Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with the OT Leaders and Legacies Society

In 1968, Hispanic Heritage week was commemorated for the first time when California Congressman George E. Brown recognized the unique contributions and influences of the Hispanic community on American history and society. For twenty years, Presidents Nixon, Ford, Carter and Reagan proclaimed National Hispanic Heritage Week. September 15 was specifically chosen because it coincided with the celebrations of five different Central American countries’ celebrations of independence. Other countries’ independence days also occurred during the two weeks after, and thus a 31-day period was commemorated. President GW Bush declared National Hispanic Heritage Month in 1989 for the first time (history.com).

Rita P. Fleming-Castaldy, Chairperson of the OT Leaders and Legacies Society (OTLLS) History Preservation Project, urges NYSOTA to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month by sharing the following resources. Rita states:

While I am proud that the OTLLS has preserved the contributions of some of occupational therapy’s Hispanic leaders for perpetuity, it is clear that more can be done to preserve the history of our profession’s Hispanic leaders and their contributions to the field and the lived experiences of Hispanic occupational therapists and occupational therapy assistants.

I invite you to explore the OT Leaders & Legacies Society - History Preservation Project webpages and think about how you can contribute to our projects. Please do not hesitate to contact me at rpcot@yahoo.com if you would like to discuss contribution ideas. I would welcome the opportunity to support your active engagement in preserving the history of occupational therapy and the legacies of our profession’s leaders.

Browsing the OTLL webpage reveals countless resources: oral histories, group recollections, photos, articles, and more. The following resources were selected because they relate to NYS OTs of Hispanic heritage:

Oral Histories for Beatriz Abreu, Jim Hinojosa, and Jamie Munoz can be found by scrolling alphabetically through the oral history page. See https://www.otleaders.org/history-preservation-project/oral-history-project.

A YouTube video interview of Lauro Munoz can be found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QIN8yBJ40FA&feature=youtu.be

We Remember: Recollection on Leaders’ Enduring Legacies of Jim Hinojosa by Gary Bedell, Marie Louise Blount, Rita Fleming-Castaldy, and Paula Kramer can be found by scrolling down OT Leaders & Legacies Society - Oral History Project

If you are not familiar with the OTLLS, click the following link to view a webinar about the history of the OTLLS and the mission and activities of the History Preservation Project: Honoring and Preserving Our Past to Inform and Forge Our Future: Opportunities for OT Students, Educators, and Researchers

Contributors:
Rita P. Fleming-Castaldy, PhD, OTR, FAOTA
Professor Emeritus
Occupational Therapy Program, The University of Scranton
History Preservation Project Chairperson, OTLLS

Beth Chiariello, PhD, OTR/L
President, NYSOTA
Director, Manhattan campus, OT Master’s Program, Touro University