PHOTO RELEASE: Gottheimer Hosts Hispanic Heritage Month Roundtable with North Jersey Community Leaders and Advocates

Above: Gottheimer Hosts Roundtable for Hispanic American Heritage Month.

BERGENFIELD, NJ — Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5) hosted a Hispanic Heritage Month Roundtable in Bergenfield, bringing together community leaders, advocates, educators, local elected officials, county officials, faith leaders, veteran advocates, and workforce professionals from across North Jersey to celebrate the contributions of the Hispanic and Latino community and discuss the challenges families continue to face.

“It’s this diversity of Hispanic and Latino cultures, honestly, that makes North Jersey strong and such a vibrant place to live, work, and raise a family,” Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5). “If we work together to lift one another up and highlight the diversity that gives us our strength, in the greatest country in the world, our best days will always be ahead of us.”

In New Jersey’s Fifth District, more than 151,000 constituents are part of the Hispanic and Latino community, with towns like Hackensack, Englewood, and Bergenfield — where roughly a third of residents are Hispanic — among the fastest-growing ethnic groups in the state.

This roundtable was hosted during National Hispanic American Heritage Month, which is celebrated every year from September 15th to October 15th to honor the cultures and contributions of both Hispanic and Latino Americans. First, this observance originated as Hispanic Heritage Week under President Lyndon Johnson in 1968. Then, it was expanded by President Ronald Reagan in 1988 to cover this 30-day period, from mid-September to mid-October.

This event discussed a range of priorities, including access to affordable and culturally competent health care and mental health care, rising costs and housing affordability, community safety and immigration enforcement concerns, language barriers, and barriers to education.

Gottheimer was joined by Camelia Valdes, Passaic County Prosecutor; Raúl Ruiz, President of the New Jersey Coalition of Latino Pastors and Ministers; John Lucas, President of the Statewide Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of New Jersey; Gladis Cuadros, Career Services Supervisor at the Women’s Rights Information Center; Matilde Villacorta, Career Counselor at the Women’s Rights Information Center; Ramon Hache, Ridgewood YMCA President and former Bergen County Commissioner; Francisco Galindo, Director of Coaching and Mentoring at ALPFA New Jersey; Bolívar Flores, Vice President of the New Jersey Coalition of Latino Pastors and Ministers; Larry F. Mantilla, President of Latino Veterans of NJ; Zoila Cassanova, Surrogate Judge of Passaic County; Roberto Diaz, Hackensack Councilman; Daisy Velez, Washington Township Councilwoman;Germaine Ortiz, Bergen County Commissioner; Nathalie Salinas, Councilwoman and Vice President of the Fair Lawn Latin Heritage Committee; Arvin Amatorio, Mayor of Bergenfield; Hernando Rivera, Bergenfield Councilman; Matthew Gonzalez, Social Media and Student Outreach Fellow at the New Jersey Center for Hispanic Policy, Research and Development; and Gladys Ciron-Ricci, Program Officer at the New Jersey Center for Hispanic Policy, Research and Development.

Below: Gottheimer Hosts Roundtable for Hispanic American Heritage Month.

###