At a time when Latinx citizens and immigrants are targeted because of their language and culture, the Diverse Elders Coalition rejects harmful, discriminatory policies and practices. Instead, we join our member organization the National Hispanic Council on Aging (NHCOA) in celebrating National Hispanic Heritage Month and the many contributions that Hispanic older adults bring to our communities and our country. Read on for Hispanic Heritage Month highlights from the coalition and beyond.

• Wisdom from Hispanic Elders and Leaders to Kick Off Hispanic Heritage Month / Con la sabiduría de los adultos mayores y líderes Hispanos celebramos el inicio del Mes de la Herencia Hispana!: We’ll be sharing stories of Latinx community, culture, tradition, and resilience all month long on our blog, Facebook and Twitter, but I wanted to start our celebration off right with a series of powerful quotes from Hispanic older adults and leaders that will inspire you all month long.
• “Wake up! Don’t be sad, now is when you have energy left!” Agueda stays active, walks at least 30 minutes every day, does her shopping, cleans her apartment, washes and iron her clothes, and takes care of her plants. During the winter she usually does what she likes most: cooking! She is very confident about her cooking skills. “I’m the best at preparing Bandera Dominicana which is a typical dish of rice, beans and meat.”
• Addressing the Social Determinants of Brain Health: Given that people of color are more likely to be exposed to pollution compared to non-Hispanic whites, this risk factor for Alzheimer’s disportionately impacts Latinos and African Americans. These social determinants and comorbidities work together to weaken brain health and undermine the resiliency needed to fight cognitive decline. This results in a heavy healthcare and economic burden on communities of color.
• Recording Available for Health Disparities Webinar with the All of Us Research Program: In case you missed our webinar on health research and health disparities with the All of Us Research Program, a recording of this webinar is now available here. Just enter your name and email address and you will be able to watch the full presentation at any time!

Join us on Facebook and Twitter to hear more stories of Hispanic Heritage, culture, language, tradition, family caregiving, and la familia all month long — and tell us your story in our Diverse Elders Stories Initiative!

The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the Diverse Elders Coalition.