Immigrants are one of the biggest factors that help the D.C. region grow and that fact is being celebrated this month.

“My mission in the office is to improve the quality [of life] for D.C.’s latino residents,” says Jackie Reyes, director of the Mayor’s office on Latino Affairs, to learn more about how immigration benefits the greater Washington area.

This includes outreach as well as ensuring language accessibility to make life easier and better for non-English speakers.

“One of the values that Mayor [Muriel] Bowser shares is diversity, and that’s what makes this city stronger. As the nation’s capital, it reflects everything. We have more than 100 countries represented in the district,” Reyes said.

Much of D.C.’s immigrant population is Latino. “So, we’re proclaiming the month, September 15 to October 15, as the Hispanic Heritage Month,” said Reyes.

Hispanic Heritage Month serves to showcase and amplify Hispanic culture, spirit, and accomplishments as a community in the D.C. area.
“If you see who’s doing your sidewalks, you could appreciate our culture there. In the restaurants, who’s serving you food? You’ll see Latinos. If you go into a hotel, and you open up your doors, you’ll see a Latino who’s doing your room,” she said.

“You see cranes, but if you see who’s doing the work, you’ll see a Latino descendant.”

“For us, to be sitting at the table and making things happen for the community, is big. And then, we become so loyal that we cherish this country,” said Reyes.

Working for the mayor, Reyes said that her favorite thing is to see how much Mayor Bowser cares about the city and its immigrants. “This is a lady who goes to bed thinking about how she can make the city better.”

“After the election on November 8th, she said… we’re going to stay strong, we’re going to stick with our D.C. values,” said Reyes. “We’re going to cherish everybody.”

Copyright © 2024 Federal News Network. All rights reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.