ORLANDO, Fla. \u2014 As Ricardo Miranda walks down the hallway of the Orange County Administration Center, he is surrounded by bright paintings: parrots, the border collie Tsunami and a can of Cafe Bustelo.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s beautiful to have this representation here in Orange County,” Miranda said. “To see my flag, that brings so much joy.”<\/p>\n
The artwork is part of Orange County and the Hispanic Heritage Network of Orange County’s Hispanic Heritage Month display. This year\u2019s theme is \u201cUnidos Somos M\u00e1s,\u201d or \u201cTogether We Are More.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s an American game, but it\u2019s so important to us Latinos because there\u2019s so much representation,” Miranda said, referring to a painting of two baseball players surrounded by American flags that is in the display.<\/p>\n
Miranda, an Orange County special events coordinator, helped put together displays inside the administration center, where community artwork, flags and traditional dresses from eight countries are on exhibit.<\/p>\n
Miranda said it can serve as a connection to home for people who have not returned to their countries in years.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor some people, this is a little piece of home that they have here in Orange County,\u201d Miranda said. \u201cSome people that haven\u2019t been to their country in years, they get the opportunity to come here and see this, and it reminds them of their home.\u201d<\/p>\n
It’s a feeling he understands well; Miranda, from Bayam\u00f3n, Puerto Rico, is among the thousands of Puerto Ricans who left the island for Florida shortly after Hurricane Maria hit in September 2017. At the time, he was 23. He said his family lost power and water, and it was difficult to get gas, though their home remained structurally safe.<\/p>\n
Miranda moved to Orlando to enroll at UCF.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you had told that kid that he was going to be living in Orlando and working for government, he would have said there\u2019s no way,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n