American Latino Heritage Fund Aims to Tell History of U.S. Latinos

Published at 5:19 pm, January 3, 2012

Latinos have left an indelible mark on the history of the United States and, with the current wave of anti-immigrant sentiment among some sectors of the population, it is time to “tell their history well” and honor their legacy, Midy Aponte, the interim director of the American Latino Heritage Fund, said Tuesday.

“We’re not going to get into politics because that is not my job but, of course, like pounding a drum, we can highlight all the positive things and contributions of Latinos throughout the entire history of the United States, not only at this time but since its founding as a country,” the 34-year-old Aponte said in an interview with Efe.

Aponte, a Cuban-American, was appointed in early December to be the interim executive director of the American Latino Heritage Fund, created in 2011 by Interior Secretary Ken Salazar with the aim of honoring and preserving “the complete history” of Latinos in the United States.

“We’re a force that can’t be discounted. We have to tell our stories and elevate them, to teach our children about our contributions and never allow them to be silenced,” said Aponte, president and CEO of The Sanchez Ricardo Agency, a public relations firm ...

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