Hispanic Heritage Month at Scissortail Park.
The number of people in Oklahoma who identify as Hispanic or Latino has jumped in the last decade.
According to the 2020 census, those who identify as Hispanic or Latino in Oklahoma jumped from 8.9% to 11.9%. They remain the second-largest racial ethnic group in the state being 21% of Oklahoma City’s population.
One of the highlights about the Hispanic community in OKC is the diversity. Not only is there a mixture of first-generation Americans whose Mexican families have been in OKC for years; but there are also large groups of people from other countries like Guatemala, Puerto Rico, Colombia, Venezuela, Panama and Peru.
Hispanic Culture has become most influential during last year, not only because of its language; whichis the most studied language in the US; but also because its food, art, music and ethnic beauty that have crossed borders.
The history of Hispanic Heritage Month dates back to 1968, when President Lyndon B. Johnson signed a law designating the week of September 15 as “National Hispanic Heritage Week”.
After that, the United States government urged educational entities and civil organizations to celebrate each year by carrying out cultural activities that recognize the value of the Hispanic community.
The biggest Hispanic headcounts are found in the State´s largest cities. Oklahoma City tops the list with 110,038 Hispanic residents, followed by Tulsa, 55,266; Lawton, 12,160; Norman, 7,082, and Broken Arrow, 6,378. Some towns have smaller Hispanic populations, but they are catching up quickly.
The Latino community is showing no signs of slowing down; actually, it is expected to be a growing economic and cultural force in the country.
Scissortail Park: a multicultural venue.
Scissortail Park is a community space that strives to be a venue that is safe and welcoming for all people, regardless of race, age, creed, nationality, language, gender, sexual orientation or ability. Scissortail is for everyone and we promote diverse forms of outdoor engagement through our events, ranger programs, pop up wellness sessions, concerts, handcrafts classes and markets.
We are a community that believes meaningful outdoor experiences make us healthier and happier and we love watching families gathering around the Park having quality time together!
We are aware and care about the growing Hispanic Community in OKC and that is why our Park signage is also available in Spanish. Inclusion is important for us and we want everyone to be able to enjoy the Park without language limitations.
Scissortail Park is intended to connect and engage with the OKC Community, embracing culture as part of the values that we as an Organization represent.
It is our pride to be one of the most important venues in OKC to host Hispanic Heritage Month Events and we are happy to be a place that celebrates culture and inclusion. Certainly, this will be a great month for the Latino Community and we are honored to join this remarkable celebration.
Make plans for our upcoming events.
On Ocober 7th, Scissortail Park will be hosting Hispanic Fiesta with Marti Rickman and many other guest dancers. This is a celebration of the Hispanic culture representing multiple countries through music, dance, food, and a vendor showcase.
On October 30th Celebration of the Day of the Dead will take place at the Love’s Travel Stops Stage & Great Lawn with vendors, music, ofrendas, and dancing produced by Tango PR.
