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The City of Boston kicked off Hispanic Heritage Month last Sunday with music and dance performances at Fiesta en la Plaza, a celebration of Latin culture in honor of the start of the month.
Running from Sept. 15 through Oct. 15, Hispanic Heritage Month recognizes the contributions and achievements of Latin communities globally, coinciding with the dates of independence from European colonial power in Central and Latin American countries throughout the 19th and 20th centuries. Boston’s Latin community currently makes up 20% of the overall population, and have led population growth in the city since 1980.
As the first Afro-Latina to be elected to Boston City Council, City Councilor At-Large Julia Mejia has long been an advocate for Boston’s Latin and Black communities.
Moving to Dorchester from the Dominican Republic at five years old, Councilor Mejia knows just how isolating not having representation can be.
“I remember one time [a] case manager was being really mean spirited, and even though I was nine years old, I still felt that because we were poor and Hispanic,” Mejia told Boston.com.