NAMPA — Sixty-four years after the smooth, rich sound of Grammy Award-winning Tito Puente’s “Oye Cómo Va” track released in 1962, the song can still be heard on jukeboxes throughout the world.
While the band Santana — led by Grammy Award-winning guitarist Carlos Santana — popularized the song even further in 1970 and then received a Grammy Hall of Fame induction in 2002, the simple message of the song’s first line, “Oye cómo va mi ritmo,” remains the same. In English, the line means “Listen to how my rhythm goes,” and it points to how fluid Latin culture runs throughout the United States.
Mari Ramos, who is holding Nampa Mayor Darl Bruner’s proclamation about Hispanic Heritage Month on Tuesday at the Nampa City Council meeting, stands with several ambassadors and board members of the Idaho Hispanic Foundation, front, and Nampa City Council, back. “Thank you so much for that recognition and for continuing to celebrate and creating a space where we can share our culture and traditions with everyone in the Nampa community,” Ramos said.
Matthew Neil Wells / Idaho Press
From the music, to the food, to the language, to many of the people who help make up the United States and its workforce, Latino culture is one of the biggest staples nationwide.
With Hispanic Heritage Month just around the corner — Sept. 15 through Oct. 15 — Idaho Hispanic Foundation is partying to commemorate the month on Sunday at the Idaho Hispanic Community Center, 315 Stampede Drive in Nampa.
WHAT DOES HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH MEAN?
The month celebrates Latino history and culture, according to the National Museum of the American Latino.
“It began as a weeklong celebration in 1968 under President (Lyndon B.) Johnson and was expanded to a month by President (Ronald) Reagan 20 years later in 1988,” the museum states. “The monthlong celebration provides more time to properly recognize the significant contributions Hispanic/Latino Americans have made in the United States.”
And what makes Sept. 15 so special? It’s the independence day for Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua, according to the museum. Mexico’s independence day is Sept. 16, followed by Chile — Sept. 18 — and Belize — Sept 21.
“By aligning with (those) independence dates, Hispanic Heritage Month honors the resilience and determination of the Hispanic community,” the museum states.
Members of the Guadalupe Dance Company perform at a kick off for Hispanic Heritage month in San Antonio, Texas, Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2026.
Eric Gay – AP
THE EVENT
IHF’s event is called “Nuestra Herencia, Nuestra Tierra,” which translates to “Our Heritage, Our Land,” according to the IHF’s event flyer.
The event runs from noon to 5 p.m. Sunday and will “celebrate the richness of culture, tradition (and) history and learn about conservation,” the flyer states.
IHF will provide music, food, drinks, artisan vendors and cultural performances. There will be a bicycle giveaway and “fun bike rodeo,” plus a helmet fitting for kids, and more.
Nampa Mayor Darl Bruner made a proclamation about Hispanic Heritage Month at the Nampa City Council meeting on Tuesday at City Hall.
Mari Ramos, chief executive director of the Idaho Hispanic Foundation, stood shoulder to shoulder with IHF’s ambassadors and board members for a photo after the proclamation. She shared her thoughts with the Idaho Press on Thursday.
“I love seeing different generations celebrating side by side — children, parents, grandparents — and sharing our music, food, traditions, language and culture,” Ramos said.
Members of the group Nueva Generación 2000 perform during an event to kickoff Hispanic Heritage month at the Idaho State Capitol in this file photo.
Idaho Press file photo
THE CULTURE
While Sunday’s event lasts for five hours, Latino culture has lasted hundreds of years in the United States. Some examples include:
And this past February, the Super Bowl 60 halftime show starred Bad Bunny, a Puerto Rican-born singer who shared a message of love and unity — “The only thing more powerful than hate is love” — during his show. The halftime show was a clear success on social media — inclusive of fans, owned platforms, broadcast partners and influencers — as it “set a record of 4 billion views after the first 24 hours,” according to an NBC Universal article.
To learn more about Hispanic Heritage Month, head to the National Museum of the American Latino’s website, idahohispanicfoundation.org.
Matthew Neil Wells is the Nampa reporter at the Idaho Press. He covers city government, crime, features, profiles on people, and events. You can follow him on X @MatthewNWells, and email him at mwells@idahopress.com.
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