Lieutenant Governor Evelyn Sanguinetti joined Governor Bruce Rauner, Congresswoman Robin Kelly, consuls general, local elected officials, and numerous leaders from the Hispanic community in Illinois for a festive breakfast this morning at the University of Illinois at Chicago to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month.
“Regardless of where we come from, whether we are from Mexico, Central America, South America or the Caribbean, we all have so many things in common: we share the same language, we are sons and daughters of immigrants, and we even share common values of faith, family and hard work,” Sanguinetti said as she addressed the crowd.
Sanguinetti is the first Latina lieutenant governor elected in Illinois and in the entire country. Her mother was a refugee from Cuba and her father is from Ecuador.
Hosted by Univision’s anchor Jorge Barbosa, the celebration included performances by several traditional Hispanic groups from the Chicago-area, and speeches by Lt. Governor Sanguinetti, Governor Rauner, and UIC Chancellor Michael Amiridis. The keynote speaker was well-known community leader, Juan Salgado. Salgado is president and CEO of the Instituto del Progreso Latino.
Hispanic Heritage Month is celebrated in the United States from September 15 through October 15, and it’s a time when people from all over America recognize the cultural, economic and civic contributions that Hispanics have made to our country.