“Collective Heritage: Honoring the Past, Inspiring the Future”
Each year, Americans observe National Hispanic Heritage month from Sept.15 through Oct. 15 to celebrate the culture and achievements of the more than 3.6 million Hispanic residents in New York and more than 60 million people of Hispanic heritage nationwide. These dates were chosen to recognize the independence days of eight specific countries – Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Mexico, Chile and Belize. The National Council of Hispanic Employment Program Managers has designated “Collective Heritage: Honoring the Past, Inspiring the Future” as the 2025 Hispanic Heritage Month theme to honor the rich diversity, resilience, and contributions of Hispanic and Latine communities in the United States past, present, and future. It is an important reminder that New York’s diversity is a strength, and we should continue celebrating our collective heritage and the contributions Hispanic culture makes to helping our environment, health, economy and overall well-being thrive.
According to a 2013 report issued by the Hispanic Federation, New York State (NYS) has the fourth largest Hispanic/Latine population in the United States, with 3.6 million Hispanic residents, representing 6.6% of the nation’s total Hispanic population. Hispanic/Latine communities encompass more than 20 nationalities, each with unique customs, histories, and dialects. But regardless of whether someone speaks Spanish, Portuguese, Indigenous languages, French, or English, Latine/Hispanic communities are often deeply connected by a strong sense of family, tradition, and community. These commonalities are reflected in many ways in New York State, including, spending time outdoors, civic engagement, and environmental activism.
The Hispanic Access Foundation is an organization committed to environmental causes and educating not just the Latine community, but all communities. As part of this effort, the Hispanic Access Foundation develops reports and toolkits to educate others on how they can do their part. One such publication is Nuestro Mar, Nuestro Futuro: A Sustainable Seafood Guide, which was researched and written by Ocean Manager Sofia Barboza, Marine Scientist Melissa Márque, and Ph.D. candidate Zlatka Rebolledo Sánchez. This toolkit is designed to assist communities in understanding and being able to advocate for sustainable fisheries and ocean conservation.
The toolkit complements ongoing work by DEC to help explain key issues facing our fisheries and providing practical guidance about how to engage in sustainable seafood practices while maintaining traditional ways. The toolkit examines ongoing threats to marine ecosystems, including overfishing, habitat destruction, climate change and pollution, and how these unprecedented pressures also affect livelihoods and food security. The toolkit provides guidance on how to take actions through purchasing choices, diet, and following fishing rules in place to protect fish and habitat, among others, to help empower everyone to make decisions that support resilient fisheries and a thriving marine environment.
DEC is continuing to help connect communities to our oceans and other resources, including offering free bilingual fishing clinics and guided tours at our environmental education centers, and engaging with not-for-profit organizations focused on conservation and environmental justice in predominantly Latine/Hispanic communities.
In partnership with Latino Conservation Week, DEC will be hosting a bilingual fishing clinic on Sept. 16 from 5 to 7 p.m. at Harlem Meer. Information about this event can be found at: Latino Conservation Week :: A Hispanic Access Foundation Initiative - Clínica de pesca gratis del NYSDEC en el Harlem Meer
DEC is proud to observe Hispanic Heritage Month and remains committed to maintaining a workplace that values the contributions of all employees to enhance our core mission of protecting, preserving, and improving the environment and our natural resources, and where all visitors can enjoy the diverse environment of the outdoor spaces New York has to offer.
Recommended Reading Resources:
Archer, Leanne, Jeffrey Neal, Paul Bates, et al. 2024. “Current and Future Rainfall-Driven Flood Risk from Hurricanes in Puerto Rico under 1.5 and 2 °C Climate Change.” Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences 24 (2): 375–96. https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-24-375-2024.
Bradley, Alexander C., Maggie L. McNulty, Liam C. Downey, and Joost A. de Gouw. n.d. “How Historical Siting Decisions Promote Modern Pollution Disparities in Denver, Colorado.” Environmental Sociology 0 (0): 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1080/23251042.2025.2534255.
Chen, Jiawen Carmen, Jesse A. Goodrich, Douglas I. Walker, et al. 2024. “Exposure to Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances and High-Throughput Proteomics in Hispanic Youth.” Environment International 186 (April): 108601. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2024.108601.
Collins, Timothy W., Colby M. Child, Sara E. Grineski, and Mathilda Scott. 2025. “Disparities in Fine Particulate Matter Air Pollution Exposures at the US–Mexico Border: The Intersection of Race/Ethnicity and Older Age.” Atmosphere 16 (5): 610. https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos16050610.
Damiani Fontana, Claudia. 2025. “Experienced Latinx Urban Gardeners in San Jose, CA, Offer Strategies for Climate Justice and Resilience.” Master of Science (MS) in Environmental Studies, San Jose State University. https://scholarworks.sjsu.edu/etd_theses/5642.
Eiser, Arnold R. 2024. “Environmental, Metabolic, and Nutritional Factors Concerning Dementia in African American and Hispanic American Populations.” The American Journal of Medicine 137 (10): 939–42. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amjmed.2024.06.023.
Fernandez, Mariela, A. Stefanie Ruiz, Benjamin Fowler, and Kshitij Tewari. 2025. “Use of Natural Areas among Latinxs Living in South Carolina.” Journal of Park and Recreation Administration 43 (1). https://doi.org/10.18666/JPRA-2025-12053.
Gladwell, Lauren Rae, Laura Packer, Jhanvi Karthik, et al. 2025. “Environmental Toxicants in the Hispanic Community Epigenetically Contributing to Preeclampsia.” Cardiovascular Toxicology, ahead of print, July 31. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12012-025-10049-9.
Harmsen, Eric W., Norman L. Miller, Nicole J. Schlegel, and J. E. Gonzalez. 2009. “Seasonal Climate Change Impacts on Evapotranspiration, Precipitation Deficit and Crop Yield in Puerto Rico.” Agricultural Water Management 96 (7): 1085–95. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agwat.2009.02.006.
Hyland, Carly, Alejandra Hernandez, Éric Gaudreau, et al. 2024. “Examination of Urinary Pesticide Concentrations, Protective Behaviors, and Risk Perceptions among Latino and Latina Farmworkers in Southwestern Idaho.” International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health 255 (January): 114275. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijheh.2023.114275.
Levy, Jacques E., and Cesar Chavez. 2007. Cesar Chavez: Autobiography of La Causa. 1st University of Minnesota Press ed. University of Minnesota Press.
Martinez, Jairo E, Jaime Perales-Puchalt, Miriam J Rodriguez, et al. 2025. “Discussing the Interplay of Social Determinants of Health, Aging and Alzheimer’s Biomarkers in U.S. Latinos.” The Journals of Gerontology, Series A: Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences, March 7, glaf020. https://doi.org/10.1093/gerona/glaf020.
Monge, Cecilia, and Tim F. Greten. 2024. “Underrepresentation of Hispanics in Clinical Trials for Liver Cancer in the United States over the Past 20 Years.” Cancer Medicine 13 (1): e6814. https://doi.org/10.1002/cam4.6814.
Parada, Humberto, Eric T. Hyde, Mary E. Turyk, et al. 2024b. “Persistent Organic Pollutants and Cognitive Decline among Middle-Aged or Older Adults in the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos.” Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 282 (September): 116697. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoenv.2024.116697.
Ramirez, Amelie G., Edgar Munoz, Lorna Rodriguez-Rodriguez, Leon Bernal-Mizrachi, Patricia Chalela, et al. 2025. “Abstract 6194: Unveiling Cancer Disparities: A Task Force Report on Multilevel Drivers Impacting Equitable Cancer Care among Latinos in the US.” Cancer Research 85 (8_Supplement_1): 6194. https://doi.org/10.1158/1538-7445.AM2025-6194.
Ramos-Vazquez, Julio Cesar. 2025. “Investigating the Interaction of Diet Quality on the Association between Air Pollution Exposure and Diabetes Incidence in the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos.” Master’s Thesis, University of Washington. https://hdl.handle.net/1773/53635.
Smith, Cara. n.d. “Associations Between Long-Term Ambient Air Pollution, Neighborhood Physical Disinvestment, and Incident Diabetes in the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos - ProQuest.” Dissertation, University of Washington. Accessed August 13, 2025. https://www.proquest.com/openview/88950669838238d517ffe8ba10c10a9b/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=18750&diss=y.
Sun, Skylar Biyang, and Xiaohang Zhao. 2025. “Do Immigrants Support Environmentalism? Immigrants’ Environmental Socialization in the United States.” Party Politics 31 (3): 562–82. https://doi.org/10.1177/13540688241237490.
Vazquez, Dalia, and Paul C. Adams. n.d. “Latino Intergenerational Communication and Attitudes Regarding Climate Change.” Environmental Communication 0 (0): 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1080/17524032.2025.2464154.
Warner, Marcella, Stephen Rauch, Brenda Eskenazi, et al. 2025. “Persistent Organochlorine Pesticides and Cardiometabolic Outcomes among Middle-Aged Latina Women in a California Agricultural Community: The CHAMACOS Maternal Cognition Study.” Environment International 196 (February): N.PAG-N.PAG. 183136901. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2025.109302.
Zimmer, Rachel, Ashley Strahley, Aylin Aguilar, et al. 2024. “Using the Environmental Health Disparities Framework to Understand Black and Latino Perspectives of a Local Fertilizer Plant Fire.” BMC Public Health 24 (1): 2817. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-024-20235-z.
