Most months the Penn's Village Inclusiveness and Diversity Committee recommends several resources to help our members and friends to be more aware of the racial biases in each of us and in our society, and the resulting inequities, past and present. It is the committee’s hope that this information may even inspire us to make corrective changes. These resources assembled by Penn’s Village members represent different mediums, different perspectives and experiences, and diverse authors.
Penn’s Village welcomes and actively encourages an inclusive and diverse community of members, staff, Board of Directors and volunteers. Inclusiveness and diversity mean welcoming all and excluding no one because of age, race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, physical abilities, religious beliefs or political beliefs.
At the very bottom of this page, blog readers have the opportunity to comment. The Inclusiveness and Diversity Committee welcomes your opinions about any of our suggested resources and any suggestions about their mission.
September 15,—October 15, 2026 Hispanic Heritage Month
The Hispanic population of the United States as of July 1, 2023, was 65.2 million, making it our country’s largest racial ethnic minority. Hispanics now are 19.5% of American residents. Philadelphia’s Hispanic population is 16 % of our residents and is our city’s fastest growing demographic.
Hispanic Heritage Month from September 15 to October 15 celebrates the contributions of Americans tracing their roots to Spain, Mexico, Central America, South America and the Spanish-speaking nations of the Caribbean. This celebration starts September 15th because that is the independence anniversary of Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. Mexico commemorates its independence on September 16th and Chile on September 18th.
If You Have Time to Investigate Only One Entry in this Blog, this Is the One
To discover 20 opportunities to observe Hispanic Heritage Month in Philadelphia that include art shows, food festivals, museum exhibits, Latino restaurant week, the Puerto Rican parade, the Mexican independence day festival and much more click here.
To find some of the many Latino-owned restaurants in Philadelphia click here.
To locate the many Latino-owned shops and boutiques in greater Philadelphia click here.
Movie: Beatriz at Dinner
Beatriz (a documented Mexican immigrant) is a Los Angeles massage therapist and holistic healer who drives to the seaside mansion of her client, Cathy. When her old Volkswagen breaks down, she receives a friendly invitation from Cathy to stay for a seemingly innocent business dinner. As the guests arrive and the wine starts to flow, Beatriz (Salma Hayek) finds herself in an escalating war of words with Doug Strutt (John Lithgow), a ruthless real estate mogul. This film addresses contemporary controversies from economic inequality to the issue of basic human kindness. Beatriz at Dinner is a 2017 film that can be viewed for free at Starz or at On Demand for $3.99.
Books:
The Undocumented Americans by Karla Villavicencio
Ms Villavicencio is one of the first undocumented immigrants to graduate from Harvard. Her National Book Award Finalist Book reveals the hidden lives of her fellow undocumented Americans. It is a deeply personal, groundbreaking portrait of America.
Silver, Sword, and Stone by Maria Arana
Against the background of a thousand years of vivid history, acclaimed writer Marie Arana tells the timely and timeless stories of three contemporary Latin Americans. Their lives represent three driving forces that have shaped the character of the region: exploitation (silver), violence (sword), and religion (stone).