maldonado said.
The program was free and gave people a chance to celebrate the rich contributions of Latino culture to the founding of the United States.
The Mohawk Valley Latino Association brought the community together for a special celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month at the Oneida County History Center.
