To Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, Reed Leads Tour of Latino-Owned Small Businesses

CENTRAL FALLS, RI – In an effort to highlight the Ocean State’s vibrant Latino culture, restaurants, and small businesses, U.S. Senator Jack Reed today teamed up with the City of Central Falls and the Rhode Island Hispanic Chamber of Commerce to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month and lead a special walking tour along Broad Street in Central Falls.

The theme of this year’s Hispanic Heritage Month is “Pioneers of Change: Shaping the Future Together.” Hispanic Heritage Month is observed annually from September 15 to October 15.  It is a time to appreciate and celebrate the colorful cultures, rich histories, and diversity of the nation’s Hispanic population whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America.

The special walking tour: “Un recorrido por los negocios hispanos que impulsan y elevan a nuestras comunidades” (“A tour of hispanic businesses that fuel and uplift our communities”), featured several small businesses, both new and long-standing establishments, and amplified ventures that are helping power the local economy forward while also giving back to their neighbors.

“The theme of this year’s Hispanic Heritage Month is about shaping the future.  As we saw during today’s walking tour, Mayor Rivera, the Rhode Island Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, and Central Falls’ diverse small business community have embodied that theme through their actions, advocacy, and commitment to their neighbors,” said Senator Reed.  “I will continue to stand with Rhode Island’s vibrant and diverse Hispanic and Latino communities to ensure that the future of our state remains strong, prosperous, and welcoming to all who want to plant their roots here.”

“Central Falls celebrates the rich cultural contributions of our Latino and Hispanic communities and is home to many Latino-owned small businesses that make our city vibrant,” said Central Falls Mayor Maria Rivera.  “Thank you, Senator Reed, for your incredible partnership and support for Latino communities across Rhode Island, and to the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce for ensuring these businesses have the resources they need to succeed.”

At the beginning of the tour, Senator Reed joined Mayor Rivera, Oscar Mejias, and members of the community for lunch at La Hacienda Restaurant, a family-owned restaurant dishing out authentic Salvadoran Mexican cuisine. The group then visited a host of local businesses that help the community celebrate together, eat together, and join together.

The tour included stops at Krystal’s Flower Shop, a small business providing specialty floral arrangements and decorations for celebrations and ceremonies; Esperanza Convenience Store; Tony’s Shoe Service; Rossell’s Beauty Salon, a community institution that has been a fixture on Broad Street for nearly 30 years; and Elsy Nutrition, a family-owned small business promoting the importance of good nutrition.

Hispanic or Latino residents now make up 18 percent of Rhode Island's population, up from 12.4 percent in 2010, according to the latest numbers from the U.S. Census Bureau.  The Ocean State has long been home to thriving Colombian, Dominican, Guatemalan, Puerto Rican, and Mexican communities among others, each with its own unique traditions and identities within the Hispanic community that all contribute to Rhode Island’s shared culture and heritage.