Is ‘Hispanic’ the right word? Wisconsin Latinos discuss how they describe their heritage
Each Hispanic Heritage Month, the conversation of what “Hispanic” means and whether people identify with it resurfaces.
A Hispanic heritage flag could hang in Milwaukee city buildings and facilities every year during Hispanic Heritage Month under a proposal that got the backing of a Common Council committee.
The move comes amidst a flurry of flag-related debates related to the city’s official flag. This proposed flag for Milwaukee would be called “Avanzando Hispanic Heritage Flag.”
In 2022, Common Council approved a resolution to officially recognize Hispanic Heritage month from Sept. 15- Oct. 15, but the city has never flown a flag like it does, for example, during pride month.
Avanzando is an employee resource group for the City of Milwaukee that focuses on the advancement of the Hispanic/Latinx community.
In Spanish, Avanzado means “moving forward,” which is what the resource group is looking to achieve with the installment.
“Our city is a special melting pot of different cultures which make up a rich fabric that distinguishes the City of Milwaukee from many others in the state of Wisconsin,” Jessica Sanchez, Chair of Avanzando said at the July 2 meeting of the Public Works Committee.
The design rendering includes over 20 flags for countries that represent Latino culture. They hope the flag is a symbol for “unity, pride, resilience, strength and achievements.”
