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Celebrate Hispanic Contributions During Hispanic Heritage MonthBy Tomás Alberto AvilaWith a salute to Christopher Columbus and a bow to the many Hispanics in Providence,Hispanic Heritage Month is once again upon us. Commencing on September 15, withIndependence Day for Central America and ending on October 15, the four weeks of celebration will be pack with social events and festivals honoring Hispanic contributionsto America. Hispanic Heritage Month is the occasion for the Latino community to cometogether not only to celebrate their accomplishments, but to share with America at largeour diversity and pride as a people.As the youngest and fastest-growing segment of our population, Hispanic Americans arean increasingly vital part of our economy. Hispanic American-owned businesses and inrecent years the number of companies owned by Hispanic women, in particular, havegrown at three times the overall rate of business growth. Our citizens with roots in Southand Central America, the Caribbean, and Spain have inherited an entrepreneurial spiritand an intense work ethic that have helped energize the strongest American economy in ageneration.Throughout our history, America's promise of individual freedom and opportunity hasdrawn millions upon millions of immigrants from across the globe. As these newcomersarrived, they gradually wove their own traditions into the tapestry of our Nation's cultureand society. The world's economy is becoming ever more interdependent andcompetitive, and these changes and others brought on by the revolution incommunication technologies are lowering many of the old barriers to economic, cultural,and intellectual exchange among nations. In this new global community, the UnitedStates benefits greatly from the contributions that Hispanic Americans bring to our economy and our society.The recent release of the 2000 Census has confirmed that the Latino segment of the population is the fastest growing - and not only is it growing in number, but also in purchasing power. Of the over 281 million total population of the United States,Hispanics account for 12.5. Add to this, the double digit growth rates from 1990 to 2000,their concentration in the largest U.S. cities, and over $4 billion of consumer purchasing power, and these are indeed markets to take notice of.According to to a report released by the Commerce Department's Census Bureau, LatinoOwned businesess totaled 1.2 million firms, employed over1.3 million people andgenerated $186.3 billion in revenues in 1997. Hispanic-owned firms made up 6 percent of the 20.8 million nonfarm businesses in the nation and 1 percent of the $18.6 trillion inreceipts for all businesses.Hispanic citizens also are vital to America's success in expanding trade and developingcloser ties with nations throughout the Western Hemisphere. Sharing a rich cultural and
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