JONESBORO, Ark. (KAIT) – A month-long celebration of Hispanic culture has officially kicked off across the United States.<\/p>\n
Hispanic Heritage Month celebrates Hispanic and Latino culture in the United States. In Arkansas, Hispanics make up about 10%<\/a> of the population, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.<\/p>\n El Centro Hispano in Jonesboro says the celebration is important because it highlights the many cultures within the Hispanic community.<\/p>\n Gustavo Ambriz, development officer at El Centro Hispano, said the observance changes how people view one another.<\/p>\n \u201cIt helps because that way it challenges the community in a different way as it changes the perspectives, it changes how people think about one another, and how can we support each other at the same time,\u201d Ambriz said.<\/p>\n Ambriz said the organization\u2019s presence in Jonesboro is vital to the growing community.<\/p>\n \u201cAll these resources are because it is important to remember that Hispanic individuals that comes to the United States have a lot of barriers, especially talking about language and also how to navigate the process. And so what we want is to be able to serve them, to help them,\u201d Ambriz said.<\/p>\n Hispanics are the largest minority group in the United States, making up about 20%<\/a> of the U.S. population.<\/p>\n The Hispanic population in Arkansas grew from just under 20,000 in 1990 to over 250,000 in 2020, according to the Encyclopedia of Arkansas<\/a>. <\/p>\n Hispanic Heritage Month starts on September 15 each year because many Central American countries celebrate their independence from Spain during the 30-day period.<\/p>\n